Art Times June/July Edition 2023

AUCTION

SAVE THE DATE

Wednesday, 5 July 2023 at 7pm

VENUE

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Johannesburg

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Dylan Lewis , Male Trans-Figure IX Maquette, R 35 000 - 50 000

CONTENTS

Cover: Richard Templeton Smith

10. M.O.L 38

THE SUBMERGED SUNRISE OF WONDER Ashraf Jamal Column

16. TAF23 Turbine Art Fair in its Second Decade

20. UNVEILING THE SYMPHONY OF PERFORMANCE An Expanded Artistic Tapestry

23. ON THE MINES: DAVID GOLDBLATT The Great Chronicler and Documenter of South Africa

LEARNING THROUGH ART

The Museum as Classroom

38. BESPOKE ART AT SOLO STUDIOS Intimate Art Encounters Returns to the Riebeek Valley

44. BUHLEBEZWE SIWANI’S “IYEZA” Artistic Gestures Towards Healing

50. APS IN THE FOREFRONT OF PRINTMAKING EDUCATION Growth and Opportunity Moving Ahead

56. ART IN THE HEART OF THE KAROO Prince Albert Open Studios

62. VULEKA COMPETITION TURNS 60 The Oldest Continuous Art Competition in Southern Africa

66. HERMANUS FYNARTS FESTIVAL 2023 A Fusion of Arts Festival and Winter School

74. AN ENDLESS NIGHT A Showcase For The Country’s Creative Achievements

BUSINESS ART

Fine Art Auction highlights

ARTGO

Current & Upcoming Exhibition Highlights

Artwork: Mary Sibande

Itgives me enormous pleasure to present to you the new JuneJuly copy of the Art Times. This edition starts a new trend that we wanted to start some time back of printing every two months, this decision we felt had definite advantages to it. These advantages include that our clients would have 2 months to get the best of the month before an upcoming exhibition to publish. In the social media and publishing world a month goes too quickly and two months would mean a quality breathing space. In addition to this merging the magazine into 2 months into one edition would give us more time to greatly extend our online, social media, and newsletter platforms.

In this edition of the Art Times, we are headed for a treat of great SA Art from all over the country. The Turbine Art Fair is back in full force and looks to me like a smashing event, to fly to if you are not lucky enough to live in or travel to Johannesburg.

In the Cape we have the Hermanus FynArts, Prince Albert Open Studios, and Riebeek Valley’s Solo Studios coming up. All events have done and evolved remarkably well in putting their towns on the cultural and quality of life map.

The Artist Proof Studio in Johannesburg is doing incredible things and I always enjoy going to their website to see the latest work by young and dynamic artists. In roughly the same area be sure to read Oliewenhuis’s article about Art and Education.

The GFI Gallery is hosting earlier works by David Goldblatt entitled ‘On the Mine’s curated by Karel Nel, which is a statement in itself about how South African artist’s work can go on to inspire, record and warn against to perils of inequality. ArtB Vuleka Award is the oldest award to date in South Africa and is a great way to launch a young artist’s career. The money is still largely put up by Conrad Theys, who as a youngster between him and his wife had bittermin and made his name and income from art, it is a truly inspiring story and a tribute to a kind man who makes beautiful work.

When looking through the magazine feel aware that there have been so many people in the arts that are passionate about what they do in the community as in its promotion, education, making, and selling. For the most part, art is a calling, a means of expressing who we are, our attitudes and views on life, society, and who we are now. The beautiful thing about it is that the more honest one is about one’s work, the richer and stronger it is, both to yourself and to the viewer. In this day and age of chaos, AI, and corruption, it’s good to know that there are those who strive to celebrate, heal and enquire about who we are, here and now.

Once again I would like to thank our advertisers and sponsors, artists and writers for their special contribution to this magazine, we salute you. Thanks!

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Rights: the Art Times magazine reserves the right to reject any material that could be found offensive by its readers. Opinions and views expressed in the sa art times do not necessarily represent the official viewpoint of the editor, staff or publisher, while inclusion of advertising features does not imply the newspaper’s endorsement of any business, product or service. Copyright of the enclosed material in this publication is reserved.

SLINDILE MTHEMBU

20-29 July 2023

The Melrose Gallery, Melrose Arch, 10 The High St, Melrose, Johannesburg, 2196

For more infomation contact craig@themelrosegallery or visit www.themelrosegallery.com

THE SUBMERGED SUNRISE OF WONDER

Ashraf Jamal

‘Anthropocene’ is the tongue twister on everyone’s lips, a word fashioned by humankind to describe its abomination on earth, for it tells us that it is we who are responsible not only for our own destruction, but the destruction of everything living and inanimate that informs the destroyed ground we stand on. There is much talk of the ‘End Times’. Certainly, a creeping despair now overwhelms us, a deep sense of fatality. Walking through a piercing green forest in the South of Sweden – enthralled by ‘The force that through the green fuse drives the flower’ as Dylan Thomas writes – I might be forgiven, or chastised, for failing to see that Spring had come late, or that the warmth – too balmy – was out of synch, the earth consumed at either hemisphere by unnatural extremes in temperature, fast losing its gravitational hold and benign orbit. I am no climatologist, no environmentalist, but I do know, like any other sentient being, that ours is a borrowed time, that our present is betrayed, our future squandered. That those dearest to me in South Africa are feeling the acutest despair borne of governmental dereliction, further underscores a pervasive sense of nihilism – in the case of South Africa, the death instinct at the root of failed governance. We all know this, know that we are not only facing an ecological collapse, but a secular one too, worse, as a consequence, a psychological and spiritual one too. ‘Humankind cannot bear very much reality, T.S. Eliot remarked, but neither can we stomach lies. If ours is an immoral time, this is not only because of our delinquency as a species, but our corruption and corruptibility.

Wangari Muta Maathai (1940-2011) was a Kenyan environmentalist and winner of the Nobel Peace Prize. She was right in noting that ‘We are very fond of blaming the poor for destroying the environment. But often it is the powerful, including government, that are responsible’. Though African chauvinism chose to blame the women – the water and wood gatherers, providers of food – for deforestation and environmental degradation. But the greater problem, colonial and

neo-colonial, local, regional, or global, has undoubtedly centred on the control, management, and distribution of resources – the varying aggravation and greed centred on the value, scarcity, or degradation of these assets, in particular, mineral resources, gold, oil, platinum, diamonds, and many others. The root of our degradation directly stems from the burglary of the earth, from mining, and the economy and consumerist culture it feeds. As Maathai justly noted, ‘We think that diamonds are very important… we call them precious minerals, but they are all forms of the soil. But the part of this mineral that is on top … the skin of the earth, that is the most precious commons’. A realist first, idealist second, Maathai sought to protect our ‘commons’, that earthen skin that bonds us profoundly, spiritually, ethically. We are told that the Industrial Revolution is the root of our ills, a revolution built on coal, but an ancient Latin proverb, mistakenly deemed obsolete, is a reminder that greed and vanity is age-old –Cuius est solum eius est usque ad coelum et ad inferos / for whoever own the soil, it is theirs up to the skies and down to the depths.

The prophetic ecologist, Rachel Carson, writes in Silent Spring that ‘God sleeps in the minerals, awakens in the plants, walks in animals, and thinks in man’. This evolutionary scale is by no means a compliment, for it is the human mind that has proved the root of our damnation. Between the sleep of God and the perverse reasoning of Humankind lies a fault – geological and psychological – that cannot be repaired or reversed. In the 1500s, Michel de Montaigne, the first psychologist of human folly, asks – ‘Can anything be imagined so ridiculous, that this miserable ad wretched creature (man), who is not so much a master of himself, but subject to the injuries of all things, should call himself master and emperor of the world, of which he has not power to know the least part, much less to command the whole?’

Opposite: GEO-SEAM Gilt Economy

In hindsight, we can believe ourselves less ignorant, unless we continue to hold onto the mantra ‘Greed is Good’. That Montaigne’s Essays is now an immensely popular read, that we find ourselves returning to Stoicism, a philosophy that embraces threat and danger with equanimity, should surely suggest a greater open-mindedness, and preparedness for the worst.

It is this pivot that informs Jeannette Unite’s solo exhibition, part installation, part wallwork, at the Iziko National Gallery. For if Unite notes that we must take personally all that happens to the Earth, it is because we cannot separate ourselves from it. Ours is no longer an irrational imperial claim to sovereignty of the earth and sky, but a judicious management of its impending extinction, and our immoral role as perpetrator, or victim, therein. Her primary focus, in this regard, is mining, certainly the definitional extractive economy. As Ivor Powell and Andrew Lamprecht have justly noted, ‘The art Unite produces … is inextricable from the impact mining wrought on African history. We would live on a very different continent – and indeed a different world – were it not for the epochal discovery of diamonds, gold, and other mineral deposits in the second half of the nineteenth century and the concomitant and sometimes tragic effects of these discoveries’. Indeed. In the back of my mind, I can hear Maathai’s appeal to the greater ‘commons’ of beneficent soil, forests, fresh water, but, while we must defer to her wisdom, we must also, after Montaigne, acknowledge our suicidal perversity.

while Unite rightly challenges the aberrations of mining – disenfranchisement, indenture, exploitation, greed, inequality, and its devastating impact on African history, South African history in particular, we cannot ignore the fact that the temperament of the exhibition at Iziko – titled Plot – is not accusatory, but revelatory. Unite’s purpose – if art can be said to have a purpose – is to reveal our general complicity in mining, in a global extractive economy, that feeds our grotesque conspicuous consumption. Because, of course, there would be no reason to plunder the Earth, if there were no desire for its perceived riches. It is consumption that begets extraction. It is desire that is the greater, deeper, darker engine room.

ADMISSION OF GUILT Fields of Gold

It is now commonplace to note that desire is the basis of capitalism. However, as Unite realises, desire is far more complex, for while it may be voracious, it cannot, finally, be satisfied – because it is the perversity of desire that it remains fundamentally and eternally unfulfilled. This is the bracing view of the psychoanalyst and student of Sigmund Freud, Jacques Lacan. In Ecrits, he notes that ‘Desire is a relation of being to lack. This lack is the lack of being whereby the being exists. This lack is beyond anything which can represent it’. So much for the prevailing illusion – ‘instant gratification’. If Lacan’s view is seminal to Unite’s art, it is because what matters to her is the irresolute and unfinished nature of art, its inability to explain its complicit and obtuse relationship to a shared historical burden, one in which the Earth, no longer a ‘commons’, remains the root of on-going inequality and despair in South Africa.

There is a word for this despair, Unite tells us – it is solastalgia, the negative psychic impact produced when natural resources are exploited and one’s home territory is left in a desolate state. This is certainly the

horror that Maathai sought to avert, this the foundation of African history, which, in its current neo-colonial guise, is disturbingly subject to China’s imperial extractive control. Unite’s purpose, however, is to invite us into a destroyed yet beautiful sanctum, into a ruin. Therein, in the hull that contains her art, she calls us to prayer, for if there is one core drive in her art, then, after Mark Rothko, after Pierre Soulages, it is consolation. Unlike the celebrated Eastern German novelist, Unite is not ‘Homesick for Sadness’. Unlike the eighteenth-century aesthete, she finds no great pleasure in a Gothic ruin. Rather, what compels her is a complex solace. In knowing, after Fredric Jameson, that ‘history hurts’, she nonetheless has chosen to bind our shattered nature. Scouring the world’s mines for its dross, its ‘precious dust’, Unite then combines these with pigment and resin. The process is alchemical. Her vast canvases, often polyptych’s, a combine of multiple panels, are works, largely abstract, though figuration plays its enigmatic role, that address the caverns within us. Because, of course, Unite is not only interested in the gutting of the earth alone, but also the gutting of our body, psyche, soul.

PLOT, Installation

In this regard, it is unsurprising that Freud, in The Interpretation of dreams, should describe the unconscious as a striated archaeological dig – his life’s work as a study of the suppression of desire. Unite, as intuitively, sensorially, haptically, viscerally, returns us to this underworld. In titling her exhibition Plot, she reminds us that extraction is never innocent, that narratives of legitimacy are akin to confectionary, that the Earth, divvied, owned and contracted, is never the silent partner in the deal but the greater howl. And yet, Unite’s art is never noisome, never aggressive. Rather, the subtle shimmer her paintings emit are gloamings, sensitive emissions, sometimes brilliant, other times sepulchral, all in all, diurnal and nocturnal. Looking at Unite’s monumental series of paintings, her panels, her frescoes, I’m reminded of G.K. Chesterton’s words, that our task is to dig for the ‘submerged sunrise of wonder’.

GEO SEAM Carboniferous, Coal and Chalk

TAF 23

Turbine Art Fair turbineartfair.co.za

TheTurbine Art Fair is headed into its second decade and celebrating this milestone with a bold move to its new home at Hyde Park Corner, from 27 – 30 July 2023. TAF has become the epicentre of emerging art in South Africa bringing together galleries, artists, and curators from around the country to present and sell contemporary art.

“TAF has always been a sensorial Fair, where the experience of art becomes an event, not just a passive viewing, or a simple ‘fair’. To celebrate and enhance this interactive, involving, and immersive experience of art we are thrilled to be moving into a fabulous new venue at Hyde Park Corner in 2023. The TAF location has always been at the forefront of the experience. We are known as a fair that takes art out of ‘traditional’ venues to enable art to be experienced, not just browsed. It is a place for new voices, and new perspectives making art accessible, undaunting and fun! We believe we have curated an innovative and exciting art experience that will take art fairs in South Africa to the next level” says Founder Glynis Hyslop.

Over the years TAF has positioned itself as an Art Fair that understands the importance of visibility, by championing emerging artists and galleries while showcasing established artists and providing an innovative and dynamic experience for visitors. It has become synonymous with accessible art and the innovative use of non-traditional art exhibition spaces.

TAF 23 – The Engaging Art Experience will showcase 30 exhibitors and 10 special projects. This will include a range of galleries from across South Africa, secondary market dealers, print studios, artist organisations, collectives, and project spaces with the ongoing aim of exhibiting emerging artists and mid-career artists to emerging and established collectors and audiences.

“The public has embraced the ethos of TAF over the last decade we have been in existence, and they have built a longstanding, trusted relationship with the fair, which provides them with a safe and curated space in which to buy good quality South African contemporary art” continues Hyslop.

TAF 23 continues to evolve, push boundaries, educate and go beyond the norms of a traditional art fair, appealing to both the seasoned art collector as well as those wanting to start the art collecting journey. “TAF’23 – The Engaging Art Experience is about celebrating the evolution of Turbine Art Fair as it enters its second decade. I’m looking to articulating this with dynamic installations and a more engaged offering” adds Tiaan Nagel, Creative Director – Turbine Art Fair

TAF has become synonymous with its special projects programme and 2023 will not disappoint, with the long-standing projects back, as well as the introduction of some new additions. TAF23 projects include:

TAF CAPSULE – Usha Seejarim: Turbine Art Fair has selected established South African artist Usha Seejarim as the 2023 TAF Capsule featured artist. The project highlights one of the goals of TAF – making art collecting accessible to young collectors and aims to engage & educate audiences on investing in art in a tangible way. Each year the selected artist will create a large scale artwork comprised of smaller works that can be purchased individually or in groupings.

OFF THE GRID – A return to abstraction: Off the Grid is dedicated to artists outside of the main gallery circuit in an effort to support and sustain their careers. The 2023 edition is curated by Ashraf Jamal and features Gail Behrmann, Refiloe Mnisi, Alexandra Khazin, Daniel Chimurere & Samson Minsi.

ON THE GRID - A parallel to TAF’s Off the Grid project, will showcase artists whose careers have been launched through one of TAF’s programmes, and who currently have gallery representation or partnerships and have elevated their careers beyond an emerging practice. On the Grid will take place in collaboration with each artist’s representing gallery and aims to show the importance of investing in artists at the early stage of their careers.

TAF UNEARTHED - A 6 month mentorship programme for emerging artists which covers the business of art and art mentorship and culminates in a curated group exhibition of their work. Artists are mentored by industry professionals, they engage in multiple peer mentoring sessions, are introduced to additional galleries, curators and writers and receive financial and mental health training. Curated by Teboho Ralesai, the 2023 mentorship features Chloe Shain, Keabetswe Seema, Michael Vickers, Ivukuvuku & Kaelik Dullaart

TAF TALENT - The fair’s annual graduate exhibition of the top talent from the graduating and masters classes of the SA universities and creative schools. The 2023 exhibition if focused on creating connection and community between students within the various institutions. Subtitled: I now pronounce you a community. Curated by Shenaz Mahomed.

TAF TALKS - A selection of talks focused on engaging collectors, art enthusiasts and artists. The programme includes a series of fair walkabouts by selected curators, artists and creatives industry experts. The 2023 programme will be curated by Palesa Motsomi.

TAF DIGITAL – A selection of digital media works from contemporary South African Artists, including NFTS, video game installations, video & photography.

SCULPT – A selection of sculpture and installations from independent contemporary south African artists, spread across the fair and Hyde Park Corner.

TAF SOUNDS – An electric sonic experience curated by The Dig and Kabelo Mofokeng. This new addition to TAF promises to be informative, interactive, and groovy. You can look forward to soundscapes by some of South Africa’s finest thinkers, engaging talks, and vibrant music.

TAF KIDS – TAF’s annual Kids programme is partnering with Lamy & David Krut Projects to provide fun filled creative activities including live reading sessions and arts and crafts for all ages.

“TAF23 is art, fashion, social, investment, community, fun and so much more! TAF 2023 will be a place to meet, to share the love of art, of learning and embracing the multi-cultural energy that is uniquely South African, we can’t wait to see you there” concludes Hyslop.

Early bird tickets start from R150 and will be available via Webtickets www.webtickets.co.za or link on www.turbineartfair.co.za from 12 May.

TAF Friends ticket special: for a group booking of 5 or more people general access tickets are R150.

UNVEILING THE SYMPHONY OF PERFORMANCE: THE MELROSE GALLERY ORCHESTRATES AN EXPANDED ARTISTIC TAPESTRY

themelrosegallery.com

Performance arts have long been underrepresented in South Africa, often overlooked due to the lack of financial benefits associated with hosting performance artworks in traditional gallery spaces. However, we recognize the profound role that performance plays in storytelling, idea presentation, and audience engagement on an intimate and impactful level.

In the past six years, The Melrose Gallery has been dedicated to hosting a diverse range of performance works that have been met with tremendous enthusiasm. From captivating poetry readings and moving collaborations with established and emerging performers such as Napo Masheane, Jessica Foli, Ulungile Magubane, Lebogang Mabusela, Helena Uambembe, Bongi Bengu, Monique Mrazek, Adejoke Tugbiyele and Banzii Mavuso to name a few.

Philiswa Lila presented two powerful performance artworks, one alone and the other with Ivukuvuku on issues relating to gender-based violence earlier this year. Last weekend we hosted the Blessing Ngobeni Award Exhibition which included two performance works presented by Neo Diseko and Kaylin Moosamy. In these performances we have witnessed the transformative power of performance.

We have acquired a second gallery in Melrose Arch, which will serve as a project space for exhibitions, activations, and performances.

Upcoming Events: In June, we are thrilled to present a digitally immersive experience exhibition by Cherné Africa, powered by Samsung. Cherné’s exploration of sustainability within an African ideology and the concept of Ubuntu will resonate deeply with audiences.

Enkundleni, Pouring healing by Philiswa Lila and Luvkuvuku

This exhibition aims to highlight the interconnectedness of all beings and emphasize the importance of community and cooperation—a collective responsibility we all share in shaping a sustainable future.

From July 20th to 29th, we are partnering with Slindile Mthembu to present ‘Old Soul Waiting,’ an experimental, multi-disciplinary production that converges film, theatre, and visual art. Mthembu’s thought-provoking work delves into the misdiagnosis of ancestral calling as mental illness and invites audiences on a journey of spiritual awakening from Western and spiritual perspectives. The performance will be accompanied by an exhibition featuring collaborations between Mthembu and various visual artists, creating a truly immersive and engaging experience within the gallery space.

Continuing our commitment to amplifying diverse voices, August will see the return of an exhibition and performance programme curated by Ruzy Rusike for Womxn’s Month. This year’s concept will revolve around a combination of 2-dimensional works that will be joined by a collection of sculptural pieces as part of SculptX in September and

October. This celebration of sculpture, now in its 6th year, is the largest annual sculpture fair in South Africa, shining a spotlight on the importance of this genre.

Supporting Performance Art: Performance art holds a unique place in South Africa’s history, transcending traditional artworks in its ability to captivate audiences and create lasting impressions. Unlike physical artworks that can be bought and sold, performances demand an environment that fosters their growth and recognition. At The Melrose Gallery, we are dedicated to creating a space where performance art receives the support and appreciation it deserves.

We invite talented performance artists to submit their proposals to ruzy@themelrosegallery. com, as we actively seek collaborations and partnerships to further elevate the medium of performance art. Together, let us champion the power of performance and contribute to the vibrant artistic tapestry of South Africa, honoring its past while shaping its future.

Above: Old Soul Waiting, Photo by Hymie Sokupha. Opposite: Cherné Africa, Ripples of Longing, 2023, Fine art paper, 60 x 42cm

ON THE MINES: DAVID GOLDBLATT

15 June - 8 August 2023

On display at the GFI Art Gallery on loan from the Norval Foundation

Written & curated by Karel Nel

Goldblatt

David

, On the top of the Millsite dump

Shown for the first time in Gqeberha at the GFI Art Gallery, the Norval Foundation’s collection - On the Mines by David Goldblatt is the last exhibition that David Goldblatt personally helped conceptualise before his death in 2018. Through this exhibition he is revealed as the great chronicler and documenter of South Africa: the quiet observer of how the country, its peoples, its institutions, and landscape have been inscribed by politics and power.

Eighty photographs will be included in the exhibition, showcasing the Witwatersrand gold mines and surrounding communities engage conceptually with mining’s pivotal significance as the driver of the South African

economy in the 1960s and 1970s. As an astute and careful observer, both principled and compassionate, he strove to capture in sequences, shaft-sinking, stoping and other primary mining activities, as well as the particularities of those individuals at the rockface. He also captured dispassionately, but not uncritically, the individuals within the corporate stratifications that defined relations on the mines. His lens also documented the pathos of abandoned mines, from a barber’s chair to the grass sprouting alongside a disused steam hoist. Goldblatt’s earliest boyhood photographs of mining headgear and related structures were an intimation of how this subject would become a major theme in his viewing and thinking.

“On the Mines by David Goldblatt is the last exhibition that David Goldblatt personally helped conceptualise before his death in 2018.”

Above: David Goldblatt, Mining landscape with compound and concession store, Benoni-Brakpan

Opposite: David Goldblatt, The last of the bigger rocks has just been dropped into a kibble

Gaep Gallery, Damir Ocko. Untitled

David Goldblatt, Gang on surface work, Rustenburg Platinum Mine, Rustenberg

David Goldblatt, Concession store interior

David Goldblatt, Stripped headgear, Comet deep, East Rand Propriety Mines, Boksburg

The series on exhibition was first published by Struik in 1973 with a telling text by the Nobel laureate, Nadine Gordimer, as Goldblatt recounted:

Nadine Gordimer had a part to play in the making of my Witwatersrand photographs long before I met her. Her first book, Face to Face, which I read in 1950, made explicit to me, to the point of pungency, my own then vague awareness of my milieu. And over the years, as I sought expression in photography, her writing came to be peculiarly relevant: challenging, affirming, always extending my understanding of what we both so often seemed to find significant.

I started photographing the Witwatersrand in 1966 and by 1967 had done sufficient to feel that there was the possibility here of a worthwhile essay. In some trepidation I showed the photographs to Nadine Gordimer, with the suggestion that we might collaborate in exploring afresh our deep and abiding impressions. To my delight she responded warmly, feeling that we shared a certain vision that in my pictures and her words might attain a new dimension for both. (Struik, 1973)

Gordimer’s text, The Witwatersrand: a Time and Tailings, provides a personal, provocative and independent view of the significance of mining within South Africa. Its searing honesty probes the power, wealth and politics based on exploitation of black labour from across Africa. In a parallel way to Goldblatt, Gordimer captured the austerity of the buildings constructed around machinery needed to delve deep into the earth, and unexpected moments of beauty in the mastaba-like shapes of the mine dumps, with their two-day beard of blackjacks.

Gordimer’s text – read forty years later by Brenda Goldblatt, the photographer’s daughter – will be heard by viewers as a counterpoint to the photographs, as was originally intended in the book, On the Mines. This historical and significant exhibition will be on display from 15 June – 8 August 2023 at the GFI Art Gallery, 30 Park Drive, Gqeberha.

David Goldblatt, Lashing shovels retrieved from underground

LEARNING THROUGH ART: THE MUSEUM AS CLASSROOM

Oliewenhuis Art Museum

By Yolanda de Kock oliewen@nasmus.co.za

Learning through art: The Museum as classroom is an annual exhibition hosted at Oliewenhuis Art Museum. This exhibition aims to serve as a platform for school learners, educators and art enthusiasts to appreciate artworks and important genres discussed in the Grade 10 – 12 Visual Art Curriculums.

Artworks from the Oliewenhuis Art Museum’s Permanent Collection were handpicked to optimise the learning experience for the learners as they have the luxury to view works in the museum and not only from the handbook. The selection of artworks portrays a vibrant South African art historical narrative.

Art and politics will always have a strong relationship. The exhibition explores how prolific South African artists visualised historical, political and social backgrounds,

evident in the art they produced. These ideologies are evident throughout different timeframes of art making. The early twentieth century saw the emergence of the first generation of modern black artists in South Africa. It is noticeable that from the earliest art-making in South Africa (as early as the 1900s), art has been influenced by political undertones, whether by tumultuous political events or artists just trying to exhibit their work in art galleries.

Preference was given to white 20th century masters in museum collections that thrived on colonialist influences in these museums’ founding collections. The absence of the work of black artists, or the art of any other race, is evident in museum collections today. Unfortunately this is the aftermath of colonialism, apartheid and white supremacy.

Dumile Feni, 1966, Itchy, Bronze. Photo Credit: Kobus Robbertze. Oliewenhuis Art Museum Permanent Collection.

Noria Mabasa, 2017-2018, Born from Fire (Mr Nelson Mandela and Children), Vicks tree wood carving. Photo Credit: Kobus Robbertze. Oliewenhuis Art Museum Permanent Collection.

Helen Sebidi, 2014-2016, The Children are Taught how the Old People are Invited to God, Oil on canvas.

Photo: Kobus Robbertze. ArtbankSA Contemporary Collection.

In the Grade 12 Visual Arts Curriculum textbook these historical complicities are underscored and discussed. It is imperative that a focus and understanding of South Africa’s complicated history should be recognised and acknowledged, in exchange for understanding the present and our future. Unfortunately, our earlier resistance artists did not have the luxury of voicing themselves entirely without disruption due to apartheid restrictions. For that reason the works of Julian Motau, Dumile Feni and Ezrom Legae are extremely important. These artists recorded their surroundings with very little resources and training. They were the leading resistance artists from as early as the 1960s. The work of these artists reflects their daily struggles; poverty, malnutrition, displacement, and, ultimately, the brutal, dangerous and inhumane circumstances they lived in.

These artists were infuriated by their inescapable plight. Their work resembles a unique African modernism and today is immensely sought after in public and private collections. Dumile Feni, also referred to as the ‘Goya of the township’ is a pioneer example of this timeframe. Feni did not shy away from showcasing the crude environment in which he lived. His artworks and chosen subject matter clearly show his frustrations by merging people and humans in his drawings, gruesome depictions of death and poverty.

Anitra Nettleton noted that “most of Dumile’s pre-exile works transcend narrow racial and class-bound interpretations. In South Africa Dumile worked with a set of formal devices very reminiscent of early twentieth century European Expressionists reinterpretations of ‘primitive’ art… In these drawings he developed a vocabulary of distortions of the human anatomy, working within a framework that exploits visual deviations from the ‘norm’ of human anatomy and spatial organisation as psychologically and somatically disturbing phenomena” (2011: 15-17).

Dumile Feni, 1965, Hands of fear, Ball point pen.

Photo: Oliewenhuis Art Museum’s Archive.

Dumile Feni, 1965, Frightened, Ball point pen.

Photo: Oliewenhuis Art Museum’s Archive.

Dumile Feni, 1965, School, Ball point pen.

Photo: Oliewenhuis Art Museum’s Archive.

Resistance Art as a theme is underlined and emphasised within the Visual Arts Curriculum. Our leading artists, such as Dumile Feni and Julian Motau, set a sturdy foundation for the contemporary artists who delve into the same genre of Resistance Art today. Manfred Zylla, Willie Bester, Norman Catherine, Penny Siopis and Pat Mautloa work within this genre.

These artists took the theme further and kept on pointing out the inequalities of the world, its socio-political matters, and continue creating art that is candid about society. In their overview of Resistance Art in South Africa, (Louw, E. & Beukes, M. and Van Wyk, L.2013) these researchers pointed out that “The Soweto uprising of 1976 sparked a new commitment by many artists to moral and political responsibility with the belief that art had a conscious role to play under conditions

of oppression in South Africa. An increasing number of artists, both black and white, began to see art as a means of portraying their view of political and social issues in South Africa and art became a way to voice the injustices in South African society” (2013: 113).

The 1980s was a particularly turbulent political time in South Africa. In this era Manfred Zylla became a prominent artist. He was highly critical of apartheid. The era of Resistance Art drew closer to 1994, but Zylla continued to work within this paradigm of social change. In his book, Manfred Zylla: Art and Resistance (2012) he explains that he grew up in Germany, living through the ravages of World War II and its aftermath. Zylla has created works concerned with globalisation, pollution, global warming capitalism and crime.

“The Soweto uprising of 1976 sparked a new commitment by many artists to moral and political responsibility with the belief that art had a conscious role to play under conditions of oppression in South Africa.

Manfred Zylla, 2011, Hungry for Dollars, Mixed Media. Photo Credit: Oliewenhuis Art Museum’s Archive. Oliewenhuis Art Museum Permanent Collection

Gender politics are an important part of the Visual Art Curriculum. Gender inequality and gender-based violence are ongoing and brutal reality. There is an ongoing genocide against women, children and the LGBTIQA+ community. The works of female artists that are shown in this exhibition points out gender disparity and racial divide. These themes are evident with the art of Penny Siopis, Diane Victor and Nandipha Mntambo.

Chimera (2012) is an artwork produced by Nandipha Mntambo, created with cow hide as medium. The hairy skin in female form is used, Mntambo says, to ‘challenge and subvert preconceptions regarding representation of the female body’ and to ‘disrupt perceptions of attraction and repulsion’. The artist is also interested in how the human figure merges into animal, and that we tend to forget that “we are all animals as well”. Choosing to work with cowhide, her work is automatically linked with African rituals and traditions. However, Mntambo states that “Cowhide is the material I have chosen as a means of expression. It is a product of my artistic thinking. I wanted to be a forensic pathologist and I really love chemicals and understanding the chemical process... I don’t know if that is the only reason, but my beginning of using cowhide was a very private, strangely spiritual experience of having

a dream I cannot really remember. But I do remember there were cows in the dream. This is why I chose the material. I enjoy exploring how a chemical process can give me a certain amount of control over this organic material” (Simbao 2011: 15).

Learning through art: The Museum as classroom showcases the work of artists that are debating, dialoguing and resisting. As Marilyn Martin stated “it is our own task to rewrite our own history and to develop a hybridized canon on our own terms” (1996: 15).

The exhibition can be viewed from 22 June until 20 August 2023. Oliewenhuis Art Museum is located at 16 Harry Smith Street, Bloemfontein. It is open to the public from Monday to Friday between 08:00 and 17:00, and on Saturdays, Sundays, and public holidays between 09:00 and 16:00. R10 parking fee will be charged but entrance to the museum is free. For more information on Oliewenhuis Art Museum please contact the Museum at 051 011 0525 (ext 200) or oliewen@nasmus.co.za. Stay up to date by following Oliewenhuis Art Museum on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter for all upcoming exhibitions and events.

Nandipha Mntambo, 2012, Chimera, Cowhide, resin, polyester and mesh. Photo Credit: Kobus Robbertze. Oliewenhuis Art Museum Permanent Collection. In the background are the works of Diane Victor, Nomusa Makhubu, Pat Mautloa and Norman Catherine.

BESPOKE ART AT SOLO STUDIOS

The eagerly anticipated ‘Solo Studios – Intimate Art Encounters’ returns to the Riebeek Valley in August with what promises to be another highlight on the cultural calendar solostudios.co.za

Vieweing Riaan van Zyl Studio.

CALLING

THE EVENT ‘Intimate Art Encounters’ means exactly what it says. Seventeen artists’ studios will be open to the public over the weekend of 18–20 August, with seven of these artists having invited external collaborators to co-exhibit in their personal spaces.

A further seven group exhibitions will be held at various galleries and venues, including two private art collections in exclusive guest houses. Spending time in the intimate spaces of the artists’ studios will offer pass-holders an insight into their processes and inspiration.

“We don’t merely sell art at Solo Studios. We sell an experience,” says Klaus Piprek, cofounder and director of Solo Studios. These experiences go much further than the visual arts. Apart from the art exhibitions, there is so much more to enjoy in what has become known as Arts Town Riebeek Valley, encompassing the twin towns of Riebeek Kasteel and Riebeek West. Prepare to be lured away from your planned art route by the aromas wafting from a coffee shop, by the scent of essential oils from the locally produced botanical range or by a tantalising wine tasting at some of the most acclaimed Swartland wine producers.

“As always, the Riebeek Valley will put on its best dress in anticipation of the influx of art aficionados to this prestigious event and visitors can expect a host of venues offering food experiences and wine tastings,” says Shawn Hewitt, project manager for this year’s event. “Entertainers will flow onto the streets and pavements and creative community development projects will be showcased in plentiful fringe activities. Add to that the richness of local flavour from the olive producers, the abundance of restaurants, the village bakery and the profusion of craft and artisanal outlets.”

“The best way to fully appreciate what we have to offer is to make a whole weekend of it,” Klaus advises. “There’s simply not enough time in one day to fully absorb all that Solo Studios and the valley have to offer.”

The record-breaking ‘Solo Studios – Intimate Art Encounters’ event of 2022, with 183 art pieces sold, valued at R2.5 million, resulted in stiff competition to participate in this prestigious event. For the 2023 edition, 17 local artists were selected from the large number of worthy applications.

The streets of Riebeek Kasteel come alive during the annual Solo Studios event.

A highlight of this year’s event is a charity fundraising concert by the Winelands Philharmonic Orchestra and featuring the Riebeek Kasteel Steelband. Expect original compositions to form part of this collaboration! The scenic Riebeek Valley is less than an hour’s drive from Cape Town and other cultural centres such as Stellenbosch, Paarl and Franschhoek. Accommodation in the two small towns is limited and patrons are strongly encouraged to book tickets and accommodation well in advance.

There is a variety of options of passes, from a Day Pass at R150 to a Premier Weekend Pass at R395. Peripheral activities may incur a surcharge.

For ticket sales and more information, visit www.solostudios.co.za. You can also phone Shawn at 082 528 6785

ARTISTS AND EXHIBITIONS

Local artists were allowed to invite creative peers as collaborators for the event. Local artists (with collaborations):

• Tamlin Blake (with the Keiskamma Art Project)

• Solly Smook

• Riaan van Zyl

• Brett Shuman (with Linda Waterkeyn)

• André François van Vuuren

• Emma Willemse

• Ade Kipades (with Hennie Meyer)

• Andries Dirks (with Arno Morland)

• Gordon Williams (with Paul Kristafor)

• Wiehan de Jager (with Clayton Sutherland)

• Kevan Moses (with Shui-Lyn White & Amy Moses)

• Lizette Visser (with Ros Koch)

• Louis Nel

• Misha Hillier

• Antoinette von Saurma

• Sharon Bischoff

• Dieter Wust

Galleries and exhibitions:

• RK Contemporary

• QStudio in partnership with Impendulo NPO at the Riebeek Valley Museum

• Pictorex Photographic Gallery

• Gallery 7 on Plein

• Spier Arts Trust

• The Royal Gallery

Private art collections:

• Die Kunshuis (owners Mike & Lorna Spittal)

• 1 Royal Street Guest House (owners Ashley Stone & Antonio Tomazi)

Above: Sculptor Andries Dirks has become a perennial participant at Solo Studios Opposite: Bella by sculptor Anton Momberg takes pride of place at Die Kunshuis

(detail) Inkwenkwezi, 2022, Wool, wood, grass, soil and steel, Variable dimensions, Installation view at Standard Bank Gallery

NWU MAIN GALLERY

Buhlebezwe Siwani’s “iYeza” investigates the power and potential of plants, in artistic gestures towards healing.

The NWU Main Gallery is proud to present iYeza, a solo exhibition of recent work by Buhlebezwe Siwani. First exhibited in Makhanda, as part of the National Arts Festival, the exhibition now moved to Johannesburg then Potchefstroom in celebration of a significant milestone – the artist’s selection as the Standard Bank Young Artist for Visual Art 2021.

As a multidisciplinary artist, Siwani demonstrates profound range. Working across embodied performance, installation, video, photography, works on paper and sculpture, she creates art that is a continued meditation on the intersections of spirituality, indigenous practices, culture, history and religion, through centering the black female body and lens.

Through a wide range of materials – including soap, wool, and her own body – Siwani’s oeuvre pulses with her belief in the performative possibilities of everything, and demonstrates a vocational practice, unconstrained by mode and medium. Her body of work interrogates the patriarchal framing of the black female body and black female experience within the South African context.

Negotiating our contemporary reality, iYeza draws on Siwani’s memories, journey and practice as an initiated traditional healer. Named for the isiXhosa word for (usually plant-derived) medicine, it is also a broader reference to “a substance that is meant to ward off dark spiritual energy” and call in the good.

As the artist explains, “These spiritual energies are intrinsic to my work and form the central ideas around the exhibition pieces, how our bodies and spirits are tied to the earth and waters on and in which we are born and raised. The land and water is healing on its own, it is medicine, it breeds medicine.”

Inkwenkwezi, 2022, Wool, wood, grass, soil and steel, Variable dimensions, Installation view at Standard Bank Gallery

(detail) Inkwenkwezi, 2022, Wool, wood, grass, soil and steel, Variable dimensions, Installation view at Standard Bank Gallery

(detail) iLangalibalele, 2022, Imphepho, wooden sticks, imbola, imphepho ash, steel and soil. Variable dimensions Installation view at Standard Bank Gallery

With iYeza, Siwani interrogates the many forms and uses of plants in “traditional medicines, rituals and daily life”. With reverence, she considers the evolution of their meaning –understood, misunderstood, suppressed by colonial power and still enduring – and the ways in which they sustain us.

The life force of the exhibition, by leaning into this multiform and dynamic questioning, is the symbiotic relationship to and with plants, their meaning and our history. Through video and sculpture, Siwani physically presences the flora of the show’s title – using wood, imphepho, eucalyptus tree stumps, grass, alongside imbola, umkhando and soil as part of the materials that create these works.

Thematically, she considers the intersection of the physical and spiritual, women’s labour, ecological warfare, and codified African spiritual practices in an expansive consideration of the power and potential of plants, all while gesturing towards healing. As Siwani states, the exhibition is “a way to reset

thinking about ourselves as indigenous people and our plants which have been sought after for years. This is about healing our spirits, the spirits of our ancestors and recognising the power in what our land has gifted to us so that we can heal”.

The exhibition demonstrates the ways in which Siwani’s art is both a cultural politic and an emotional invocation, rooted in her belief in the importance of artists engaging with the socio-political environment.

NWU Main Gallery is proud to provide a platform for this significant work, as part of a continued, 40-year-long legacy in nurturing and promoting young artistic talent, and belief in the profound power of the arts.

The exhibition ends 2nd July 2023. The NWU Main Gallery is located on the Potchefstroom Campus 11 Hoffman street, Building E7.

iLangalibalele, 2022, Imphepho, wooden sticks, imbola, imphepho ash, steel and soil. Variable dimensions Installation view at Standard Bank Gallery

Exhibitions performances talks, presentations demonstrations, workshops food and wine, films and children’s events A Fusion of Arts Festival and Winter School

hermanusfynarts.co.za

Ceramics Exhibition: Sonja Kastner

Presentation: Into Plato’s Cave, Kevin Atkinson’s Remarkable Art & Life

APS IN THE FOREFRONT OF PRINTMAKING EDUCATION

Artist Proof Studio

artistproofstudio.co.za

Artist Proof Studio subsidises approximately 60 young artists per year to attend classes and have access to printing their work in the studio. We constantly seek scholarship funding through corporate social investment and personal patronage through our Sponsorship Programme. The programme operates on an ethos of partnership where partners receive artworks from students in exchange for funding support.

The Education Programme has been revised and invigorated following an intensive review period in December 2022 and January 2023. The APS teams have considered the current environment and are making changes to grow skills areas within the studio to accommodate the rapid changes experienced in our larger environment. We have begun the process of reimagining where the studio needs to be in the future, accounted for changes that have occurred and identified areas of growth and opportunity moving ahead.

Based on the outcomes of 2022 results, our number of enrolled students has been established at 57 students for 2023, including 4 students with disabilities. APS is committed to mainstreaming young artists with disabilities into the programme and developing an inclusive curriculum. Overall, our students range between the current ages of 18 to 34 years of age.

APS Education team identify top achievers and most in need of support in each year of study that qualify as beneficiaries of patron support. Money towards fees paid will be used to the benefit of the whole student community with particular focus on new areas of growth and capacity building including expansion of inclusive arts education through the hiring of special facilitators, the development of a printmaking manual that includes environmentally friendly approaches to printmaking and increased digital capacity through the upgrade of our multimedia centre with specific emphasis on design and digital image preparation for print.

New Curriculum Framework 2023

Our Learning programme has been reviewed, improved and adapted to accommodate a longer-term vision of offering a summer school and/or credits towards a visual arts course specifically on Level 5 and 6 as well as taking cognisance of developments globally.

All modules from first year through to fourth year, include the following areas of study:

Research and Communications Skills

Technical Skills

Administrative and Business Skills

All modules are set to written briefs that encapsulates all aspects of the above. Each module is presented by various facilitators with experience and expertise in these specific areas of practice. This will enable the APS student to have a holistic experience and gain the benefits of accessing information from a variety of sources and viewpoints. An aim is to familiarise APS students, as emerging artists, with a variety of skills and approaches to developing their careers. As most projects follow a design process from conceptualisation to delivery/end result, we have created a framework for each module to rest within this so that by the time the student graduates, the methodologies and workstream processes are ‘natural’.

Projects that encourage engagement with community, art buyers and audiences are built into the curriculum throughout all the years and may include student exchanges, workshops, demos at events and corporate commissions. We include our students in all aspects of public engagement and showcase their work on exhibitions as part of the overall learning experience from first year. APS has managed to maintain flexibility and adaption ensuring that it makes the most of arising opportunities for engagement and hands-on-learning.

Selected Beneficiaries for Patron Support

In 2023, APS has selected beneficiary students from all years of study that have shown enormous potential and consistently delivered in terms of performance.

Patron and Funding support goes directly into the APS Patron Fund which subsidises fees, provides transport to classes and additional financial assistance for those in need. We have included four younger students who have disabilities as they require additional assistance in the form of interpreters and specialised assistance in line with APS’ mandate to include young talented artists with disabilities.

At the end of the Academic Year, supporters and funders of the Education Support Programme receive a portfolio which consists of prints made by students who have directly benefitted in the form of subsidy support for the year. On payment to the Artist Proof Studio/Education funders and patrons are issued with a Section 18A, along with an Affidavit quantifying the BBB-EE contribution. www.artistproofstudio.co.za

ART IN THE HEART OF THE KAROO

Prince Albert Open Studios

15 -18 June 2023

The essence of the Karoo is hard to define, but it’s something that you feel the moment you set foot in this unique region. It’s a feeling of being connected to the land and its people, of being in tune with the rhythms of nature, and of being part of something much bigger than yourself.

Nestled at the foot of the majestic Swartberg mountains, Prince Albert is a hidden gem in the heart of the Karoo region of South Africa. This picturesque town boasts a unique blend of rich history, breath-taking natural beauty, and a vibrant artistic community that is sure to captivate anyone who visits.

The Karoo landscape that surrounds Prince Albert is truly awe-inspiring, with vast plains stretching out as far as the eye can see and towering mountains providing a dramatic backdrop. This rugged terrain is home to a diverse range of flora and fauna, making it a nature lover’s paradise.

But it’s not just the natural beauty that makes Prince Albert stand out. This town has a rich cultural heritage that is reflected in its distinctive Karoo architecture, quirky cafes, and boutiques. It’s a place where time seems to stand still, and visitors can’t help but be charmed by the slower pace of life.

The artistic community in Prince Albert is also unique, with a diverse range of talents and styles. From painters and sculptors to ceramicists and photographers, the artists of Prince Albert are inspired by the beauty of their surroundings, and many of their works reflect this.

Di Johnson-Ackerman

Erika van Zyl

Renee Calitz, fabric art

Anna Stone, Wouldn’t you like to know

Sonja Fourie

Mariana Botha, Lonely Aloe

The Prince Albert Open Studio event is the perfect opportunity to immerse yourself in this unique town and experience its beauty and creativity first-hand. So come and join us from 15th - 18th June 2023, explore the artists’ studios, learn new skills at the art workshops which will be held on Tuesday 13th and Wednesday 14th June, and take in the spectacular Karoo scenery.

With our website princealbertopenstudios.co.za at your fingertips, planning your trip to this unique destination has never been easier.

Disciplines include painting, print-making, photography, jewellery design, ceramics, sculpture, embroidery, thread art, weaving, metal art, land art, steam punk, found objects and assemblage.

Artists participating : Annamarie Stone; Colette Hurt; Di Johnson-Ackerman; Di Smith; Di van der Riet Steyn; Erika van Zyl; Kevin de Klerk; Louis Botha; Mariana Botha; Maruanda Wynne; Pat Hyland; Prince Albert Community Trust, featuring Elcado Blom and others; Prince Albert Gallery with guest Gareth Williams; Renee Calitz; Sheila Coutouvidis; Sonja Fourie; Sue Hoppe with guest Cathy Brennon; Sue Savage.

Prince Albert Open Studios runs from 15th to 18th June.

Gallery opening: Wed 14th June at 6pm. Workshops by various artists on 13th and 14th June. For more info visit: www.princealbertopenstudios

Sue Hoppe, Escaping the city

ART.B: VULEKA COMPETITION TURNS 60

artb@artb.co.za

Established by Art.b Gallery in 1963, Vuleka, meaning “open” in isiXhosa, is the oldest continuous art competition in Southern Africa. The competition is open to all artists 18 years or older who have not held a solo exhibition in the last three years. This important event is without a doubt the barometer for the future of art in our region and also forms a valuable platform where plenty of new talents can launch their art careers.

Entries are representative of a broad spectrum of cultures and mediums from the traditional to the innovative and conceptual. With art sponsorships, funding, and competitions dwindling due to adverse economic conditions it is gratifying to see the Vuleka competition growing from strength to strength and featuring as one of South Africa’s prominent annual art competitions.

Artists are encouraged to submit works of a high level of originality, strong individual expression, and technical ability par excellence.

Entries in most mediums are acceptable be it painting, sculpture, ceramics, drawing, photography, collage, assemblage, digital etc. Due to the logistics performance art is not currently accepted.

This will be the third year where adjudication is done in such a way that not even the three judges are aware of each other’s choices till the very end, assuring a fair and impartial process.

According to the historical records of Art.b, the competition has drawn entries from now prominent artists over the 60 years including William Kentridge, Sue Williamson, Christo Coetzee, Pippa Skotnes, and many more.

Above: Leah Hawker and 1st prize winner Ley Mboramwe, photo by Chanelle Louw. Opposite: Antionette McMaster, Vuleka 2023 runner up, The invisible and the malignant

Last year’s competition drew over 300 entries with a selection of 50 artworks making it to the final round. It was however Congolese artist Ley Mboramwe who walked away with the R 50 000 Conrad Theys first prize for the aweinspiring acrylic on canvas: Mister Parole 2.

Mboramwe expresses himself with bold and vibrant colours working mostly on larger-thanlife paintings often depicting visual scenes from his childhood growing up in Kinshasha. Mboramwe’s oeuvre is not only limited to painting but also performance art, calligraphy, and stone carving.

“I am a visual artist performer exploring in my painting and calligraphy, the exploration of self-expression and using the eye of imagination. My painting style is considered realistic and I enjoy working with figures.

My interest in calligraphy is best translated by carving letters in stone, although sometimes this love appears on canvas as well”.

Call for entries will be open on the Art.b website from 12 June until midnight 6 July 2023. All rules for entry are on the website. First submission will be online and 80 semifinalists will be requested to send their work to the gallery for final adjudication.

Visit the Art.b Gallery or visit the website at https://www.artb.co.za to view and buy artworks online. For more information, please contact the gallery manager at artb@artb.co.za or 021 444 6500.

Ley Mboramwe, Vuleka 2023 1st prize, Mr Parole 2.

HERMANUS FYNARTS FESTIVAL 2023

09 June – 18 June

hermanusfynarts.co.za

Lastyear the Hermanus FynArts Festival celebrated Year 10. This year we launch the first festival of the second decade of this fusion of arts festival and winter school. For the first time in three years Hermanus will resonate with the sound of music, laughter, people talking and, of course, applause.

This year’s programme of 150 events showcases more than 300 exhibiting artists, musicians, presenters of talks, workshops, demonstrations and tutored wine tastings.

Exhibitions

Art exhibitions are central to the festival and include the festival artist - this year Paula Louw –and three of the FynArts large group exhibitions of Sculpture on the Cliffs, ceramics and small sculptures. There will also be a glass exhibition as well as a limited exhibition of smaller Kevin Atkinson artworks at the The Marine Hotel. In addition, twelve galleries, six studios and two wine farms will present exhibitions.

Performances

From the Opening Concert with Richard Cock conducting the orchestra and two talented young musicians on 9 June at 18:30, to the Closing Concert with the UCT Symphonic Wind Ensemble under the baton of Brandon Philips there will be concerts to suit everyone’s musical taste - from the big voices of the Mzansi Tenors and the big music of orchestras, to intimate recitals and house concerts that include classical music, opera, jazz, rock, blues and contemporary favourites. On Youth Day more than 400 primary school children from seven schools will take part in the second Celebration of Choir at the Zwelihle Primary School Hall. A note for theatre lovers: the first two performances of the theatre production Hansard were sold out. A third performance has been scheduled for Wednesday 14 June at 15:00.

Strauss & Co Series of Presentations

- Hermanus through the eyes of artists, by Kayleen Wrigley.

Great Cello and Piano Sonatas. Opposite: Adèlé Fouche - Adele Fouché Atelier

The UCT Symphonic Wind Ensemble under the baton of Brandon Philips

Strauss & Co Talks and Presentations

Dr Imtiaz Sooliman will present the opening address on Saturday 19 June at 9:30. The following morning at 11:00, Pieter Dirk Uys will receive the Legacy Award from Christopher Hope who will interview PDU about his life’s work.

Two art consultants with Strauss & Co will each offer a presentation: Women Artists by Jean Le Clus-Theron, Hermanus through the eyes of the artists by Kayleen Wrigley. Other art-related topics include Kevin Atkinson’s Remarkable Art and Life by Melvyn Minnaar in conjunction with the Kevin and Patricia Atkinson Trust, and Mind through Materials by Angus Taylor. Victor van Aswegen will screen the film Sculpting this Earth with Strijdom van der Merwe. Victor and Strijdom will introduce the film and lead a discussion after the screening.

And to round off the various art genres, acclaimed botanical artist, Vicki Thomas will talk to seasoned journalist Colleen Naude about her personal experiences of taking part in The Grootbos Florilegium project. The complete series includes topics as wide ranging from Venice the Changemaker of the Western World, and Venice Unplugged by

social historian, Felicity Jervis, to Return of the Moon: Versions from the /Xam, by Christopher Hope about an extraordinary set of poems by Stephen Watson, whose celebrated recasting of these original San texts paints the long gone speakers back to life. Art writer, Sean O’Toole will draw from research from his well-received photobook exhibition to discuss Ernest Cole;s much admired photobook, House of Bondage.

The full programme

As always the full programme includes a series of stimulating workshops, creative culinary demonstrations, wine tastings and dinners. The latter includes the regular evening of music and a meal. Shades of Africa, the multiaward winning trio of pianist and songwriter, Christof van der Berg (pianist), sopranos, Hlengiwe Mkhwanasi and Zine Gwija who will entertain with a colourful kaleidoscope of languages bringing new life to the treasure chest of traditional South African songs.

View the full festival programme and to sign up for newsletters go to hermanusfynarts.co.za. Tickets for are available through the website or webtickets.co.za

Pieter Ferreira and Cap Classique

UNISA ART GALLERY

10 June 2023 - 7 July 2023

Curated by Daniel Rankadi Mosako and Nombeko Mpako

Theexhibition coincides with the University of South Africa’s (UNISA) sesquicentennial commemoration that marks the institution’s existence over three different phases. These phases are related to the socio-political issues that characterised the UNISA Art Collection, and its Archives. This exhibition focusses on the representation of various political dispensations namely, the colonial, apartheid, and the new democratic dispensation.

The choice of exhibits and their value chain for this exhibition is ideal, as UNISA’s existence cuts across the highlighted political eras. The exhibits are selected and lined up from the UNISA art collection, archives, and special collections to reference social and educational issues that epitomise the 15 decades of political landscape in South Africa. The years are categorised as follows: 1873 when UNISA was established to 1961 when the department of History of Art and Fine Art was founded up to 1985 when the UNISA Art gallery was established with already a significant art collection. The second period will be from the establishment of the art gallery in 1985 looking at both the archives and art collection up until 2011 when Unisa Gallery celebrated 50 years of its existence. The third

period is from 2011 to 2022 which is marked by several educational and democratic changes including the staff and students’ protests. The exhibition does not showcase everything from the art collection and archives, but samples and a footprint that led to the establishment of UNISA as the largest correspondence and now the open distance education university in the Africa continent.

The objective of the exhibition is to reflect on the influential socio-political issues which resulted in the modelling of the institution’s timelines highlighting some gaps within the collections. Therefore, the research which led to this exhibition, calls for the redress of these gaps. The acquisition policy’s objectives have remained fairly the same with insignificant changes however, the changes in management, operational issues as well as the departmental acquisition and gallery board committees somehow influence what is being collected. Therefore, the exhibition looks at redressing glaring gaps that may misrepresent the colourful history of Unisa’s existence due to omitting pertinent aspects which are driven by sociopolitical concerns and issues.

“Reimagining the archives and artistic reflection, recording, and appraising unisa’s existence”.

UNISA new structure ZK Matthews Great Hall. Large auditorium with 970 seats in Pretoria (Main Hall). Acknowledgement UNISA archives

Pat Mautloa, Brazier Series II, Photograph and Lightbox

Buyisile Mandindi Reproduction Graphic linocut on Japanese paper 1986

Cecil Skotnes, Untitled, Coloured Woodcut, 1974

“AN ENDLESS NIGHT” OF CONTEMPORARY ART AT THE MOUNT NELSON HOTEL WITH INVESTEC CAPE TOWN ART FAIR

belmond.com

Investec

Cape Town Art Fair and the Mount Nelson Hotel, A Belmond Hotel, have announced their second exhibition partnership at the Mount Nelson Hotel in Cape Town, which will be open to the public from Wednesday 24 May until Monday 28 August.

This is part of an ongoing partnership that celebrated its beginning a week prior to the 10th edition of Investec Cape Town Art Fair, in February. The inaugural exhibition was curated by Amogelang Maledu, titled Today, I wish to talk to your dreams. With its exploration of visions and nightmares, the exhibition made salient observations about the historical moment.

The second exhibition will once again celebrate the synergy between these landmark spaces. Both are intrinsic to Cape Town’s cultural calendar - the iconic Pink Lady, as the Mount Nelson Hotel is affectionately known due to her signature pink exterior, at the heart of the city and the art fair, providing an ongoing showcase for the country’s creative achievements - bringing history, heritage, and thoughtprovoking artwork into one shared moment.

Titled An Endless Night, the new exhibition is curated by Curator Anelisa Mangcu. Referencing the everyday, Mangcu’s perspective hones in on the pressures of ordinary existence: “We fill up our time with tasks, purpose, duty and creating memories, in hopes of taking our subjective existence seriously with intrinsic value. This way, we create value by affirming time and living it, and not simply obsessing over its passing.

“Time is our scarcest resource. It is completely non-renewable. The artists in this exhibition are encouraged to explore the passage of time that allows questions to unfold, characters to be drawn and findings to be resolved.”

Feni Chulumanco, Summer Clothing, 2023, Acrylic on Canvas

Above: Richard Templeton Smith, No Signal, No Message, No Secret, 2020, Oil on Canvas. Opposite: Ayogu Kingsley, Saturday Morning, 2023, Oil on Canvas.

The art pieces to be exhibited make up an extraordinary collection, whose juxtapositions will comment on geographic, gender and historical specificities of time. These include sculptor and conceptualist Mary Sibande, photographer and multimedia stylist Trevor Stuurman, social realist painter Mongezi Gum, multidisciplinary artist Kimathi Mafafo as well as other significant artists to be announced.

Laura Vincenti, Director of Investec Cape Town Art Fair, concurs, “Our partnership with the Mount Nelson Hotel is now well underway, and in. The exhibition ‘An Endless Night’ is open to the Mount Nelson Hotel guests and the public from Wednesday 24 May to Monday 28 August. The exhibition will be displayed in different areas of the hotel, its second extraordinary moment. We are thrilled, as the art fair, to see how an idea can become an integral part of the local culture in such a short space of time. Commitment to new ideas takes drive, skill and admiration for creativity, which is what we all bring to this project. We wish the incumbent curator Anelisa Mangcu well with her exhibition, knowing that through

this event she is broadening horizons, and understanding, for the participating artists, and for the city itself.”

Mount Nelson Hotel General Manager Tiago Sarmento explains “Arts and culture are inherent to Belmond’s DNA as we have a long-standing history of nurturing passionate relationships with arts communities around the world. Thus, this feels like a natural partnership, not only because of the fair’s impeccable reputation in the art world, but also due to its well-respected relationships with established and emergent artists on the continent.”

For more information:

For more information on Mount Nelson, A Belmond Hotel, Cape Town please contact:

● Gabrielle Palmer Bolton phone: +27 82 890 7249; e-mail: gabrielle.palmer@belmond.com

● Follow us on Instagram

@belmondmountnelsonhotel and Facebook @MountNelsonHotel

Above: Nedia Were, In Love With Myself, 2023, Oil and Acrylic on Canvas Opposite: Mary Sibande, The Red Shepherd, 2022, Inkjet on Hahnemuhle Photo Rag, Diasec Mount

STRAUSS & CO

Rare colour work by exiled South African artist Dumile Feni sells for new world record price at Strauss & Co sale in Johannesburg

strausart.co.za

Newcollectors interested in South African modernism are diversifying tastes and affirming new auction heroes within this vibrant category

• Exile-period colour work by Dumile Feni sells for R2 287 500/ $119 805, a world record

• Strong demand for leading Black modernists, including Gerard Sekoto and Ben Enwonwu

• Irma Stern still life top earner, selling to telephone bidder for R11 437 500/ $596 191

• Brisk trade sees 100% sale of rare Italian and Spanish wines and 85% lots sold from private family art collection

Leading African modernist, Dumile Feni, who left South Africa in 1968 never to return, shone at Strauss & Co’s premier evening auction on the 16th of May 2023 in Johannesburg when Blue Suede Shoe, a rare colour work produced in the United States in 1983, sold for R2 287 500/ $119 805 to a buyer in the packed saleroom.

The climactic final sale of Johannesburg Auction Week also saw strong results achieved for modernist painting from the 1940s, notably a pre-exile street scene by Gerard Sekoto and a magnificent still life by Irma Stern.

“The demand for top-quality works by early South African modernists remains strong, with bellwethers J.H. Pierneef and Irma Stern continuing to excel at market, but we are seeing a welcome broadening of the modernist category, with late moderns like Dumile Feni, George Pemba and Nigerian artist Ben Enwonwu attracting strong bids and selling to new buyers,” says Frank Kilbourn, Chairperson, Strauss & Co.

Irma Stern, Still Life with Dahlias and Pumpkin SOLD R 11 437 500 (USD 596 322)

Zwelidumile Geelboi Mgxaji Mslaba ‘Dumile’ Feni, Blue Suede Shoe SOLD R 2 287 500 (USD 119 264) | WORLD RECORD

Jacob Hendrik Pierneef, Landscape with Mountains and Trees, SOLD R 1 715 625 (USD 89 448)

Gerard Sekoto, Up Prinsloo Street, SOLD R 2 859 375 (USD 149 081)

“The new benchmark price for Dumile Feni is an important milestone for this artist, who was a dynamic figure in South African art circles of the 1960s. It was the first time we have offered a work by Ben Enwonwu, and I was delighted that it drew such interest, eventually selling for over 350% its estimate. Following shortly after our successful pan-African sale in Cape Town in February, the result confirms Strauss & Co’s capabilities handling art from across the African continent.”

Three works painted in the 1940s were the top achievers at Johannesburg Auction Week.

• A telephone bidder secured Irma Stern’s impressive Still Life with Dahlias and Pumpkin from 1944 for R11 437 500/ $596 191, while her portrait of a Cape Muslim woman painted in 1946 sold for R5 146 875/ $268 512.

• Gerard Sekoto, who like Feni went into selfimposed exile to further his career amidst the bite of apartheid, achieved R2 859 375/ $149 296 for a street scene painted in 1946.

• But it was Dumile Feni’s 1983 mixed-media composition Blue Suede Shoe, which portrays a mother and child flanked by a naked male figured, that was the auction’s major talking point. Consigned buy the artist’s family estate and included in Feni’s posthumous 2005 career retrospective of the Johannesburg Art Gallery,

the work sold to a new buyer in the room. Feni is best known for his monochromatic drawings, but Blue Suede Shoe is rather unique in its combination of muscular draughtsmanship using black crayon and flashes of painted colour.

• Notwithstanding geopolitical storm clouds, which have upended financial markets in South Africa, Johannesburg Auction Week saw overall brisk trade. The wine department’s sale of rare wines from Italy and Spain netted R1 982 346/ $103 296, with all 101 lots offered sold. An online sale of a private family collection that was split across three sessions earned a healthy R2 921 636/ $152 300, with an 85% lot sell-through rate.

The premier evening sale that drew the vibrant calendar of events for Johannesburg Auction Week to a close also saw notable prices paid for works by earlier twentieth century artists

J.H. Pierneef and Anton van Wouw.

Three post-war moderns, Erik Laubscher, George Pemba and Cecil Skotnes, also confirmed their durable status at auction. Pemba’s 1976 composition, A Woman Sewing, sold to a young buyer in the room for R485 205/ $25 241. Along with Sekoto, Pemba is a pioneer modernist who laid the groundwork for later successors like Feni.

Left: Ben Enwonwu MBE, Path Through Trees R 635 388 (USD 32 648)

Right: Irma Stern, Malay Woman, SOLD R 5 146 875 (USD 268 345)

Business Art STEPHAN WELZ & CO. swelco.co.za

Thereis an emergence of abstract art within the current contemporary canon of art which could either denote a contradiction to more traditional forms of art, or it could be seen as an indicative element within art to reflect the current digital age that seems to be influencing our society. Another factor contributing to the rise of abstract art could be explained by an increase in demand from collectors and art buyers alike. Regardless, the evolution and popular presence of abstract art has become imperative in understanding the ever-changing zeitgeist of the art world.

Abstract art has influenced multiple artistic eras both globally and within a South African context. The presence of abstract forms within art previously denoted a contradiction to more conservative perceptions of what defines art. Abstract art is often defined by its use of colour, line, form, and texture to create a visual language using non-representational forms,

meaning it is not necessarily concerned with the subject matter but rather the conviction of emotion, technique, and the onlooker’s reaction to these elements. However, its purpose and intent has been interpreted differently throughout various art movements.

Abstract art was formed in the 20th century when artists such as Wassily Kandinsky and Kazimir Maevich began using nonrepresentational forms within their worksallowing artists to experiment with technique and form.

Later in the 1930’s and 1940’s the American Abstract Expressionist art movement led by artists such as Jackson Pollock and Mark Rothko sparked a fascination with expressive techniques and colour which conveyed pure emotion and represented the artist’s state of mind.

William Joseph Kentridge (South African 1955 - ) Lamp Black, signed, numbered “State Proof” 1/1 in pencil, and the title printed in ink in the margin, linocut, sheet size: 35 by 26,5cm, unframed, Estimate: R30 000 – R50 000

Bettie Cilliers-Barnard (South African 1914 - 2010) Crowd Of Figures, signed and dated 1975, mixed media on paper, 73,5 by 26cm; 66,5 by 35,5 by 1,5cm including frame, Estimate: R2 000 – R3 000

Andrzej Urbanski (Polish/South African 1983- ) A060 07/08/15, Frequency 2 Series, signed and dated 2015 on the reverse, spray paint and acrylic on canvas, 89,5 by 69,5cm; 92 by 72 by 6cm including frame, Estimate: R50 000 – R60 000

In the 1950’s we saw the emergence of German Abstract Expressionism which took place after World War II. The movement was primarily a direct response to the aftermath and trauma of war and was seen as a divergence from more academically inclined art. It also addressed themes and motifs such as the sublime, the subconscious, the body, and mythical archetypes. German Abstract Expressionist artists were often inspired by African art as the geometrical elements and natural abstract nature of cultural art in Africa encapsulate a sense of movement and energy that was sought after within the canonical understanding of abstract art at the time. They also believed that African art tapped into a primal and more spiritual aspect of the human experience – a point which has been both revered and criticized by art historians. This movement lead to an ongoing and nuanced dialect between German and South African art.

During this time, South African artists also began to revoke traditional ideas of what defines art and began working towards art that depicted the socio-political turmoil of South Africa during Apartheid. This was the onset of the modernist movement within South Africa which included influential artists such as Irma Stern, Gerard Sekoto, Walter Battiss and Alexis Preller. Similarly to the German Abstract movement, these artists began to use more non-representational forms, gestural mark making, expressive brushstrokes and vibrant colours within their artworks to reflect a socio-political commentary on South Africa. These artists were imperative to the canon of South African art history as they challenged conventional ideas, political regimes, social practices, and the ongoing struggle within South Africa during that period, paving the way for contemporary artists. This era of art is where artists in South Africa became concerned with making a unique African aesthetic that would later became globally recognized.

Left: George Boys (South African 1930-2014) Cosmos, signed and dated .97. , oil on paper , 34 by 48,5cm; 89,5 by 98,5 by 4cm including frame, Estimate: R5 000 – R7 000

Above: Mark George Tobey (American 1890 - 1976) Untitled, signed, dated 73 and numbered 8/35, lithograph , 65 by 25cm; 86,5 by 44,5 by 2,5cm including frame, Estimate: R5 000 – R8 000

Nowadays, abstract art is commonly seen in contemporary art and the historical rise and evolution of such art has had a lasting impact which has influenced the way in which collectors buy art. For example, there has been an increase in interest in abstract artists such as Andrzej Urbanski and Mark Tobey within the South African secondary market. There is also consistent interest shown in artists such as George Boys, Esther Mahlangu and Bettie Cilliers-Barnard to name a few. This pattern of interest is not surprising given the historical ripple effect abstract art has had on the global canon of art history.

Stephan Welz & Co. stays in tune with trends in the market and we are excited to offer several of these artists on our upcoming Premium Auctions in June (Cape Town) and in July (Johannesburg). To register to bid please visit www.swelco.co.za. For any enquiries or condition reports please contact us on either info@swelco.co.za or ct@swelco.co.za or call us on 021 794 6461 or 011 880 3125.

Smith,K.C. (2012). The Influence of African Art on German Expressionism. The Art Bulletin. 94(4). 443-461.

Paul, S. (2004) The Met: Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History: Abstract Expressionism [O]. https://www.metmuseum.org

Brenson, M. (1991). Irma Stern: The Early Years 1894 - 1934. South African National Gallery.

Campbell, M. & Schwartz, J. (2006). South African Art Now. HarperCollins. South Africa.

Koloane, D. (1997). The Neglected Tradition: Towards a New History of South African Art (1930 – 1988). Johannesburg Art Gallery.

Barr, A. (1936). Cubism and Abstract Art Routledge. South Africa. 110 – 200.

Esther Mahlangu (South African 1935 - ) Ndebele Pattern, signed and dated 2021; photograph of the artist with the painting adhered to the reverse, acrylic on canvas laid down on board, 29 by 41cm; 34,5 by 46,5 by 1cm including frame, Estimate: R18 000 – R24 000

ARTGO

JUNE-AUGUST 2023

NEW GALLERIES, ONGOING SHOWS AND OPENING EXHIBITIONS

Riaan van Zyl, Director’s Cut, 2022, Captured Carbon, charcoal, pastel on paper

ARTGO: JUNE 2023

OPENING EXHIBITIONS

Tiny Treasures X - An exhibition of 100 top artists at Art.b gallery. Celebrating its 10th anniversary the annual fundraising drive for Art.b features a host of top-quality artists’ work at rock-bottom prices. Opening on 3 June at 10:30 for 11:00 and online sales from 12:00. 03/06/2023 until 24/06/2023

www.artb.co.za

Nel

Wagkamer / Indlu Yokulinda / Waiting Room

Ever sat in a waiting room at the dentist’s with your eyes travelling over the art on the walls and wondering if they could not have chosen better? This is your chance to rehang those walls. We are showing art for waiting rooms, airport lounges, and visa application centres. and more 01/06/2023 until 21/07/2023

www.nelart.co.za/exhibitions

RK Contemporary

Just Another Roadside Attraction - Porterville Curated ‘Nothing behind me, everything ahead of me, as is ever so on the road.’ Jack Kerouac On the Road In the words of Jack Kerouac, ‘the road is life’. Both physically and symbolically the road denotes a journey that leads us to a destination with the inevitable distractions along the way. 04/06/2023 until 25/06/2023

www.rkcontemporary.com

Art.b Gallery

Fynarts Hermanus

For The Love Of The Arts Exhibitions, performances, talks, presentations, demonstrations, workshops, food and wine, films and children’s events Sign up for our newsletter and social media platforms to keep updated on who, what and where in the run up to the FynArts Festival. 09/06/2023 until 18/06/2023

hermanusfynarts.co.za or admin@hermanusfynarts.co.za

Victoria Art Gallery

Fragments Lost and Found

A solo assemblage art exhibition by Nic Fine Artist walk about 17th June at 10.30am 10/06/2023 until 24/06/2023 www.196victoria.com

UNISA Art Gallery

Reimagining The archives and artistic reflection,recording and appraising UNISA’s existence. The exhibition coincides with the University of South Africa’s (UNISA) sesquicentennial commemoration that marks the institution’s existence over three different phases. 10/06/2023 until 07/07/2023 Muckleneuk Campus, Kgorong Building, Ground Floor,Preller Street, New Muckleneuk, Pretoria

Prince Albert Gallery

Group Opening Exhibition

Wednesday 14th June at 6pm. www.princealbertgallery.co.za

ARTGO: JUNE - JULY 2023 OPENING EXHIBITIONS

GFI Art Gallery

On the Mines by David Goldblatt

Shown for the first time at the GFI Art Gallery in Gqeberha, On the Mines, the last exhibition that David Goldblatt personally helped conceptualise before his death in 2018. He is revealed as the great chronicler and documenter of South Africa that he is: the quiet observer of how the country, its peoples, its institutions and landscape have been inscribed by politics and power. 15/06/2023 until 08/08/2023

www.gfiartgallery.com

Melrose Gallery

Unveiling the Symphony of Performance: The Melrose Gallery Orchestrates an Expanded Artistic Tapestry. A second gallery has opened in Melrose Arch, which will serve as a project space for exhibitions, activations, and performances. In June, a digitally immersive experience exhibition by Cherné Africa,powered by Samsung. www.themelrosegallery.com

Prince

Art in the Heart of the Karoo

Explore the artists’ studios, learn new skills at the art workshops

15/06/2023 until 18/06/2023

Workshops by various artists on 13th & 14th June

www.princealbertopenstudios

EBONY/CURATED

Is pleased to present a Solo Exhibition by Craig Cameron-Mackintosh. Join us for the opening on the 21st of June 2023 at our Loop Street gallery. 21/06/2023 until 29/07/2023

www.ebonycurated.com

Albert Open Studios

Oliewenhuis Art Museum (Main Building)

Learning through Art: The museum as classroom

This exhibition is a visual celebration of South African artists and artworks for everyone to enjoy, with a special focus on the Grade 10 – 12 Visual Art curriculums, Artworks were handpicked to optimise the learning experience for the learners so they can have the luxury to view works that are discussed in the classroom, not only see it in the handbook.

Dates: 22/06/2023 until 20/08/2023

www.facebook.com/OliewenhuisArtMuseum

Gallery at Glen Carlou

Day Dreaming, a group exhibition featuring works by Alex Hamilton, Kim Black, Andrew Mogridge and many more 09/07/2023 until 03/09/2023

www.glencarlou.com

Artist Proof Studio

Printmaking Workshops: Learn the ins and outs of printmaking with our expert facilitators. These workshops are open to anyone interested in the print medium, regardless of your skill level or prior experience with printmaking. Book your spot today

01/07/2023

www.artistproofstudio.co.za/collections/aps-printmakingworkshops

Gallery at Glen Carlou

Tafelberg Photography Club

A group exhibition of photography by club members from the Tafelberg Photography Club. 09/07/2023 until 03/09/2023

www.glencarlou.com

ARTGO: JULY - AUGUST 2023

OPENING EXHIBITIONS

MELROSE GALLERY

Unveiling the Symphony of Performance: The Melrose Gallery Orchestrates an Expanded Artistic Tapestry

A second gallery has opened in Melrose Arch, which will serve as a project space for exhibitions, activations, and performances. Partnership with Slindile Mthembu to present ‘Old Soul Waiting,’ an experimental, multidisciplinary production that converges film, theatre, and visual art. 20/07/2023 until 29/07/2023

www.themelrosegallery.com

Printmaking Workshops: Learn the ins and outs of printmaking with our expert facilitators. These workshops are open to anyone interested in the print medium, regardless of your skill level or prior experience with printmaking. Book your spot today 05/08/2023

www.artistproofstudio.co.za/collections/aps-printmakingworkshops

Decay

A joint exhibition by artists Matthew Blackburn and Claudia Gurwitz

26/07/2023 UNTIL 25/08/2023

www.rust-en-vrede.com

The Mount Nelson Hotel with Investec Cape Town Art Fair

The second collaboration exhibition between Mount Nelson Hotel, A Belmond Hotel and Investec Cape Town Art Fair, titled “An Endless Night“, curated by Anelisa Mangcu 23/05/2023 until 28/08/2023

www.instagram.com/belmondmountnelsonhotel

Rust-en-Vrede Gallery

Artist Proof Studio

ARTGO: JUNE 2023 ONGOING SHOWS

AITY Gallery Franschhoek

Once Upon A Page, Chapter II - In light of the Franschhoek Literary Festival 2023. This exhibition features a diverse range of new and returning artists, each of whom has been inspired by literature and its rich, imaginative worlds. Through their art, they explore the characters, settings, and themes that have captivated readers for generations. 19/05/2023 until 15/06/2023

www.aitygallery.com

Goodman Gallery Cape Town

Freedom Is Going Home

Faith Ringgold and Hank Willis Thomas 26/04/2023 until 17/06/2023

www.goodman-gallery.com

EBONY/CURATED

Bordeaux House in Franschhoek

Evidence A solo exhibition by Odette Marais 20/05/2023 until 17/06/2023

www.ebonycurated.com

Everard Read at Leeu Estates

Dassenberg Road | Franschhoek

Mathhew Hindley

Memoryscapes A solo exhibition

20/05/2023 until 18/06/2023

www.everard-read-franschhoek.co.za

Oliewenhuis Art Museum (Main Building)

Between Meaning and Reality: The Art Bank of South Africa 2022 New Acquisitions Exhibition

“Living is keeping the absurd alive. Keeping it alive is above all contemplating it” – Albert Camus

The annual Free State exhibition of the Art Bank of South Africa (ArtbankSA) that showcases the best of South African contemporary art by emerging artists. Exploring the meaning of life and the things we value, the exhibition features artworks selected and purchased from the 2022 submission window by the ArtbankSA. 30/03/2023 until 18/06/2023

www.facebook.com/OliewenhuisArtMuseum

The Cape Gallery

Cape review ( Black & White Group Exhibition) Change is a constant force in SA. The lie of the land and the lives of the people have shaped the intent and narratives of the wide spectrum of artists participating in this exhibition.

28/05/2023

UNTIL 23/06/2023.

www.capegallery.co.za

Rust-en-Vrede Gallery

Beating Hearts

A solo exhibition of portraits by 2021 Portrait Award Winner Felicity Bell.

27/05/2023 until 22/06/2023

www.rust-en-vrede.com

Oliewenhuis Art Museum

Annex Gallery - Exhibition curated in celebration of International Museum Day 2023,titled Breath. Body. Art: Museums, Sustainability and Well-Being. This global campaign highlights the role, value and significance of museums in society. Artworks in this exhibition were selected from Oliewenhuis Art Museum’s Permanent Collection and the Art Bank of South Africa’s Contemporary Art Collection.

12/05/2023 until 25/06/2023

www.facebook.com/OliewenhuisArtMuseum/

ARTGO: JUNE - JULY 2023

ONGOING SHOWS

Rust-en-Vrede Gallery

Fields and Feelds and Fields of Faddism

A solo exhibition by Bastiaan van Stenis.

27/05/2023 UNTIL 22/06/2023

www.rust-en-vrede.com

Stevenson JHB

The Street That You’re On, The Same One You Know by Guy Tillim. The artist’s first exhibition in Parktown North features a selection of images from cities and urban spaces spanning Accra, Dakar, Maputo, Cagliari, Harare, Dar Es Salaam, Berlin and São Paulo, dating from 2007 to 2022.

13/05/2023 until 30/06/2023

www.stevenson.info

Daor Contemporary

Serendipitous

A group exhibition

11/05/2023 until end of June

www.doar.co.za

RK Contemporary

IN SHAPE - Theo Paul Vorster & Hennie Meyer

A collaboration of Theo Paul Vorster’s linocuts exploring his interest in Greek Methology, albeit tongue-in-cheek & Hennie Meyer’s exploration of the fluidity of shape.

02/07/23 until 2530/07/23

www.rkcontemporary.com

Art.b

Obscura and other apparitions - An exhibition of photographs taken with the largest Camera Obscura the Tankwa Karoo and AfrikaBurn has ever seen, as well as a selection of other obscure artworks. Curated by Tiaan van Deventer.

Opening on 8 July at 10:30 for 11:00 with online sales from 12:00. 08/07/2023 until 22/07/2023

www.artb.co.za

Gallery at Glen Carlou

Some Kind of Nature

A group exhibition featuring works byAndre du Toit, Annette Snyckers, Drivebyfaan, Frederik Eksteen, Jacob van Schalkwyk, Stephen Rosin, Strijdom van der Merwe 22/05/2023 until 02/07/2023

www.glencarlou.com

The Viewing Room Art Gallery

Light Tracing Thyself

Light Tracing Thyself is the solo exhibition of Martini Coetzee, where she used her camera and light to create light painting photography pieces.

27/05/2023 until 01/07/2023

www.theviewingroom.co.za

Gallery at Glen Carlou

Multimedia Group Exhibition A Collaboration with Millennium Gallery Alet Swarts, Allen Laing, Berco Wilsenach, Doris Bloom, Errol Westoll, Frans Thoka, Hannes Elsenbroek, Ian McNaught Davis, Jacobus Kloppers, Jean Dreyer, Marelise van Wyk & Gerrit Loots, Marina Louw, Norman Catherine & Zelda Stroud and more. Until 02/07/2023

www.glencarlou.com

ARTGO: JULY - DECEMBER 2023

ONGOING SHOWS

NWU Main Gallery

NWU collaborates with Standard Bank Gallery to present IYeza, a solo exhibition of recent work by Buhlebezwe Siwani.– The artist’s selection as the Standard Bank Young Artist for Visual Art 2021. 27/04/2023 until 02/07/2023 www.services.nwu.ac.za/nwu-gallery

Anton Smit

New work by Anton Smit | The Nubian Series

The Nubian Series consist of 5 variants entitled: SPENOID, CERVICAL, ZYGOMATIC, TEMPORAL and CORON. These free-standing heads measure approximately 580 mm tall and 20 mm wide and are made in bronze. www.antonsmit.co.za

SMAC | Cape Town

Kevin Atkinson: Art and Life

An exhibition of his work over the years. 20/05/2023 unitl 15/07/2023

www.smacgallery.com

Rust-en-Vrede Clay Museum

The CUBE: Tales of Curiosity

A solo exhibition of ceramic sculptures by Adela Friedmann 27/05/2023 until 05/08/2023 www.rust-en-vrede.com

When We See Us: A Century of Black Figuration in Painting comprises an exhibition, publication and discursive programming that explores Black selfrepresentation and celebrates global Black subjectivities and Black consciousness from pan-African and pandiasporic perspectives.

20/11/2022 until 02/09/2023

www.zeitzmocaa.museum

The Viewing Room Art Gallery at St. Lorient

Open Air Gallery - A Buyers Experience

Every Saturday 11/03/2023 - 16/12/2024

Experience artists at work every Saturday from 09:300 to 14:00 and have the opportunity to buy art directly from the artists. www.theviewingroom.co.za

Zeitz MOCAA