Harare — An international curator has urged visual artists to connect their work to their culture for the success of their work nationally and on the global arena.

In her presentation at the National Art Gallery of Zimbabwe last week, Valerie Kabov, an international curator and educationist said it was only when artistes connect their work to their history that they prospered.

"It is only when artists are connected to their place and have an understanding of their audiences that they are truly able to make an important art, art that is valuable not only to their local audiences but also to the international community and history," she said

She also added that people, regardless of their nationality had something in common in art that could connect them with the rest of the world.

She expressed concern over the general detachment of artists from their history across the globe and encouraged Zimbabwean artists not to only engage Europe as a new source of identity.

"Levels of cultural alienation have reached alarming levels, especially in Europe due to globalisation and this is bad news for the vibrancy of art.

"While I acknowledge that Zimbabwean visual artists constantly reflect on their culture I would like to urge them to partner with European artists as away of building partnerships and not to imitate foreign values," she added.

Kabov bemoaned lack of support for visual arts in Zimbabwe and other African countries, saying strained economic resources were causing this.

"Recently in Zimbabwe the contemporary visual art in Zimbabwe has been on the back foot.

"The economic situation has made visual art a luxury with many artists pressured to seek audiences and market their work outside the country," she said.

The visiting doctorate scholar from University Of Paris added that there were issues of globilisation and the global market with cultural anticipations of the audience at home.

Kabov said she was in the country to find ways of promoting upcoming visual artists by linking them with sponsors as well as giving them required expertise.

"Through partnerships with galleries in Europe I shall work on trying to elevate upcoming visual artists.