Umlilo Siya Ngcobo (ZA, 1986)
Residency period: January-March 2025
Defining herself as an intergalactic shape-shifting kwaai diva, Umlilo Siya Ngcobo is a South African innovative genre- and gender-bending multidisciplinary artist. With a practice ranging from music to fashion, 3D animation, VR, visual art, and performance, her work is rooted in the black and queer experience and tries to foster conversation and exchange with local and international communities and artists.
A graduate in Theater and Media Studies from Rhodes University, she is the founder of Future Kwaai Records and co-founder of the LeGrand Queer Arts Festival and Kwaai Boutique in Johannesburg, where she lives and works. Engaged in collaborative initiatives, she is also a part of the Finsterbusch collective in Switzerland and Fakugezi Animation in Johannesburg.
Umlilo Siya Ngcobo has released three EPs and has undertaken projects with Norient’s Seismographic Sounds in Bern, Goethe Institute, Pro Helvetia, OneBeat USA, Ars Electronica Founding Lab, Queerzicht, and Outburst Festival in Ireland.
At La Becque, Umlilo Siya Ngcobo plans to develop Arbor Mundi: Echoes of the Celtic Tree, an immersive multidisciplinary project that explores the story of the ancient plane tree on Île de Peilz, the only natural island in Lake Geneva. Drawing on the Celtic symbol of balance, harmony, and rebirth, presenting the tree as a sacred symbol of life, wisdom, and a portal to the other world, the project aims to unfold the history, significance, and potential futures of this emblematic tree through a multimedia performance, combining music, visuals, 3D animation, AI, and AR interactive elements. In an age of rapid technological advancements, the project also seeks to provide a deeper sense of meaning and purpose by intertwining traditional belief systems with contemporary artistic expressions, fostering a harmonious relationship between technology and a profound connection to the environment.