THE SOUTH AFRICAN
ART TIMES
October 2009 For the full online edition go to: www.arttimes.co.za SUBSCRIBE: 1 year’s subscription to your door: R 180 - Incl. Business Art. E-mail: subs@arttimes.co.za
Fred Page
Artist’s feature supplement
Work by Namibian artist and “shared experiences” residency holder Jost Kirsten. Fire is a part of the process of the making of the artwork. See www.berlin-windhoek.org for more.
A & C World Summit closes on sobering note
Bongani Madondo chats with Brett Bailey Staff writer The outcome of the 4th World Summit on Arts and Culture saw a sobering look at South Africa’s role in fostering intercultural dialogue around the continent. During the discussion Max Du Preez commented that originally Nelson Mandela and Archbishop Desmond Tutu “seduced us into the false consciousness” of a
Photo: Christopher Lorentz
rainbow nation, while in practice, we are still far from it. Yet these observations were not doomsday in tone, but served as a source of inspiration for the likes of poet and actress Lebo Mashile, who said ‘we are over the euphoria of being a rainbow nation now. It’s time that we come up with real solutions for the problems that we are facing in South Africa’.
Mashile fore-grounded the role of the arts in transformation saying ‘we, as artists, are in the position and the places where we are doing the work. We are the agents of change’. However, as the Sowetan reported, the summit failed to attract local artists, instead attracting policy makers. Despite this lack of support, a notable recommendation came from keynote speaker Njabulo Ndebele who, along the lines of the summits theme, the role of the arts in intercultural dialogue, called for a policy formulation that ‘allows for dialogue during a period of contemplation that will deepen understanding when strangeness is encountered’. Read Mary Corrigall’s in depth article in Business Art
Goodman Cape loses stalwart of SA Art branch in 2007, is no longer with the gallery. According to new owner Lisa Essers, the former Director took ‘voluntary retrenchment’ as part of measures taken by the gallery to address the growing recession.
Emma Bedford Staff writer Lisa Essers cites recession for ushering in new changes at the Goodman Gallery Cape. Effective Friday, Emma Bedford who, under Linda Givon, established the Goodman’s Cape
ARTIST’S
Before her involvement in the private sector with the Goodman Gallery, Bedford played an unparalleled role as curator of the Iziko National Gallery. With
When she moved to the Goodman Gallery in 2007 her announcement was greeted with international interest with Annie Coombes saying that the Goodman ‘couldn’t find a better equipped individual to get the gallery started in Cape Town’. Bedford’s contribution, not only to the Goodman Gallery, but also to the development South African art locally and internationally has been unparalleled, with her standing as a luminary figure in the artistic landscape.
PROFESSIONAL
YOUR NEXT PAINTING COULD BE YOUR MASTERPIECE
PROD
LI T UA Y
UC
LEN Q
‘The Cape Town market has seen some difficult times recently and we are all doing what we have to’ commented Essers further. Cape curator of the Goodman, Storm Janse Van Rensburg said that Bedford’s retrenchment comes as ‘huge shock and loss’ saying that she will be sorely missed.
some 25 years experience in the field of curating and championing contemporary African art, a particularly notable achievement of Bedford’s was her involvement in an exhibition for the Forum for African Arts hosted by the 49th Venice Biennale in 2001.
Zelcol
SO DON’T TAKE CHANCES
Artists’ Oil Paint
USE A PROFESSIONAL QUALITY PAINT
Published monthly by Global Art Information Editor: Gabriel Clark-Brown editor@arttimes.co.za News: news@arttimes.co.za PO Box 15881 Vlaeberg, 8018 Advertising: Eugene Fisher sales@arttimes.co.za Shows: show@arttimes.co.za Tel. 021 424 7733 Fax. 021 424 7732 Subscriptions: Bastienne Klein PANTONE subs@arttimes.co.za GREEN BAND 357 CVCArtwork: art@arttimes.co.za
FOR INFOMATION ON OUR OTHER PRODUCTS PHONE +27 28 271 3122. Newspaper rights: The newspaper 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 offi cial 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.
T ZEL