William Kentridge on Art's Role to Defend Uncertainty

In a video interview with Tate London, South African artist William Kentridge (b. 1955) discusses his creative process from his Johannesburg studio, which he calls a "vital space, both physical and spiritual." He explains that his work always begins with a drawing, sparked by an initial impulse such as an image or a phrase strong enough to generate the first sketch. He values charcoal and pencil for their flexibility. The physical act of drawing, he hopes, then yields new ideas and possibilities. Kentridge concludes with a powerful statement on art's purpose: to defend uncertainty, criticize all forms of certainty—whether authority or knowledge—and make contradiction and ambiguity its primary sources. The interview was conducted by Valentina Tanni, an art historian, curator, and lecturer specializing in art and technology, who teaches at Politecnico di Milano and NABA. The piece was published on Artribune as part of their television series.