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please leave a message after the tone...
Suzette Clarke’s office is situated on a mezzanine above the AVA Gallery in Cape Town.
Suzette has not been in her profession very long, but her office, by design, is a picture of studied assurance… echoed in the breezy outgoing message on her telephone answering machine:
'Hello, this is Suzette Clarke, artist's brand strategist. I can't take your call right now, but please leave a message after the tone’.
Further back however, beyond her desk, one senses disarray in the incongruous collection of remnant artefacts from previous phases of the Kapital project.
Her client’s investment venture has begun to capture attention [see episode: 'going public']. Uncharacteristically, Suzette's client is pushing hard and acquisitively. He seems to have abandoned his curious, critical motivation. Her support for his concept of 'value divestment' from the art object has led to an ominous turn. And some of the attention begins to feel, to her, like an unnerving scrutiny.
The telephone rings repeatedly, and Suzette’s cheerful voice is followed by a succession of increasingly problematic messages. It is no wonder that she is avoiding the office