Saadjie catalogue

100+ TRAVELLING MINIATURE SCULPTURES FROM SOUTH AFRICA

PIETER J. MATHEWS

100 FIRST EDITION FIRST IMPRESSION

ISBN 978-0-620-78596-9 FIRST EDITION FIRST IMPRESSION 2018 ISBN 978-0-620-78597-6 ELECTRONIC EDITION 2018 VISUAL BOOKS: PO BOX 2676 BROOKLYN SQUARE 0075, REPUBLIC OF SOUTH AFRICA E-MAIL: VISUALBOOKS@MAAA.CO.ZA © COPYRIGHT ON PHOTOGRAPHS: AS INDICATED © COPYRIGHT ON TEXT: VISUAL BOOKS EXCLUDING ARTIST’S STATEMENTS © COPYRIGHT ON DESIGN AND PUBLISHED FORM: VISUAL BOOKS ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. NO PART OF THIS PUBLICATION MAY BE REPRODUCED, STORED IN A RETRIEVAL SYSTEM OR TRANSMITTED, IN ANY FORM OR BY ANY MEANS, ELECTRONIC, MECHANICAL, PHOTOCOPYING, RECORDING OR OTHERWISE, WITHOUT THE PRIOR PERMISSION OF THE COPYRIGHT HOLDERS AND THE PUBLISHER. MAIN SPONSOR: THE DEPARTMENT OF ARTS AND CULTURE, MTN ART FOUNDATION, AARDKLOP, MAP, UNIVERSITY OF PRETORIA, UNIVERSITY OF STELLENBOSCH, NWU GALLERY, STRAUSS AND COMPANY, BUSINESS AND ARTS SOUTH AFRICA, ATTERBURY TRUST, MATHEWS AND ASSOCIATES ARCHITECTS EDITORS: PIETER J. MATHEWS GRAPHIC DESIGN OF PUBLICATION: EUNESE BEUKES GRAPHIC DESIGN OF POSTERS: CHENETTE SWANEPOEL COVER DESIGN: EUNESE BEUKES ARTWORK ON COVER: VIRUS BY GORDON FROUD SAADJIE LOGO DESIGN: CARLA TALJAARD PHOTOGRAPHERS: AS INDICATED PROOFREADING ASSISTANTS: CARLA TALJAARD, EUNESE BEUKES & LIAM PURNELL PRINTED AND BOUND: CTP PRINTERS, CAPE TOWN DISCLAIMER: ALTHOUGH ALL REASONABLE CARE HAS BEEN TAKEN IN THE PREPARATION OF THIS BOOK, NEITHER THE PUBLISHER NOR THE COMPLIERS NOR THE SPONSORS CAN ACCEPT ANY LIABILITY FOR ANY CONSEQUENCE ARISING FROM THE USE THEREOF OR THE INFORMATION CONTAINED HEREIN. BY SUBMITTING WORK, MATERIAL, DRAWINGS AND PHOTOGRAPHS, THE PARTICIPANTS CONFIRMED THAT AUTHORSHIP HAD BEEN ESTABLISHED AND PERMISSION OBTAINED TO PUBLISH ALL OF THE MATERIAL USED IN THIS PUBLICATION. ALTHOUGH ALL REASONABLE CARE HAS BEEN TAKEN TO CREDIT ALL PARTIES CORRECTLY, SHOULD THERE BE ANY OMISSIONS OR DISCREPANCIES, THE PUBLISHER WILL GLADLY PUT THEM RIGHT IN FUTURE EDITIONS. ALTHOUGH WE STROVE FOR PERFECTION IN EVERY DETAIL, WE CANNOT BE HELD RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY INACCURACIES OR FOR ANY SUBSEQUENT LOSS OR DAMAGE ARISING.

CONTENTS

4

SAADJIES ARTICLE

10

WORD FROM THE CURATOR

11

THE CORE PROJECT TEAM EXHIBITIONS

13

AMSTERDAM

15

PRETORIA

17

POTCHEFSTROOM

19

RICHMOND

21

VENICE

23

STELLENBOSCH

25

WORLD

27

PRETORIA

28

THE COLLECTION

126

GLOSSARY

JOHAN MYBURG Article published in Cool Capital Guerrilla Magazine

When Pieter Mathews, the principal of the award winning firm Mathews and Associates Architects and initiator of Cool Capital – “the world’s first uncurated, DIY, guerrilla biennale” staged in Pretoria – returned from the Venice Architecture Biennale in 2012, he had in the back of his mind the idea to “sculpture bomb” Venice during the next Biennale in 2016.

His initial idea was to take work from a handful of sculptors to the Biennale as a statement against the over regulation by the Biennale Foundation and its bureaucracy, and to give the 2016 official South African pavilion curator some real competition, to show him or her how creativity could be democratized. Little did Mathews know that shortly before the opening of the 15th International Architecture Exhibition on 28 May 2016 in Venice he would be appointed Curator of the South African Pavilion by the Department of Arts and Culture.

What started out as a joke by purposefully inserting maquettes or miniature sculptures into the view of a photograph (à la photobombing), resulted in an uncurated, participatory 4

Mulling over his ideas in conversation with Pretoriabased sculptor Sybrand Wiechers, Wiechers came up with “Saadjies” as a title for the project. “Saadjies” as in tiny seeds or seedpods – or “saadjie as in psyche,” says Wiechers, making no bones about his dyslexia. “As a first year student I battled to write down ‘Cupid and Psyche’ correctly.

I wrote Psyche as ‘Saadjie’.”

Which is quite apt, in a way, since the soul as innermost kernel does manifest in depth psychology.

In line with the Cool Capital 2016 theme, “Small is big”, the Saadjies project was intended to demonstrate that “sculpture did not have to be monumental to have a powerful impact,” as Mathews argues. The inaugural Cool Capital in 2014 saw the start of the Sculpture Capital project, with the aim of leaving a legacy of sculpture works in the city of Pretoria. “The aim of this project was to promote the city’s sculptural heritage during future editions of the Cool Capital Biennale,” says Mathews. “Pretoria claims the pride of being the city with the biggest number of foundries in the country – both the oldest and the most technologically advanced – and is home to a number of the country’s foremost sculptors.”

As the 2016 Cool Capital flagship project, sculptors were invited to submit either a set or series of small sculptures, no bigger than 180 x 180 x 180 mm, to form part of

carla crafford

and travelling project, taking art outside the elitist white cube of the gallery to the streets of various centres and to the cyber environment of Instagram and Facebook.

Saadjies. The size limitations, the only prerequisite given to the participating artists, were to facilitate transport.

Ranging from small works, such as Keneilwe Mokoena’s sensitive patterns in pen on a white pebble (Untitled), to the bigger Virus, made by Gordon Froud from traffic cones, more than 80 works formed the initial core of the collection. In reaction to the overwhelming response to the open invitation, Mathews and Associates decided not to limit the project to Pretoria-based sculptors, but to invite artists from all over the country. In total 75 artists participated, including established artists such as Guy du Toit, Gordon Froud, Angus Taylor, Daniel Mosako, Lwandiso Njara, Jan van der Merwe and Sybrand Wiechers, alongside up-andcoming artists, sculptors, students and enthusiasts.

Mathews’s initial plan to “sculpture bomb” the Arsenale in Venice and “to challenge the next Curator” was jeopardised to some extent when “fate, karma and passion worked in unison and the Department

announced eight weeks prior to the biennale that the Curator I thought of challenging would be me,” he recalls.

Within a couple of weeks he had to assemble an exhibition for the Biennale and in the end took three Saadjies with him for the vernissage attended by dignitaries and the international media.

carla crafford

carla crafford

It was during this week that Wiechers’ Brick Psyche, made of brick, steel, concrete, copper,

tar and glass, disappeared from the Pavilion in the Arsenale.

“All the materials in the brick were found locally and, theoretically, if you planted this brick, it could grow into a city – the perfect Pretoria bomb,” was how Wiechers describes his artwork.

“I was rather flattered that my work was stolen during that first week,” Wiechers quips afterwards. “I regard this as a purposeful international art theft, committed not by any passer-by, but by a renowned architect.” Mathews took a photo of two Carabinieri posing next to the empty window sill where Brick Psyche used to be displayed.

From Venice Saadjies were scattered all over the world.

“I doubt if sculpture bombing on this scale had been done before,” says Mathews. “We sculpture bombed many cities abroad as well as locally.

Artists and their families joined in and volunteered to photograph a Saadjie in the most unusual places: from Oppikoppi in Northwest to

Kyoto in Japan, from Beijing in China and Amsterdam in the Netherlands to Richmond, Potchefstroom and Pretoria in South Africa, and of course Venice.”

In Amsterdam Mathews and videographer Neil Human were busy documenting Froud’s cone virus, strategically placed between the rails of a tramline.

As they were turning away from the artwork, a passer-by responded: “Are you Banksy?”

Human said no, but indicated that they were contemplating leaving the work behind. At which the stranger picked up the cone virus and kept on walking. Instead of prohibiting him from taking Froud’s Saadjie, Human filmed the man, nonchalantly taking his found objet d’art with him.

Like Froud’s work, many of the Saadjies found a new life in a foreign country.

Sunet Ferreira and Renier le Roux’s Duwweltjies, bronze incarnations of the small spiked seeds of the weed Tribulus terrestris, were some of the most travelled artworks, visiting Berlin, Greece, Venice, Amsterdam and Spain. These tiny bronzes were strewn on a road where they embedded themselves in car tyres or the soles of shoes and sandals – minute artworks taking on a life of their own.

Many friends of artists taking part in the project offered to take Saadjies on international travels. Odette Graskie’s wooden sculpture, The Grin, attended this year’s Oppikoppi near Northam in Northwest, but also went to Sylt, the island in the North Sea, with artist Nina Kruger as part of her residence after winning a 5

Barclays L’Atelier merit prize.

Graskie devoted a blog to The Grin’s travels (www.thegrinart. wordpress.com).

Retief le Roux took Liesl Roos’s Beijing stars to a congress in Beijing. These glass drops with magnets attached to them are still sitting somewhere in China, part of the Saadjies distribution that will not return to South Africa.

After installing the exhibition in the South African Pavilion in Venice, Guy du Toit left behind two tiny bronze chairs, hidden in the roof structure of a Venetian building.

neil human

An unplanned by-product of the Saadjies project was the subtle manifestation of a “gift economy,” or at least a “circulation of gifts” co-existing uncomfortably with a market economy, in a transaction culture where everything is measured in monetary terms.

“Although some artworks in the Saadjie collection are available as editions that could be purchased from the artists or their respective galleries, in theory the collection belongs to everybody – hence the

6

exhibition on social media for all to enjoy,” remarks Mathews.

“Creativity is not about money but about looking at what you’ve got and reimagining it,” the website archinect.com quotes Mathews speaking at the Biennale in May 2016.

“In that sense,” the website added, “the work displayed in the South Africa Pavilion democratizes creativity.”

With some Saadjies leaving the project, as indicated, new ones are constantly joining the project – such as a work by Thabo Pitso, an artist known for repurposing trash. His sculpture Sins of Our Fathers is a comment on the effects of consumerism and the living and working conditions of factory workers who are mass-producing objects. “The factory worker is crucified for the sins and greedy needs of the buyer,” Pitso says of his work that did not travel to Venice and Amsterdam, but was exhibited at the first of a series of more formal and curated exhibitions at the Van Wouw Museum in Pretoria in September 2016. Curator at the Anton van Wouw Museum, Daniel Mosako, officially opened this exhibition, curated by Jana Kruger and generously sponsored by the art auctioneers Strauss & Co. The following month the collection was exhibited at the Aardklop Arts Festival in Potchefstroom. In collaboration with the MTN Foundation, one of the sponsors of the visual arts programme at Aardklop 2016, an audience that would have had little chance of visiting a gallery could see the exhibition. Learners from all over Potchefstroom were taken on guided tours of the

Aardklop exhibitions, including Saadjies. For these art safaris for children at Aardklop, MTN received the Aardvark Innovation Award.

When Saadjies was shown in Richmond in the Karoo later in 2016, the Modern Art Projects South Africa (MAPSA) Gallery was filled with youngsters who may never have been in touch – so to speak – with small artworks, recalls Carla Crafford, official photographer of the Saadjies project. “The care with which the children approached the work and their amusement at recognizing familiar objects, and learning about less familiar ones, will stay with me for a long time.”

This exhibition coincided with the Richmond Book Festival and the annual draadkar (wire car) race.

MAPSA proactively serves and acts as a catalyst in creating an increased awareness of art in the public and commercial spheres, as well as facilitating the advancement of art research, art practice and culture in South Africa. While MAPSA has assisted a diverse group of South African artists, showcasing their work locally and internationally, it keeps on forming networks and facilitating breakthroughs on both a grass-roots level and on major platforms.

On a small scale MAPSA has been creating opportunities for the Richmond locals. “Vrek, Werk of Trek” is a brick-making incentive that was initiated by Gabriel Snyders many years ago. His son Trevor Snyders has taken over the business since, keeping alive an oldworld method of making the bricks, using manual labour

Germany and England. In addition to the high levels of technical and visual artistry, Mapula generates an income for economically disadvantaged women of Winterveldt.

“They were a bit taken aback initially,” says Jana Kruger, Saadjies project co-ordinator, of this transition. “It was Dorah Hlongwani, a member of Mapula, who convinced her fellow embroiderers that they could turn working on a flat surface into Saadjies. They were given the size format and together Hlongwani, Elsie Maluleke, Selina Makwana, Rossinah Maepa and Jossinah Ntshuntsha created 17 Saadjies, reflecting their personal experiences: for Maepa her house, for Makwana her garden and for Maluleke none other than Madiba.”

Hlongwani used the shell of a black monkey orange (Strychnos madagascariensis) as the carapace for the small tortoise she made. “She compared herself to the little tortoise,” Kruger remembers.

harrie siersema

When Janetje van der Merwe, involved in Mapula since the mid-1990s and currently serving as Mapula project manager, became aware of Saadjies, she saw this as an opportunity for marketing and creating awareness of Mapula.

and a donkey to mix the clay and sand. Snyders, in collaboration with MAPSA, produces “alphabet bricks” with the idea that artists can create “concrete” poetry. The “seed” was indeed planted!

Snyders contributed an “A” brick to the Saadjies project – the first in a series of alphabet bricks.

Despite their enthusiasm to create work for Saadjies, the Mapula women had to overcome the obstacle that they had never worked in 3D format. Their forte had always been wall hangings with topics that speak of public histories as well their own personal experiences.

In Winterveldt, to the north of Pretoria, a group of women had been embroidering on fabric since the early 1990s. Dazzling in colour and inventive in design, the embroideries made by the women of the Mapula Embroidery Project engage compellingly with social and political issues that have shaped the lives of their makers. Over the years works by Mapula have become highly collectible, have won numerous awards and have been exhibited in Greece,

neil human

In keeping with the original intention of creativity as a democratic endeavour and the participatory nature of the project, Saadjies began to extend beyond expressions traditionally considered as sculptural mediums.

neil human

“Community projects are not as well supported and funded as in the 1990s,” says Van der Merwe. “A lot more could be done to promote projects such as this one in Winterveldt. We argued that the visibility we could gain from being part of Saadjies would benefit us most.”

7

“Dorah said: ‘I am like this tortoise: although life is difficult and although I don’t always know how to tackle challenges – like this project – one has to push forward.’”

The enthusiasm displayed

by Dorah Hlongwani and others soon became indicative of the Saadjies project and contributed to its openended nature – to the notion of a project constantly in a state of flux. The willingness of more and more artists to participate leads to new artworks entering the project, resulting in different (curated) manifestations at different venues where Saadjies are being exhibited. Mathews’ idea of an uncurated, participatory and travelling project, taking art outside the elitist white cube of the art gallery, finds reflection in the myriad of photographs taken since the inception of the project.

“When a photographer’s lens targets your work you are captured with the work, and you join as a part of a parallel, peripheral project, an overlap, a collective, a collaboration,” says Guy du Toit of the photographic aspect of the project. “Your work (as does the photographer’s) exists in two spaces, now with two authors sharing, commenting and collaborating.

Any photographic rendering of an artwork becomes another artwork in its own right.” Moreover, the photographed artwork establishes a connection of its own with the viewer, within a specific context and with a sense of immediacy, since the photographer rearranges, re-contextualises and envisions the work before 8

commandeering it. “It’s like sharing and showing and showing and sharing,” says Du Toit, “always learning about looking and seeing.”

As the official photographer for the Saadjies project, Carla Crafford travelled to Venice and Amsterdam with luggage filled with Saadjies, scouting ideal locations to shoot images of the sculptures. A new dimension in the work, a new collaboration between artwork and photographer, came into being. Rendered in photographs, Saadjies immediately embraced social media as the new wind of dissemination. Apart from formal photographs published in print media, #saadjies found a way to platforms such as Instagram and Facebook.

Images taken by commissioned photographers, artists, friends and the public brought the artworks into the public domain and created greater awareness amongst a public that might not necessarily be art-conscious. Soon afterwards, the Saadjies photographed “on location” in Venice started to appear on Instagram and Facebook.

Du Toit’s Psyche, a bronze of a

seated hare, was photographed on the Ponte degli Scalzi, and Lwandiso Njara’s cast concrete Totem is seen in a niche as if cradled by a Virgin Mary, already dealing with one infant. In a close-up Du Toit’s hare, “a lively, witty, fast-talking, and likely-to-dothe-unexpected animal [that] has come to stand as surrogate for human existence and our relation to the natural and social world,” took on the proportions of a surrogate public sculpture, contemplating in its monumentality the hurly-burly of Venetian canal life.

On a more intimate level Njara’s Totem, photographed with a Madonna and Child relief outside one of the churches on the Venice Lido, speaks of his boyhood years in rural Transkei and his schooling by Roman Catholic nuns. “At the same time I lived in a cultural world of ancestral ritual slaughter where blood is spilt in honour of my ancestors,” he says of two worlds, “both necessary for survival in society.” With all the churches Venice has on offer Crafford opted for a niche outside a church, for two reasons: “The better light

outside and I wanted to draw a wider audience outside the church.”

Photographing artworks outdoors proved to draw onlookers – people would stop and take pictures of the photo shoot, creating “events” around the artworks.

“People thinking ‘if someone thought of taking pictures of an artwork, it must be important,’ that kind of approach,” says Crafford. “That we encountered often.” This spontaneous connection with the sculptures that resulted in onlookers taking photos supports Instagram’s claim of “a new way to see the world”.

Instagram is an application designed exclusively for smartphones (and more recently, tablets) that enables mobile photo capture, editing and sharing. It was launched in 2010, bought by Facebook in 2012, and currently claims on its website more than 500 million active users who upload, on average, 95 million photographs a day.

carla crafford

Among other reasons it must be the beguiling format (180 x 180 x 180 mm), the photogenic quality of the artworks, and the sensitive placement

within a specific context (architecturally as well as socially) – or a combination of these factors – that contribute to ‘grammable art’.

As executive producers, Mathews and Associates have commissioned writer, director and filmmaker Neil Human to make a comprehensive documentary of the Saadjies project. The film, scheduled for release at the end of 2017, will include some of the extensive footage Human has shot as official videographer for the project since its inception, as well as material obtained from various sources at different stages of the project. According to Mathews the film, Saadjies, “will serve as an overview of the project and simultaneously extend the reach of Saadjies to people who have not seen the physical artworks,” and will possibly open doors for the project in countries such as Belgium and the Netherlands – “Flemish and Dutch speaking countries where the Afrikaans concept ‘saadjie’ would be easily grasped”.

In retrospect the Saadjies project offered viewers different ways of looking at art, and in a range of incarnations:

from the collected and curated to the dispersed; from the filmed and photographed to the shared on social media; from static work shown in a traditional gallery space to work traversing the world as a form of public art. Moreover, viewers from different backgrounds responded favourably to the project: from occasional interest to organised visits to Saadjie exhibitions; and from support by the Department of Arts and Culture’s Mzansi Golden Economy Strategy, to a Business and Arts South Africa (BASA) grant, and galleries accommodating exhibition runs on short notice. At the time of going to press, a Saadjies exhibition was underway at the Stellenbosch University (SU) Botanical Gardens’ greenhouses – yet another opportunity for amateur as well as professional photographers to engage with these small-scale artworks.

To follow on these exhibitions Mathews is currently negotiating with galleries and arts foundations abroad to have Saadjies shown to an even wider audience.

“Although the Saadjies project is intended for the artworks to disperse and spread like seeds,” says Mathews, “I have the dream that an edition of Saadjies should return to Pretoria to find a home in the new Javett: UP Arts Centre on the campus of the University of Pretoria (UP), a building designed by Mathews and Associates Architects. This “home” would be something of a temporary home, more library than final resting place – since Saadjies are designed to roam the world, to inspire, to enrich and to sprout new shoots of creativity. • 9

WORD FROM THE CURATOR A SAADJIE (SEED/POD) IS SOMETHING

TRAVELLED THROUGH SOUTH AFRICA

SMALL THAT CONTAINS IN IT THE

AND INTERNATIONALLY TO VENICE,

POTENTIAL FOR GREAT IMPACT: IT CAN

BEIJING,

GROW, IT CAN TRAVEL AND IT CAN BE

PARIS. THE SAADJIES WERE DISPLAYED

INTERPRETED AND USED IN MANY

AS A COLLECTION IN MANY SIGNIFICANT

DIFFERENT WAYS.

LOCATIONS SUCH AS THE VAN WOUW

JAPAN,

AMSTERDAM

AND

HOUSE AND THE ZUID AFRIKA HUIS IN THE SAADJIES SCULPTURE PROJECT

THE NETHERLANDS.

AIMED TO REFLECT A PARADIGM SHIFT IN THE ART WORLD: THAT SCULPTURE

THE LAST COMPONENT OF SAADJIES

NEED

WAS

NOT

BE

BIG,

IMPOSING

OR

THE

IN

IMPACT. OUR AIM WITH THIS PROJECT

TO

WAS TO PROVIDE AN OPPORTUNITY FOR

THE

PROFESSIONAL AND AMATEUR/YOUNG

SAADJIE, PLACE IT IN THEIR URBAN

ARTISTS

ENVIRONMENTS, TAKE A PHOTOGRAPH

GAIN

NATIONAL

AND

INTERNATIONAL EXPOSURE.

DIGITAL

PARTICIPATION

EXPENSIVE IN ORDER TO MAKE AN

TO

THE

PUBLIC

REALM:

EXHIBITIONS

VISITORS

WERE

OPPORTUNITY

TO

GIVEN TAKE

A

AND SHARE IT ONLINE. THIS PROCESS SHARED

THE

AS SUCH, SAADJIES WOULD BE AN

ONLINE

AUDIENCE.

UNCURATED TRAVELLING EXHIBITION

WERE NO LONGER MERELY PHYSICAL

THAT

SOUTH

BUT HAD TRANSFORMED INTO DIGITAL

INVITATION

MOMENTS THAT GREW INDEPENDENTLY

WAS

AFRICAN

OPEN

TO

ARTISTS.

AN

ALL

WAS EXTENDED TO ANY AND ALL

SAADJIES THE

WITH

AN

SAADJIES

AS SAADJIES.

INTERESTED PARTIES TO CREATE A MINIATURE

ONLY

THE SAADJIE PROJECT FORMED PART

CRITERIA WAS THAT THE OBJECT HAD

OF THE 2016 COOL CAPITAL BIENNALE.

TO

IN 2014, COOL CAPITAL FOCUSSED ON

BE

SMALL

STRONG. ONLY

SCULPTURE.

WE

ABOUT

AND

THE

CONCEPTUALLY

INITIALLY TWENTY

EXPECTED ARTISTS

TO

LARGE AND URBAN SCULPTURES. BY CHANGING THE THEME TO ‘SMALL

PARTICIPATE BUT AFTER ONE YEAR,

IS

BIG’

IN

2016

WE

THE COLLECTION CONTAINED MORE

COMMUNICATE

THAN ONE HUNDRED ARTWORKS BY

SMALL INTERVENTION, GREAT CHANGE

PROFESSIONAL ARTISTS AND AMATEUR

CAN TAKE PLACE.

THAT

WANTED

TO

THROUGH

A

ART ENTHUSIASTS ALIKE. THE SAADJIES

pieter j. mathews 10

THE CORE PROJECT TEAM

PROJECT CURATOR pieter j. mathews PROJECT COORDINATOR jana kruger PHOTOGRAPHER carla crafford VIDEOGRAPHER neil human

11

12

chenette swanepoel

AMSTERDAM ZUID AFRIKA HUIS 30 May 2016

THE TO IN

ZUID KEEP

AFRIKA THE

SOUTH

INTERPRET

HUIS

DUTCH AFRICA

THE

STRIVES

THE HUMANS’ BASIC NEED OF FOOD

INFLUENCE

AND MONEY ON THE BASE AND ART

ALIVE.

I

SIGNIFIED BY THE APEX. ART IS NOT A

PROJECT

BASIC NEED, BUT PEOPLE YEARN FOR

SAADJIE

AS A REPRESENTATION OF HUMAN RELATIONSHIPS. JUST LIKE A PLANT, A

IT AS MUCH AS FRIENDSHIP. (excerpt from interview)

FRIENDSHIP IS FORMED FROM A SMALL SEED, IF NURTURED CORRECTLY IT HAS THE POTENTIAL TO GROW AND MATURE. THE SAADJIE PYRAMID BY LIVHUWANI MUTHIVHITHI AS A GREAT EXAMPLE OF THE SAADJIE PROJECT AND WHAT IT

guido van den berg director of the zuid afrika huis

REPRESENTS. BY OBSERVING IT CLOSELY I

SEE

THE

MASLOW’S

HIERARCHY,

13

14

chenette swanepoel

PRETORIA ANTON VAN WOUW HUIS 22-24 September 2016

THIS VENUE WAS SPECIFICALLY CHOSEN FOR ITS CULTURAL AND HISTORICAL SIGNIFICANCE.

THE

BUILDING

WAS

DESIGNED BY NORMAN EATON, A WELLKNOWN SOUTH AFRICAN ARCHITECT FROM PRETORIA AND ONE OF THE FIRST TO DESIGN WITHIN THE LOCAL MODERN VERNACULAR. THE HOUSE WAS ALSO THE LAST HOME AND STUDIO OF ANTON VAN WOUW AND HAS BEEN DECLARED A NATIONAL MONUMENT. THE EVENING WAS

OPENED

BY

DANIEL

MOSAKO,

AN ARTIST AND CURATOR FOR THE UNIVERSITY OF PRETORIA WHO LIVED IN THIS HOUSE AND CONTRIBUTED A SCULPTURE TO THE SAADJIE PROJECT. THE

EVENING

WAS

DEDICATED

TO

STEPHAN WELZ FOR HIS CONTRIBUTION TO ACCOMPLISH THE CONTROVERSIAL “SILVER LINING” PROJECT ON CHURCH SQUARE IN 2014, WHERE THE STATUE OF PAUL KRUGER BY ANTON VAN WOUW WAS TEMPORARILY COVERED IN SILVER FOIL BY STREET ARTIST R1.

THE

SAADJIES

ACCORDING VISITED BY

TO

AND

WERE THE

WERE

BEAUTIFUL

GROUPED

PLACES

THEY

ACCOMPANIED

POSTERS

WITH

PHOTOGRAPHS OF THE SAADJIES IN LOCATION. BY SHOWING THE CONTEXT PHOTOGRAPHS THE VISITORS WERE ABLE TO COMPARE IT WITH THE OBJECT AND WERE OFTEN SURPRISED BY THE SMALL SCALE OF THE SAADJIE.

pieter j. mathews & jana kruger 15

16

chenette swanepoel

POTCHEFSTROOM AARDKLOP KUNSTEFEES - #ARTKLOP 26-30 September 2016

BIG IS SMALL, SMALL IS BIG, AND

THAT THE SIZE AND THE MATERIAL

BIG BEGINS SMALL. THIS PROJECT

OF

IS REPRESENTATIVE OF OUR SOUTH

AND THAT THE ARTIST’S INTENTION

AFRICAN MUSEUM AND ART CULTURE,

IS

JUST AS A SMALL SEEDS HAS THE

PROJECT

POTENTIAL TO GROW INTO SOMETHING

ELICITS A CONVERSATION BY PLACING

LARGE AND BEAUTIFUL, CHILDREN

AND DOCUMENTING THESE OBJECTS

HAVE TO BE EXPOSED TO ART FROM

IN

AN EARLY AGE TO CULTIVATE AND

SPACES. THE SAADJIE PROJECT RE-

ENCOURAGE A LOVE FOR AND AN

CONTEXTUALISES HISTORICAL SPACES,

APPRECIATION

OFFERS INTERNATIONAL EXPOSURE TO

WITH

OF

STUDENTS

ART. AT

WORKING

THE

NORTH

WEST UNIVERSITY, I WAS ABLE TO PROVE THROUGH THE SUCCESS AND

A

SCULPTURE

THE

KEY.

IS

IRRELEVANT

FURTHERMORE,

ACTIVATES

HISTORICALLY

SPACE

THE AND

SIGNIFICANT

ARTISTS AND IS IN ITSELF A ‘SAADJIE’, EVER GROWING BIGGER. (excerpt from interview)

INFLUENCE OF THE SAADJIES PROJECT

christina naurattel curator of the north west university art gallery

17

18

chenette swanepoel

RICHMOND MODERN ART PROJECT SA 16-24 October 2016

RICHMOND IS A SMALL TOWN WITH A DEVELOPING COMMUNITY. THE SAADJIE PROJECT IS A UNIQUE INTERVENTION, THE FIRST OF ITS KIND IN THE AREA, EXPOSING THE LOCAL RESIDENTS TO WORKS FROM PROFESSIONALS AND ART ENTHUSIASTS ALIKE. THE EXHIBITION WAS

HELD

IN

THE

MODERN

ART

PROJECT’S WORKSHOP INSTEAD OF THE GALLERY SPACE. THE LINEARITY AND SIMPLICITY OF THE EXHIBITION IS IN DIRECT CONTRAST TO THE VARIABILITY OF THE SAADJIES. BECAUSE OF THE VARYING NATURE OF SUBJECTS, THE ARTWORKS WERE DISPLAYED AS THEY EMERGED FROM THEIR TRANSPORTING BOXES, SUPPORTING THE NOTION OF AN UNCURATED COLLECTION. THE SAADJIE PROJECT IS A RELEVANT PROJECT IN TODAY’S SOCIAL ENVIRONMENT: WE HAVE TO THINK ABOUT THE SEEDS THAT WE ARE PLANTING FOR FUTURE GENERATIONS. (excerpt from interview)

harrie siertsema founder of MAP

19

20

chenette swanepoel

VENICE LA BIENNALE DE VENEZIA 28 May - 28 November 2016

THE SAADJIE COLLECTION TRAVELLED

WAS STOLEN FROM THE ARSENALE

TO

VENEZIA

EXHIBITION SPACE WITHIN THE FIRST

ASSOCIATES

WEEK. GUY DU TOIT INTENTIONALLY

LA

WHERE

BIENNALE MATHEWS

ARCHITECTS

DI

AND

WERE

CURATING

THE

HID TWO BRONZE CHAIRS ON THE ROOF

OFFICIAL SOUTH AFRICAN PAVILION.

TRUSSES OF THE ARSENALE. WITH SOME

THE WORK DISPLAYED IN THE SOUTH

SAADJIES

FINDING

A

AFRICAN PAVILION REVOLVED AROUND

HOME

VENICE,

THEIR

THE DEMOCRATIZATION OF CREATIVITY

CONTINUE TO GROW.

IN

PERMANENT STORIES

WHICH APTLY DESCRIBES THE SAADJIES PROJECT. VENICE OFFERED BEAUTIFUL OPPORTUNITIES AND

FOR

DOCUMENTING

‘SCULPTURE

BOMBING’.

ENTWINED BY KAY POTTS APPEARED IN SYNC WITH SAINT MARK’S SQUARE, WHILE SYBRAND WIECHER’S PSYCHE

21

eunese beukes

COOL CAPITAL BIENNALE

22

STELLENBOSCH BOTANICAL GARDENS 17-18 February 2017

THE

STELLENBOSCH

GARDENS BACKDROP

BOTANICAL

FORM

THE

PERFECT

FOR

THE

SAADJIE

COLLECTION. THE CONCEPT OF SAADJIE IS CLOSELY RELATED TO NATURE WHICH MAKES THE FOUR SPACES USED IN THE EXHIBITION RELEVANT. SOME PEOPLE MAY SEE ART EXHIBITIONS AS STIFF OR PRETENTIOUS, BUT THE GARDEN IS AN ENCOMPASSING ELEMENT, WELCOMING ALL VISITORS AND PROVIDING VARIOUS AREAS TO APPROPRIATELY DISPLAY EACH

OBJECT.

THE

GLASSHOUSE,

BONSAI EXHIBITION, ZEN GARDEN AND THE LILLY POND WAS USED. THE LILIES ACT AS A FLOATING PODIUM FOR THE ARTWORKS. (excerpt from interview)

martin smit curator of the university of stellenbosch botanical gardens

23

24

chenette swanepoel

WORLD PARIS, BEIJING, BERLIN, RICHMOND, OPPIKOPPI, GERMANY, GREECE

THE SAADJIES GAINED INTERNATIONAL EXPOSURE BY ARTISTS AND THEIR COMMUNITIES

VOLUNTEERING

TO

TAKE THESE WORKS OF ARTS ON THEIR TRAVELS IN ORDER TO FORM PART OF

THIS

SAADJIES

EVER-GROWING

JOURNEY.

‘SCULPTURE

BOMBING’

TOOK PLACE IN BEIJING IN CHINA, KYOTO IN JAPAN, AMSTERDAM IN THE NETHERLANDS AND PARIS IN FRANCE TO NAME A FEW. SOME SAADJIES DID NOT MAKE THE JOURNEY BACK BUT ARE

FLOURISHING

IN

THEIR

NEW

ENVIRONMENTS.

25

26

chenette swanepoel

PRETORIA ATTERBURY THEATRE 21 March 2017

THE

COLLECTION

FINISHED

THEIR

HANDED

OVER

THE

‘SNORRE

AND

JOURNEY WITH A FINAL EXHIBITION

LADDERS’ TROPHY TO DEPARTMENT OF

AT

ARTS AND CULTURE REPRESENTATIVES

THE

ATTERBURY

THEATRE

IN

PRETORIA. WITH THE EXHIBITION IN

ANDRIES

THE BIRTHPLACE OF COOL CAPITAL,

MUKANSI.

MANY

ARTISTS

AND

OBERHOLZER

AND

ALLEN

PARTICIPANTS

CAME OUT TO VIEW THE COLLECTION IN ITS ENTIRETY FOR THE LAST TIME. THE COOL CAPITAL GUERRILLA MAGAZINE WAS LAUNCHED AT THE SAME EVENT, DRAWING AN EVEN BIGGER CROWD. A BIG ATTRACTION OF THE EVENING, APART

FROM

TRAILER, OF

THE

FLOATING

THE

WAS

SAADJIES THE

FILM

AWARDING

OFFICIAL

COOL

CAPITAL

TROPHY.

ZAHN

HULME,

REPRESENTATIVE OF THE ATTERBURY TRUST AND PREVIOUS AWARD WINNER

27

28

THE COLLECTION

29

BALIE, MICAELA PLAY WITH ME BEHAVIOURAL ANALYSTS STUDY ABUSE IN CHILDREN BY OBSERVING THE WAY CHILDREN INTERACT WITH THEIR TOYS. THE USE OF VOODOO DOLLS IS IN A WAY REPRESENTATIVE OF BOTH CHILDREN AND ABUSE. AS THESE DOLLS ARE CREATED WITH THE INTENT TO HARM ANOTHER PERSON. THIS MAKES THEM A ‘TOY’ THAT BECOMES MISUSED. HENCE, I DECIDED TO DO MY OWN TAKE ON VOODOO DOLLS, BECAUSE NO ONE CAN REALLY KNOW WHAT AN ABUSED CHILD FEELS OR GOES THROUGH UNLESS THEY HAVE EXPERIENCED IT THEMSELVES.

CANVAS, BUTTONS, COTTON

liam purnell

THREAD AND TISSUE PAPER

30

alet pretorius

BASSIN, CARLI YESTERDAY’S NEWS, OLD AND FORGOTTEN BRONZE THIS WORK ACTS AS AN ANTI-MONUMENT IN THAT IT PAYS TRIBUTE TO THE STORIES AND EVENTS THAT ARE READ, THROWN AWAY AND AT MOST TIMES, FORGOTTEN. MY PROJECT REVOLVES AROUND THE ACT OF CATEGORIZING HISTORICAL AND PRESENT EVENTS ACCORDINGLY TO DIFFERENT VALUES- MONUMENTALIZING SOME WHILST FORGETTING OTHERS. I HAVE PORTRAYED A CRUMPLED UP PIECE OF NEWSPAPER, INDICATIVE OF ITS CONTENT BEING READ AND THROWNAWAY ONLY TO BE REPLACED BY ANOTHER NEWSPAPER CONTAINING MORE RECENT OR MORE ‘IMPORTANT’ NEWS. THROUGH THIS WORK I ASK THE QUESTION, WHO DECIDES WHICH EVENTS ARE IMPORTANT AND WHICH ARE NOT? HOW CAN WE PRIORITIZE WHICH STORY IS WORTHY ENOUGH TO BE PUBLISHED, AND WHICH IS NOT? WHY DO WE HONOUR THE ‘BIG’ STORIES, AND FORGET THE ‘SMALLER’ ONES? 31

BATTSON, LIBERTY APRIL MAQUETTE LACQUER & AUTOMOTIVE TAPE EDITION 1/1

APRIL MAQUETTE IS AN ARTISTIC BLOCK, AN INNOVATIVE BRICK, CREATIVE CHUNK, AN EXPERIMENTAL HUNK, VISIONARY LUMP. THIS TONGUE IN CHEEK PIECE CREATED WITH THE TAPE AND PAINT USED TO CREATE ONE OF THE PAINTINGS FOR MY SOLO EXHIBITION IN JUNE WITH ABSA/ EVERARD READ GALLERY TITLED ‘I BET YOU WISH YOU DID THIS’. THEORETICALLY IF THIS TAPE WERE TO BE MADE STRAIGHT IT WOULD ACCURATELY REPRESENT THE PAINTING, RESONATING THE CENTRAL THEME FOR THIS SHOW, SMALL IS BIG.

carla crafford

MOSTLY RECOGNISED AS A PAINTER I WAS TRYING TO APPROPRIATE MY MEDIUM INTO A SCULPTURE. THE CONCEPTION OF THIS IDEA STARTED WITH ACRYLIC, GIVING THE PAINT AN ARMATURE AND FORM. IT SHOWED PAINT AS SCULPTURE BUT IT DIDN’T REFLECT MY CHOSEN MEDIUM, OR ARTISTIC STYLE. THIS PIECE IS TRUE TO MY MEDIUM AND TO ABSTRACTION.

32

BESTER, NICOLAAS A PAIR OF CONKERS PIT FIRED EARTHENWARE

THE HUMBLE “CONKER” WILL FOREVER REMAIN A PLEASANT REMINDER OF OUR FAMILY’S TEN AUTUMNS SPENT IN IRELAND. EVERY YEAR, WITHOUT FAIL, WE SPENT MANY HOURS AROUND HORSE CHESTNUT TREES IN THE FOTA ISLAND ARBORETUM, ADMIRING THE MAJESTIC ANCIENT TREES IN EVERY SEASON. IN AUTUMN WE COLLECTED THE NUTS AND OUR KIDS PLAYED ALL SORTS OF IMAGINARY GAMES WITH THE TACTILE SEEDS AND KICKED UP THEIR MASSIVE LEAVES. I MADE A SERIES OF OVERSIZED CONKERS WHILE STUDYING CERAMICS IN IRELAND IN 2010, THESE TWO ARE A SMALLER VERSION UNIQUELY MADE FOR THE ‘SAADJIES’ EXHIBITION.

pieter mathews

CONKERS IS A TRADITIONAL CHILDREN’S GAME PLAYED IN BRITAIN AND IRELAND USING THE SEEDS OF THE HORSE CHESNUT TREE – AESCULUS HIPPOCASTANUM. THE NAME “CONKER” IS USED TO DESCRIBE BOTH THE SEED AND THE TREE ITSELF. THE GAME IS PLAYED BY TWO PLAYERS, EACH WITH A CONKER THREADED ONTO A PIECE OF STRING, TAKING TURNS TO STRIKE EACH OTHER’S CONKER, UNTIL ONE BREAKS.

33

BESTER, SHALETTE SEED POD HORSE HAIR RAKU FIRED

pieter mathews

PORCELAIN

THE SEED POD IS A STUDY IN THE ESSENCE OF THE POD FORM, ENCAPSULATING SOMETHING PRECIOUS SAFELY INSIDE, ITS SMOOTH SURFACE TEXTURE AND CONE SHAPE GIVES IT FREEDOM OF MOVEMENT AND BALANCE IN SPACE. IT IS A CLOSED FORM WITH ONLY A TINY MOUTH OPENING. THE SHAPE DESCRIBES THE IMPORTANCE FOR SEEDS TO BE TRANSPORTED IN A SECURE VESSEL. THE CARBON FOOTPRINT OF THE HORSEHAIR SURFACE MARKINGS IS CONTROLLED, BUT UNPLANNED AND DEVELOPS NATURALLY. IT REMINDS ONE OF THE LINES ON A MAP, WHICH I TRANSLATE AS THE DIFFERENT ROUTES A DRIFTING SEEDPOD CAN TAKE, TO SPREAD ITS SEEDS.

34

anneke bosch

BOSCH, ANNEKE BLOED IN ONS WORTELS BLOOD-STAINED COTTON AND COSMOS SEEDS JUST AS THE COSMOS SEED WAS ORIGINALLY TAKEN FROM ARGENTINA TO SOUTH AFRICA, THE DUTCH LANGUAGE WAS TAKEN FROM THE NETHERLANDS TO SOUTH AFRICA. WHERE BOTH THE COSMOS FLOWER AND AFRIKAANS ARE NOW TRULY SOUTH AFRICAN, THEIR ROOTS STARTED ELSEWHERE. THESE BLOOD-DYED COSMOS SEEDS REPRESENT THE JOURNEY AND SAMENESS WE ALL SHARE AS PEOPLE. THESE BLOODY SEEDS ALSO CONNECT TO THE WORLD WIDE PROBLEM OF RACISM AND DISCRIMINATION, NO MATTER HOW BIG OR SMALL IT APPEAR TO BE. IT IS A UNIVERSAL ISSUE WE ALL DEAL WITH IN OUR LIVES. EMBROIDERED ON THE SEEDS IN BLOOD-DYED YARN IS A SECTION OF A POEM I WROTE IN AFRIKAANS ABOUT RACISM. THE POEM IS WRITTEN IN SUCH A WAY THAT IT NOT SPECIFIC TOO MYSELF, SOMEONE OR AN EVENT IN PARTICULAR BUT SO THAT IT CAN APPLY TO ANYONE AND EVERYONE AT THE SAME TIME. 35

BOSCH, ANNEKE WOVEN IN MY SKIN

pieter mathews

WIRE AND THREAD

THE MOMENT I GLANCE DOWN I AM CONFRONTED WITH MY OWN SKIN TONE. SKIN COLOUR IS AN INFLUENTIAL AND UNCHANGEABLE PART OF OUR LIVES AS WELL AS THE ROOT OF MANY BASIC RACIST ONSLAUGHTS. MY WEAVE REPRESENTS THE STRUCTURE OF SKIN AS WELL AS MY ATTEMPT TO COPE WITH RACISM. I USED A GRADIENT OF SKIN TONE THREADS TO FABRICATE THE DENSE MÉLANGE, WHERE TOGETHER THE SEPARATE YARNS HAVE INTERLINKED AND FORMED A NEW WHOLE. IN THE DEEPER UNSEEN SEAMS OF THE WEAVE I USED FLEXIBLE RED WIRE SYMBOLIZING HUMANITY’S SAMENESS IN THE BIOLOGICAL AND PSYCHOLOGICAL SENSE. JUST AS WIRE WE ARE MOLDABLE DESPITE OUR EXTERIOR.

36

BOTTCHER, LOTHAR CUBE DOT GRID OPTICAL CRYSTAL, HAND

christina niewoudt

CARVED, CUT AND POLISHED

“CUBE DOT GRID” REFERS TO THE CITY AND HOW ONE CAN LOOK AT IT, ESPECIALLY PRETORIA. THE CUBE IS INSPIRED

BY THE MONOLITHIC PRESENCE OF THE VOORTREKKER MONUMENT. THE GRID IS A VISUAL REFERENCE TO THE CITY STREETS, ITS BLOCKS AND MAPPING. DOTS REFER TO THE INHABITANTS, EACH FLOATING WITHIN. APPLYING THE CRAFT OF ALMOST-FORGOTTEN GLASS-WORKING TECHNIQUES, LOTHAR FEARLESSLY AND INTENTIONALLY CARVES, GRINDS AND POLISHES THIS OPTICAL MEDIUM INTO SCULPTURAL PORTALS, BRINGING THE IMMEDIACY OF EXPERIENCE BACK INTO OUR LIVES.

37

pieter mathews

BUITENDACH, RETHA CHIEF DOLPHIN TONGUE MEETS HIS GURU FOUND OBJECTS

THIS ARTWORK WAS INSPIRED BY A ROALD DAHL QUOTATION: ‘THOSE WHO DON’T BELIEVE IN MAGIC WILL NEVER FIND IT’.

A MINIATURE MYTHICAL WORLD IS CREATED INSIDE A GLASS DOME, AND DEPICTS A MOMENT FROZEN IN TIME LIKE A STILL SHOT FROM A MOVIE. THE LEAD CHARACTERS ARE CHIEF DOLPHIN TONGUE, HALF INDIAN AND HALF HORSE, MEETING HIS GURU, THE DOLPHIN, ON A ROCKY OUTCROP WHERE LAND MEETS SEA. IT IS UP TO THE IMAGINATION OF THE VIEWER, TO ENVISAGE WHAT MIGHT HAPPEN NEXT. THE LANDSCAPE AND FIGURES ARE ALL CRAFTED FROM ORGANIC FOUND OBJECTS AND RECYCLED OBJECTS FROM JUNK SHOPS AND SCRAP YARDS, A BIT OF SEA SAND, GLUE AND PAINT. THE IDEA BEING THAT VERY ORDINARY AND RANDOM OBJECTS THROWN TOGETHER CAN BE THE SEED THAT SPROUTS SOMETHING MAGICAL AND MYSTERIOUS. 38

harrie siertsema

CONOLLY, DARREL JACARANDA CHOIR MIXED MEDIA AFTER THE PRETORIA JACARANDA TREES HAVE SHED ITS COAT OF PURPLE IN LATE NOVEMBER, THE CHOIR STARTS TO PREPARE FOR UPCOMING MUSIC FESTIVALS.

39

CRAFFORD, CARLA ITINERANT JAKARANDA HAND CARVED JACARANDA

carla crafford

WOOD

ALTHOUGH NOT INDIGENOUS, JACARANDA TREES HAVE BECOME FAMILIAR ON SOUTH AFRICAN SOIL. THIS IS THE WAY THAT I FEEL ABOUT MY OWN FAMILY TREE. THE SPHERE IS IMPERFECT - CARVED BY HAND, AND ITS IMBALANCE IN DENSITY CAUSES IT TO KEEP MOVING (ONCE HAVING BEEN PUT IN MOTION) ON A SMOOTH SURFACE. AGAIN, THIS REMINDS ME OF MY OWN STATE: MY INABILITY TO STAY IN THE SAME PLACE - WITHOUT INTERRUPTION - FOR LONG, AND MY INABILITY TO SIT STILL.

40

DU PLESSIS, JOHANDI INSPEKSIE GAT

neil human

CAST IRON AND CONCRETE

INSPEKSIE GAT [MANHOLE] IS A SMALL OBJECT WHICH ACTS AS DEVICE TO WHICH A LARGE SUBTERRANEA STRUCTURE CAN BE ACCESSED. THE WORK DRAWS ATTENTION TO OBJECTS WITHIN THE LANDSCAPE WHICH USUALLY GO UNNOTICED, SUCH AS MANHOLE COVERS, STOP COCKS AND OTHER LIDS. THE OVERLOOKING OF THESE OBJECTS RESULTS IN A GAP IN KNOWLEDGE: OF KNOWING THAT THERE ARE STRUCTURES UNDERNEATH GROUND LEVEL NOT VISIBLE TO THE EYE. THE WORD ‘INSPECTION’ IS JUXTAPOSED TO THE OBJECT WHICH IS USUALLY OVERLOOKED. THE LID IS USED AS A METAPHOR FOR THE QUEST FOR (OR LACK OF) KNOWLEDGE.

41

carla crafford

DU TOIT, GUY- FOUNDRY DAY COOL CAPITAL COMMEMORATIVE CHESS SET BRONZE

THE GUY DU TOIT SCULPTURE, A PRIVATE FOUNDRY, MADE AN INTERACTIVE COMMEMORATIVE ARTWORK AS PART OF COOL CAPITAL’S FOUNDRY DAY. ARTIST GUY DU TOIT PREPARED WAX CASTS OF CHESS PIECES AND ALLOWED VISITORS TO RECREATE THE STANDARD DESIGNS INTO UNIQUE WORKS OF ART. THE VISITOR’S RECREATIONS WERE CAST IN BRONZE AND NOW FORMS PART OF THE COOL CAPITAL ART COLLECTION

42

DU TOIT, GUY KIRKNESS BRICK POLYSTYRENE AND PAINT

carla crafford

THE ARTIST RECREATED THE KIRKNESS BRICK WHICH FORMS PART OF THE CAPITAL’S HISTORY. THE POLYURETHANE FOAM ALLOWS THE BRICK TO FLOAT JUST AS A MEMORY WOULD, RELATING TO MAN’S PSYCHE. THE ARTIST MISUNDERSTOOD ‘SAADJIE’ FOR ‘PSYCHE’.

43

carla crafford

DU TOIT, GUY PSYCHE BRONZE

THE HARE SERVES AS A SURROGATE FOR HUMAN EXISTENCE AND OUR RELATIONSHIP WITH THE NATURAL AND SOCIAL ENVIRONMENTS. HARES ARE LIVELY, WITTY, FAST - TALKING AND LIKELY - TO - DO - THE - UNEXPECTED ANIMALS THAT ARE AWARDED ACCOUNTABILITY BY GIVING THEM CHAIRS.

44

ERASMUS, ELBIE BIRTH OF THE METROPOLIS BRONZE & CEMENT

carla crafford

CONSTRUCTION BARRIERS ARE ALL AROUND THE STREETS OF PRETORIA. THESE YELLOW OBJECTS THAT LINE OUR STREETS DEMAND OUR ATTENTION WITH THEIR LOUD COLOUR AND SOLID FORM, YET WE TEND TO OVERLOOK THEIR SIGNIFICANCE. OFTEN SEEN AS OBSTRUCTIONS, THESE OBJECTS ARE IN ESSENCE SYMBOLS OF GROWTH. THEY ARE GUARDIANS OF URBAN BIRTH. THEIR PRESENCE SIGNIFIES CONSTRUCTION, RENOVATION AND PROGRESS.

45

liam purnell

FERREIRA, SUNET FORTUINVERTELLER COPPER

THE ORIGIN OF THE FORTUNE TELLER IS SOMEWHAT MURKY, BUT IT BECAME POPULAR DURING THE MID-1900’S. IT PROVED TO BE A WELL LIKED CLASSROOM AND PLAYGROUND PASTIME. EVEN THOUGH IT HAS BEEN AROUND FOR A LONG, INDIVIDUAL PIECES DO NOT HAVE A VERY LONG LIFETIME, OFTEN ENCOUNTERED AS DISCARDED, FORGOTTEN OR TRASHED OBJECTS. BY MAKING THE FORTUNE TELLER IN THIN PAPER-LIKE COPPER SHEET, SUNET AIMS TO EXPAND THE MATERIAL LIFETIME OF THE OBJECT. NOT BEING ABLE TO OPEN AS A PAPER FORTUNE TELLER WOULD, SUNET ATTEMPTS TO PRESERVE AND PRESENT THOSE FERTILE MOMENTS IN TIME WHEN ANTICIPATION, PROMISE AND THE UNKNOWN IS EXPERIENCED BEFORE A NEW POSSIBILITY ROOTS ITSELF.

46

FERREIRA, SUNET & LE ROUX, RENIER DUBBELTJIES

carla crafford

BRONZE

DUBBELTJIES IS A SMALL GRAFFITI STYLE SCULPTURE OCCUPYING A VAST SPACE, CONSISTS OF 12 TRIBULUS TERRESTRIS SEED COMMONLY KNOWN AS DUBBELTJIES/ DEVILS THORN, THAT ARE SCATTERED OR SOWN IN THE EXHIBITION SPACE AMONG THE REST OF THE SCULPTURES ON EXHIBITION. ALTHOUGH METICULOUSLY CAST IN BRONZE THE ARTISTS TREAT THE SMALL COMPONENTS AS CAST-AWAYS LOST TO THE NEW ENVIRONMENT. LE ROUX HOPES THAT IT WILL GET STUCK IN A PASSERBY’S SHOE AND TRANSPORTED TO A NEW LOCATION, WHILE FERREIRA ANTICIPATES THE ACTIVATION OF MEMORIES COUPLED TO PICKING THORNS FROM THE SHOE OR FOOT.

47

pieter mathews

FERRIMAN, RACHEL DO NOT OPEN MIXED MEDIA EDITION 1/1 SOMETHING THAT WAS FORBIDDEN FROM BEING OPENED IS OPEN… THERE ARE TRACES (LITTLE MARKS) OF WHAT WAS INSIDE - SEEDS OF SUFFERING OR A SEED OF HOPE? WHO SEALED IT AND WHY? WHO OPENED IT? ‘WILL SOMEONE THINK IT WAS ME? WOULD I WISH IT WAS, IF I KNEW? WOULD I HAVE OBEYED OR DISOBEYED, IF I DIDN’T KNOW?’ THE LITTLE MARKS ARE LIVELY, BRIGHT - BUT THEY ARE ALSO LIKE SMALL SCRATCHES ON THE BLACKNESS, IN DARKNESS. WAS IT A PANDORA’S BOX?

48

FORBES, RICHARD J RICHARD TWISTER SPANISH PLASTER, BLACK PIGMENT, LATEX, GALVANISED STEEL

49

FOUCHE, LIEKIE COOL CAPITAL HOTSPOTS BRONZE WITH A GREEN THE TITLE OF THIS WORK, “COOL CAPITAL HOTSPOTS” IS DERIVED FROM THE CRIME HOTSPOT ROAD SIGNS THAT SERVE AS WARNING SIGNS FOR MOTORISTS AND IT PORTRAYS A HIJACKER BEING HIJACKED. SINCE VIOLENCE AND CRIME IS ONE OF THE MOST PREVALENT PROBLEMS IN THE COUNTRY, IT’S IMPOSSIBLE TO THINK OF A CITY AS “COOL” WITHOUT ALSO CONSIDERING THIS OMNIPRESENT DOWNSIDE.

PATINA

carla crafford

NAIVE AND SIMPLE IMAGERY WERE USED (INSPIRED BY A CHILDREN’S TOY) TO JUXTAPOSE, AND THEREFOR ACCENTUATE THE CRIMINAL ELEMENT IN AN IRONIC WAY. THE LEGS OF THE FIGURES ARE MOBILE AND IF THE WORK IS HELD BY THE HIND FIGURE AND WIGGLED FORWARDS AND LEFT AND RIGHT, THE LEGS WILL MOVE IN A PECULIAR WAY THAT WILL MAKE IT APPEAR AS IF THEY ARE WALKING.

50

FOURIE, HEIDI AUTOSUGGEST ABC OIL ON WOOD BLOCKS

carla crafford

AN INTERNET SEARCH CONDUCTED THE 1ST OF JANUARY 2013 OF EVERY ALPHABET LETTER REVEALED THE FIVE MOST POPULAR SEARCHED TERMS. THE ARTIST SUPERIMPOSED THE RESULTS ONTO 26 WOODEN BLOCKS, EACH REPRESENTING A LETTER OF THE ALPHABET. THE ARTWORK ACTS AS A SNAPSHOT OF THE ZEITGEIST OF OUR CONTEMPORARY SOCIETY AND THE THINGS, PEOPLE, BRANDS AND ISSUES PEOPLE SEARCH FOR MOST.

51

FROUD, GORDON CONE VIRUS THESE ARE SMALL VIRUSES MADE OF ROAD CONES. IN THEIR DIMINISHED FORM, THEY ARE INTENDED TO INFECT THE CITIES IN WHICH THE LAND IN ORDER TO GROW TO THEIR FULL SIZE (28CM POINT TO POINT). THEY REFERENCE MODERNIST SCULPTURAL GEOMETRIC FORMS BUT ARE CONSTRUCTED IN A CONTEMPORARY MATERIAL, NAMELY PLASTIC FOUND OBJECTS.

pieter mathews

PLASTIC ROAD CONES

52

GAMBERINI, CARLO UNTITLED WOOD AND STEEL AS FOUND

carla crafford

THE ARTIST WORKS WITH FOUND OBJECTS IN AN UNALTERED STATE. OBJECTS ARE COLLECTED FROM FIELDS OR SCRAP YARDS AND USED TOGETHER TO FORM A SCULPTURE. THESE HUMBLE MATERIALS WERE MARRIED TO JUXTAPOSE THE HISTORICALLY POLISHED NATURE OF VENICE WHERE THE SAADJIES WERE EXHIBITED.

53

GRASKIE, ODETTE THE GRIN (PICK ME UP)

kim morrow

CARVED WOOD

THIS ARTWORK IS MEANT TO BE PICKED UP AND HANDED AROUND. UNDERLYING THE ACT OF HANDING AN OBJECT TO ANOTHER PERSON IS THE AFFIRMATION OF OUR COMMONALITIES. WE LOOK PEOPLE IN THE EYE AND SPREAD THE SEEDS OF A SMILE. THE SMILE IS THE BASIS OF ANY INTERPERSONAL RELATIONSHIP.

54

GREENBERG, CAITLIN SAME SHIT, DIFFERENT TOPPER MATERIAL ONE EDITION 1/3

pieter mathews

FERAL PIGEONS ARE A UNIVERSAL PHENOMENON. ALSO KNOWN AS COMMON STREET PIGEONS OR OCCASIONALLY REFERRED TO AS A FLYING RATS; THEY ARE KNOWN TO INVADE URBAN ENVIRONMENTS AND DEFACE PUBLIC SCULPTURES. THE ARTWORK COMMENTS ON THE TRANSFORMATION OF THE STATUE OF PAUL KRUGER INTO A “POOP ICON” OF PRETORIA - OOM PAUL’S TOP HAT IS DECORATED WITH PURPLE PIGEON FONDANT. THE PURPLE JACARANDAS AND THE FERAL PIGEONS ARE BOTH INVASIVE SPECIES YET THEY ARE AS CHARACTERISTIC OF PRETORIA AS IS THE STATUE OF PAUL KRUGER.

55

carla crafford

JANSE VAN RENSBURG, DANÉLLE DANGER, PASOP, QUAPHELA BIRCH PLYWOOD THE WORK DANGER, PASOP, QUAPHELA SPEAKS ABOUT OUR MISPERCEPTION SURROUNDING SAFETY AND WHERE ONE IS TRULY SAFE - ESPECIALLY BECAUSE WE LIVE IN A COUNTRY THAT HAS SOME OF THE HIGHEST CRIME RATES IN THE WORLD. THE ORIGINAL PLACEMENT OF THE WORK WAS IN FRONT OF THE PRETORIA NATIONAL ZOO, THAT IS INFAMOUSLY SITUATED IN A STREET CALLED ‘BLOED’ STREET. A WOLF HAVE BEEN OVERLY USED IN FAIRY TALES AND STORIES AS A BLOODTHIRSTY ANIMAL THAT SYMBOLIZES DANGER AND/OR FEAR, BUT IN ACTUAL FACT IS A SHY ANIMAL THAT WILL RATHER AVOID HUMAN CONTACT. THE ‘SAADJIE’ IN A SMALL WAY SUGGEST THAT THE BIGGEST PROBLEM OF FEAR LIES WITHIN STEREOTYPING THE UNKNOWN OR UNFAMILIAR.

56

THE PHALLUS HAS BEEN A VEHICLE FOR THE SOWING OF SEEDS FOR MILLENNIA. THERE WAS THE SOWING OF LIFE, LOVE AND GROWTH. THEN CAME THE SOWING OF CARNAGE AND DESTRUCTION! IT SEEMS LIKE LIFE GROWS FROM A SEED OF LOVE AND ENDS IN TOTAL PANDEMONIUM.

KOK, LOUIS SUICIDE KOK RING

pieter mathews

BRONZE

57

LAING, ALLEN ARTISTS SEED DRILL THIS HIGH QUALITY PRODUCT FROM AGRITHETICS HAS BEEN TAILORED TO MEET THE NEEDS OF THE SOUTH AFRICAN ARTIST. ALL AGRISTHETICS PRODUCTS ARE CALIBRATED TO EXTREMELY NARROW TOLERANCES AND ARE SYNCHRONISED WITH EGZAKTO™ GEARS TO ENSURE MAXIMUM ACCURACY FOR HIGHER AESTHETIC YIELDS. THE ARTIST’S SEED DRILL (ASD) IS EASY TO USE AND MANUFACTURED FROM ECO-FRIENDLY AND NON-TOXIC MATERIALS, WHICH PLACE USER COMFORT AND SAFETY AT THE CORE OF OUR DESIGN. ALL OF OUR PRODUCTS ARE GUARANTEED FOR 12 MONTHS FROM DATE OF PURCHASE, AND WE WILL REPAIR, REFUND OR REPLACE ANY DEFECTIVE PRODUCT ACCOMPANIED BY PROOF OF PURCHASE

WOOD & STAINLESS STEEL

carla crafford

EDITION 1/1

58

LE ROUX, RENIER EEN HALWE BAKSTEEN CHIPBOARD

pieter mathews

‘EEN HALWE BAKSTEEN’ IS PART OF A UNIQUE GRAFFITI STYLE SCULPTURE SERIES THAT I STARTED IN THE LATE 1990’S. IT WAS THE SEED WORK OF A SMALL RANGE OF SMALL SCULPTURES BASED ON *STRICT GUIDELINES. THE ART WORK WAS REVIVED FOR THIS TRAVELING EXHIBITION BASED ON THESE GUIDELINES AND THE SIMILARITIES IT SHARES WITH THE FLAGSHIP PROJECT ENTITLED SAADJIES.

59

pieter mathews

MAHOMED, SHENAZ AFRICAN BABUSHKA I & II BRONZE THE TWO-PART SCULPTURE IS A BRONZE CAST OF THE BABUSHKA DOLLS (RUSSIAN ‘NESTING’ DOLLS). THE WORK IS A DELICATE INTERPLAY OF THE COMPLEXITIES OF SOUTH AFRICAN IDENTITY: I AM MUSLIM, AND STILL AUTHENTICALLY SOUTH AFRICAN. THE TOP HALF OF THE DOLL SHOWCASES A TRADITIONAL ARABESQUE PATTERN WHILST THE BOTTOM HALF OF THE SCULPTURE IS LADEN WITH TRADITIONAL AFRICAN PATTERNS. THE DOLL CAN OPEN AND CLOSE TO FUNCTION AS IT SHOULD TRADITIONALLY.

60

MAPULA EMBROIDERY PROJECT EMBROIDERY THE MAPULA EMBROIDERY PROJECT IS A SOUTH AFRICAN COMMUNITY BASED INITIATIVE. IN ADDITION TO GENERATING AN INCOME FOR ECONOMICALLY DISADVANTAGED WOMEN, MAPULA EMBROIDERIES COUPLE HIGH LEVELS OF TECHNICAL AND VISUAL ARTISTRY WITH TOPICS THAT SPEAK ELOQUENTLY OF PUBLIC HISTORIES AS WELL AS SOCIAL AND POLITICAL ISSUES.

neil human

EMBROIDERY

61

chenette swanepoel

MAYHEW, MIGNON LIGHT BATTERY OPTIC GLASS YOUR LIGHT-BODY MAKES UP A GRID WORK OF LIGHT AND SACRED GEOMETRY THAT BRINGS TOGETHER YOUR PHYSICAL, EMOTIONAL, MENTAL AND SPIRITUAL BEING. THIS BODY RADIATES LIGHT ENERGY AND ELECTROMAGNETICALLY LINKS YOUR MULTIDIMENSIONAL SELF WITH THE INFINITE UNIVERSE. WE NEED LIGHT TO RECHARGE IN ORDER TO REMAIN IN SYNCHRONY WITH EXTERNAL ENVIRONMENTAL TIME. THE REFRACTIVE QUALITY OF GLASS RADIATES WAVELENGTHS OR COLOUR; THIS CAUSES LIGHT OF DIFFERENT COLOURS TO BE REFRACTED DIFFERENTLY AND TO LEAVE THE PRISM AT DIFFERENT ANGLES (LIKE A RAINBOW).

WHAT IF WE ARE THE REFLECTION OF THE SUN’S RADIANCE SHINING THROUGH EARTH’S OPTICAL SPHERE?

62

MAHLANGU, ESTHER POT FOR A SEED

pieter mathews

HAND PAINTED CERAMIC

63

chenette swanepoel

MEIJER, TINEKE GARDEN OF REMEMBRANCE GLASS, METAL, PERSPEX THE GARDEN AS MEMORIAL SIGNIFIES A SPACE FOR TRANSFORMATION; A ”GENIUS LOCI” - WHERE WE CAN HEAL OURSELVES AND, GLOBALLY CREATE ”GARDEN EARTH”

64

pieter mathews

MEINTJES, FRANLI BREAKDOWN MERANTI, SPRAY PAINT AND STEEL OUR CURRENT SOCIETY IS DEFINED AND IDENTIFIED BY TECHNOLOGY. TECHNOLOGY IS ALWAYS EVOLVING, ADAPTING AND IMPROVING BUT IS STILL OFTEN ACCOMPANIED BY GLITCHES OR SLIGHT MALFUNCTIONS THAT OCCUR. THESE GLITCHES TAKE ON A PHYSICAL PRESENCE AND QUESTIONS THE RESULT OF TECHNOLOGY IN OUR DAILY LIVES AND RELATIONSHIPS.

65

MERTZ, ISABEL WASP NEST

jana kruger

CARVED WOOD

66

BASED ON THE STRUCTURE OF A PAPER WASP’S NEST, THIS CARVING INVESTIGATES THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN HUMAN AND NON-HUMAN ARCHITECTURE AS AN ENTRY POINT TO BETTER UNDERSTAND THE NOTION OF HOME AND INHABITATION. THE OBJECT HAND CARVED FROM WILD FIG WOOD, SITS COMFORTABLY IN A HAND. IT HAS BEEN LEFT UNTREATED AND HAS TRACES OF WATER STAINS AND INSECT ACTIVITY. ALL INDICATIONS OF THE WOODS HISTORY. I SEE THIS AS A DUAL AUTHORSHIP OF THE WORK THEREBY AIDING IN A HIERARCHICAL COLLAPSE BETWEEN HUMAN AND NON-HUMAN FORCES. PERHAPS THIS OBJECT HOLDS THE POSSIBILITY FOR A NEW LIFE CYCLE A SITE FOR A NEW NEST.

MOKHOTHU, TEBOHO RHINO HORN THE ARTIST IS ADDRESSING THE EXTINCTION OF RHINOCEROSES DUE TO POACHING. THE FORM AND THE MATERIAL SPEAK TO THE POSSIBLE ABSENCE OF RHINOCEROSES IN THE FUTURE.

neil human

CARVED WOOD

67

MOKOENA, KENEILWE UNTITLED PEN ON ROCK

pieter mathews

MY WORK EXPLORES THE NATURAL WORLD AND HOW IT WORKS. I AM DEEPLY FASCINATED BY THE CHAOTIC PROFUSION OF NATURE AND THE COMPLEXITY UNDERLYING THE SIMPLE FUNDAMENTAL FORCES OF NATURE. THE UNIVERSE, MICROCOSMIC AND MACROCOSMIC, IS SCULPTED AND GOVERNED BY FOUR BASIC FORCES OF NATURE INTO COMPLEX AND SIMPLE PATTERNS. I’M INTERESTED IN THE PROFOUND RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN ORDER AND CHAOS, WHICH RESULTS IN SIMPLE MARKS WITH COMPLEX SHAPES AND FORMS. I AM CONSTANTLY TRYING TO STRIKE A BALANCE BETWEEN THE TWO BINARIES. MY WORK IS A RESULT OF A SELFREFLECTIVE ANALYSIS INTO AN INTERNAL BATTLE, AND I EXPLORE THE RELATION BETWEEN ORDER AND CHAOS IN ORDER TO COME TO TERMS WITH THE CHAOTIC NATURE OF MY MIND. EVERYTHINGORGANIC AND INORGANIC, MICROCOSM AND MACROCOSM, MIND AND MATTER IS INTERCONNECTED AND INTERWOVEN INTO BEAUTIFUL PATTERNS DICTATED

BY FORCES THAT ARE BOTH WITHIN AND WITHOUT MY CONTROL.

68

MOSAKO, DANIEL COHESION METAL

eunese beukes

EDITION 1/1

THE SCULPTURAL PIECE DEPICTS SOCIAL COHESION THROUGH SKYSCRAPERS THAT ARE COMMONLY USED AS DWELLING PLACES AND CORPORATE SPACES. IN SUCH BUILDINGS, PEOPLE OF DIFFERENT NATIONALITIES CAN AFFORD TO STAY AND WORK IN A SYNCHRONISED MANNER UNDER A COMMON ROOF. THE CRISIS EXISTS AS SOON AS THEY EXIST AS SINGLE INDIVIDUALS BEYOND THESE COMMUNAL SKYSCRAPERS USED FOR LIVING AND WORKING ENVIRONMENTS.

69

MPANZA, NDUKENHLE THE MEMORY BOX THE CONCEPTS OF MEMORY AND THE CITYSCAPE IS COMPARED AND VISUALLY CONNECTED. THE EVER-CHANGING CITYSCAPE IS COMPARED TO THE FORMATION AND FUNCTIONS OF MEMORY. THE FLUIDITY OF THE CITYSCAPE IS SIMILAR TO THE FLEXIBILITY OF A MEMORY.

pieter mathews

WOOD

70

MQEKU, ZANOXOLO SYLVESTER FECUND SAND CAST CERAMICS

carla crafford

THE WORK I CREATE RESEMBLES AND EXPLORES ALL THAT IS FECUND IN THE NATURAL WORLD, MY PROCESS OF MAKING IS RARE AND UNCONVENTIONAL, THE FORMS ARE MADE AS NEGATIVE IMPRINTS IN THE SOIL WHICH BECOME POSITIVE FORMATIONS WHEN EXCAVATED, EACH PIECE UNIQUE AND NON REPLICABLE. EVERY PIECE, WITH THE HELP OF EARTH, AIR, FIRE AND WATER SIGNIFIES A CARRIER, A SEED AND ALL THAT GERMINATES AND FLOURISHES.

71

MUNNIK, ANDREW ANOTHER DESERT TO CROSS

carla crafford

FOUND TILE WITH OIL PAINT

THE CAPE DUTCH TILE IS A METAPHOR FOR A EUROPEAN WHO CAME TO AFRICA BRINGING WITH HIM A PRISTINE OBJECT, A SQUARE. THIS IMPORTED CULTURE WAS LAID OVER THE AFRICAN CIVILIZATION, BUT THE TILE IS NOT PERFECT AND STARTS TO CRACK AND THE OTHER CULTURES STARTS TO SEEP THROUGH. THIS CRACK REPRESENTS THE MEDITERRANEAN SEA THAT HAD TURNED BROWN, BACK INTO A DESERT, THROUGH WHICH THE REFUGEES HAVE TO TRUDGE. THROUGH THE AMALGAMATION OF THE PRISTINE OBJECT AND THE CULTURE UNDERNEATH, A THIRD IDEA EMERGES, THE SAADJIE.

72

pieter mathews

MUTHIVHITHI, LIVHUWANI PYRAMID GLASS, CLAY & COIN MUTHIVHITHI’S WORK IS INSPIRED BY A CLASH THE CLASH OF CULTURES WITH WHICH WE ARE CONFRONTED WHEN DIFFERENT PEOPLE MEET. THE ARTWORK BRINGS ASPECTS OF EACH CULTURE INTO A NEUTRAL SETTING.

73

pieter mathews

NAUDÉ, ANDRÉ MAKISAKI ACRYLIC ON WOOD

THE WORK HAPPENED, BY USING FOUND OBJECTS, IN MY STUDIO. SELECTION WAS EVENTUALLY REDUCED TO THE LITTLE SQUARE WOODEN CUBE AND THE SMALL WOODEN CONTAINER. THE LATTER IS USED FOR DRINKING SAKI, JAPANESE ALCOHOL. I PAINTED THE SQUARE USING A PALETTE OF JACARANDA MAUVE / PURPLE AND TONES OF CACTUS GREY / GREEN, PLUS NEON DAYGLOW LEMON YELLOW. THE YELLOWS WERE USED FOR THE APPROPRIATED “NEON” SIGN, WHICH REFERENCED THE ORIGINAL INSTALLATION IN VENICE OF THE COOL CAPITAL SPACE. THE VIEWER CAN INTERPRET THE ALCOHOL EXTRACTION FROM THE PAINTED CACTI IF NEED BE. THE IMAGE OF THE CACTUS, HAS FEATURED, AS A LEITMOTIF, IN MY PAINTINGS CONTINUOUSLY. THE LITTLE OBJECT AND TITLE, IS ABOUT MAKING A VISUAL PUN. THUS IN A FLIPPANT SENSE (DIT) MAKISAKI!

74

NCUBE, BRYAN MONGOOSE

carla crafford

BRONZE

75

NELL, DANIE MADONNA AND CHILD BRONZE

pieter mathews

THE AMALGAMATION OF CHURCH ICONOGRAPHY AND EVERYDAY DOMESTICITY IS EXPLORED. IT ADDRESSES THE SPIRITUALITY OF OUR MUNDANE EXITANCE. MADONNA AND CHILD SYMBOLISES THE ARTIST’S WIFE AND DAUGHTER AND MODESTLY REPRESENTS THE INTIMACY OF THEIR RELATIONSHIP.

76

christina niewoudt

NIEHAUS, CARI PROCESS OF GROWTH WOOD BIRTH, LIFE AND DEATH ARE ALL IMPORTANT STAGES OF GROWTH. IN THIS WORK, HUMAN GROWTH IS COMPARED TO THE GROWTH OF TREES. STARTING AS A SEED, VULNERABLE AND PROTECTED, IT MATURES UNTIL IT IS A LARGE TREE, STANDING ON ITS OWN. WHEN A TREE DIES A VOID AND MEMORIES OF ITS EXISTENCE ARE ALL THAT REMAINS. ITS CONTRIBUTION TO AND THE IMPRESSION IT MADE ON SOCIETY LIVES FORTH.

77

NJARA, LWANDISO TOTEM MY ARTWORKS EXPLORE MY SPIRITUAL AWAKENING AND DEVELOPMENT DURING MY BOYHOOD YEARS IN THE RURAL TRANSKEI. ACCORDING TO MY CLAN ELDERS, IT IS CRUCIAL TO SLAUGHTER AND SEPARATE ANIMAL FLESH FROM BONE IN HONOUR OF OUR ANCESTORS. MY CHRISTIAN GRANDMOTHER THOUGH, BELIEVED THAT THERE WAS ALSO PLACE FOR CHRISTIANITY ALONG WITH OUR XHOZA ANCESTRAL RITUALS. FOR HER, BOTH WERE NECESSARY FOR OUR SURVIVAL IN SOCIETY. I BECAME THE ALTAR BOY WHO HELPED THE PRIEST DURING RELIGIOUS SERVICES. MY SCHOOLING BY CATHOLIC NUNS ALSO INITIATED MY EXPOSURE TO WESTERN IDEOLOGIES. AT THE SAME TIME I ALSO LIVED IN A CULTURAL WORLD OF ANCESTRAL RITUAL SLAUGHTER WHERE BLOOD IS SPILT IN HONOUR OF MY ANCESTORS.

CAST CONCRETE

carla crafford

EDITION 1/3

78

NKOANA, IKE FIGURE CARVED WOOD THIS FIGURE HAS MYTHOLOGICAL AND PHILOSOPHICAL CONNOTATIONS, REFERRING NOT ONLY TO THE CONCEPT OF UBUNTU, AN IDEA THAT AFFIRMS INDIVIDUALS THROUGH A SHARED PLACE IN SOCIETY, BUT ALSO THE FIGURE’S DISPLACEMENT.

79

NORTJE, JOHANN GEBOU MET WENSE THE WORK EXPRESSES THE ARTISTS WISH TO FIX OBJECTS WITH INTENT IN THE MIDST OF A WORLD WHICH DISREGARDS ALL THINGS DAMAGED OR DEEMED UNIMPORTANT. ECHOING THE SHAMANS OF OLD, BROKEN BITS OF A CERVET CAT’S SKULL WERE BUILT UP WITH THE WISH BONES. THE END RESULT IS A BEACON (HOWEVER SMALL), THAT RADIATES WISHES FULFILLED.

BRONZE

carla crafford

EDITION 1/9

80

OLIVIER, LEANNE IN-SIDE / SIGHT / CITE BRONZE AND OIL PAINT

chenette swanepoel

THE ART WORK IS A SKULL OF A SEAL PUP CAST IN BRONZE. ABOVE THE LEFT EYE A TREPANNED HOLE EXPOSES THE INSIDE OF THE SKULL - A CAVE-LIKE SPACE. WHEN YOU HOLD IT UP TO THE LIGHT, A ROUND SPOTLIGHT REVEALS A PAINTING REMINISCENT OF KHOI-SAN ROCK ART. THE TITLE IMPLORES THE VIEWER TO LOOK INSIDE. LIKE MOST ART, IT REQUIRES INSIGHT TO UNDERSTAND THE ”LANGUAGE” OF THE SCENE DEPICTED. HOPEFULLY IT WILL INCITE CONVERSATION ABOUT THE MEANING OF THE WORK AND THE SEEDS OF ART PLANTED BY ANCIENT CIVILIZATIONS. IT IS ABOUT LOOKING BEYOND THE SURFACE FOR DEEPER MEANING AND UNDERSTANDING.

81

THE SPIRAL IS A SYMBOL OF THE INNER JOURNEY, WHICH IS WHERE ‘MEMORY SEEDS’ ARE EMBEDDED. THESE ‘MEMORY SEEDS’ SUSTAIN AND BALANCE US AS WE JOURNEY IN THE PHYSICALITY OF THE CITY.

OLIVIER, NICCI BALANCE

VOLCANIC ASH & CEMENT

alet pretorius

THE WORK DEALS WITH THE NOTIONS OF NECESSARY BALANCE NEEDED TO CONQUER THE CHALLENGES OF LIFE BY TAKING TIME TO FOCUS ON THE IMMATERIAL. THE SCULPTURE SIMULTANEOUSLY REFERENCES A SHELL AND AN OPEN SEED POD WHICH CAN BE HELD IN YOUR HAND.

82

OLIVIER, SHARLEENE MOS CUTE OU WIRE AND ENAMEL PAINT EDITION 1/1

chenette swanepoel

MOSQUITOES ARE KNOWN TO SPREAD DISEASES SUCH AS MALARIA, YELLOW FEVER AND THE ZIKA VIRUS. THE ARTIST EXPLORES THE POSSIBILITY OF A GENETICALLY ENGINEERED MOSQUITO ON A LARGER SCALE AND THE EFFECT THESE SEEMINGLY INNOCENT CREATURES HAVE ON OUR LIVES.

83

carla crafford

PETE, MALOSE THORN APPLE PAPER AND WIRE INSPIRED BY THE THORN APPLE WEEDS THAT GREW ALONG OUR FENCE AND WAS REQUESTED TO REMOVE AS THEY WERE UNSIGHTLY, I THOUGHT ABOUT HOW THEY WOULD LOOK IF THEY WERE A LITTLE MORE ATTRACTIVE. SO THE FINAL PRODUCT IS A BLEND OF THE ORIGINAL THORN APPLES WITH THE GOLDEN DELICIOUS APPLES AND THE TOP RED USUALLY SOLD AT HIGH END SUPERMARKETS. IT IS A DEVELOPING CONCEPTS, SO REFINED VERSIONS OF THEM ARE IN THE WORKS.

84

PETRUS, SAREL WHERE MEN WIN GLORY BRONZE

pieter mathews

“THE LOYALTIES THAT DROVE MEN TO DESPERATE ACTS OF COURAGE AND SACRIFICE WERE PROVEN BY SUBSEQUENT HISTORY TO BE SILLY PREJUDICES. MEN WITH MODERN EDUCATIONS WERE CONTENT TO SIT AT HOME, CONGRATULATING THEMSELVES WITH THEIR BROADMINDEDNESS AND LACK OF FANATICISM.” (FUKUYAMA IN KRAKAUER 2009:341) THE ATROCITIES OF WAR IS SOMETHING I CAN ONLY IMAGINE. SOME MISCASTS FROM MY ‘I FORGET TO BE PLAYFUL’ SERIES ARE NOW INCLUDED IN THIS ARTWORK. THE SARCASTIC TITLE OF JON KRAKAUER’S BOOK “WHERE MEN WIN GLORY” IS INTENDED IRONICALLY. THE AMPUTEES, BROKEN, REJECTS, DISUSED AND INCOMPLETE ARE HONOURED BY BEING RAISED TO THE LEVEL OF ‘SAADJIES’.

85

PHIRI, LUTHANDO BALANCE

lisa hnatowicz

METAL

THE EAR, IN SPITE OF BEING SMALL, IS A COMPLEX INSTRUMENT NOT ONLY FOR HEARING BUT ALSO (AND LESS OBVIOUSLY) FOR BALANCE. THE METAL OBJECTS REFER TO THE ANATOMY OF THE EAR, WHICH SUGGESTS THE PHYSICAL ASPECT OF BALANCE. THE TILTING OF THE EAR EMPHASIZES THE PSYCHOLOGICAL BALANCE THAT ONE IS CONSTANTLY TRYING TO ACHIEVE.

86

PITSO, THABO SINS OF OUR FATHERS FOUND OBJECTS, WOOD, NAILS

pieter mathews

AND PAINT

THERE IS A CONSTANT CONFUSION OF WHAT CONSTITUTES “NEED VS GREED” AS THE PUSH AND DAILY OBSESSION TO CONSUME OBVIATES CHOICE. A LIFESTYLE OF OVERCONSUMPTION IS THUS DICTATED, YET SOME CONSUMPTIVE BEHAVIOURS HAVE CONTRADICTORY/UNDESIRABLE OUTCOMES. THE SCULPTURE ALSO COMMENTS ON THE PLIGHT OF FACTORY WORKERS WHOSE JOB IS TO PRODUCE MASS OBJECTS FOR CONSUMERS. THE FACTORY WORKERS ARE SACRIFICED FOR THE SINS OF THE CONSUMERS.

87

POTTS, KAY ENTWINED STERLING SILVER, BRONZE

carla crafford

AND INDIGENOUS STONE

88

carla crafford

PRETORIUS, ANNETTE HARMONY CARVED WOOD

A SPIRAL WAS THE FIRST SHAPE THE ARTIST EXPLORED THROUGH DRAWING. THE SPIRAL IS THUS THE ‘SAADJIE’ OR ORIGIN OF THE ARTIST’S INTEREST IN ART.

89

PRINSLOO, NICO CONSUMERISM IN THIS WORK THE ARTIST EXPLORES THE INHERENT CONTRADICTIONS, PARADOXES AND IRONIES FOUND IN CONSUMERISM. AS HUMANS WE NEED TO CONSUME IN ORDER TO CREATE, BUT IT IS THIS SAME ACTION THAT IF NOT APPROACH IN A DISCIPLINED WAY IT WILL DESTROY US. IT REMINDS OF THE LATIN SAYING QUOD ME NUTRIT ME DESTRUIT WHICH TRANSLATES TO ‘WHAT NOURISHES ME DESTROYS ME’.

BRONZE AND RED OAK

carla crafford

THE USE OF INEXPENSIVE CEMENT AND EXPENSIVE BRONZE FURTHER EXPLORES THE RELATIONSHIP TENSION BETWEEN POVERTY AND WEALTH. THE OBJECT IS GLORIFIED HAVING A PINNED FLAG, RESEMBLING A SALE ITEM. YET IT IS TEETERING ON THE PRECIPICE CREATING TENSION. THE IRONY IS THAT THE VERY OBJECT OF ADORATION WILL NOT AND CANNOT NOURISH AS WISHED. IT IS A SIMULACRUM, AN EASY, INSTANT, DEFORMED AND CONTORTED SYMBOL OF WHAT WE AS HUMANITY NEED TO SURVIVE AND THRIVE.

90

carla crafford

REDELINGHUYS, IAN SMALL PILLOW FOR JACOB BRONZE, BRASS AND STEEL

A CHAIR, STONE, SPHERE AND LADDER ARE ALL WITHIN THEMSELVES VERY ORDINARY OBJECTS. THE JUXTAPOSING OF THESE ELEMENTS IS BEGUN IN REFERENCE TO THE BIBLICAL RECOUNTING OF THE STORY OF JACOB IN THE BOOK OF GENESIS. ADDED TO THIS, A LONG HELD INTEREST IN VILLAGE CHAIRS, WHICH ARE NORMALLY CONSTRUCTED OF SCRAP WOOD AND RARELY CONSTRUCTED AS ANY SEAT OF IMPORTANCE, BECOME AN APT METAPHOR FOR THE INDIVIDUAL’S ELEVATION, AS WELL AS COMFORT. THE JACOB STORY REFERS TO HIS DREAM OF ANGELS ASCENDING AND DESCENDING A LADDER TO HEAVEN. UPON AWAKENING, HE ANOINTS THE STONE USED FOR HIS PILLOW AS AN HIEROTOPIC OBJECT.

91

ROOS, LIESL BEIJING STAR GLASS

retief van wyk

THE GLASS USED WAS LEFT OVER FROM RENOWNED GLASS ARTIST LEO THERON’S DAL DE VERRE TECHNIQUE WHICH WAS USED FOR HIS CHURCH GLASS WINDOWS. THE CHINESE STAR WAS APPLIED TO IT AND TRAVELLED THROUGH CHINA DURING AN INDUSTRIAL CONGRESS IN SHAE AND BEIJING.

92

carla crafford

ROOS, LIESL IDEALIST PRINTED PLASTIC THE FAWN, WITH A BLOSSOMING ROSE CROWN, IS A SYMBOL OF AN IDEALISTIC INDUVIAL. AN IDEALIST IS SAID TO BE A PERSON CONVINCED OF A POSITIVE OUTCOME TO THE EXTENT OF BEING NAIVE. THE BODY OF THE FAWN PRINTED IN LAYERS REFLECT CONTOUR LINES, REPRESENTING AN INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL LANDSCAPE. THE NECK AND EARS FORM A STEM AND LEAVES FOR THE ROSE. THIS WORK IS A PLAYFUL EXPLORATION OF THE MANNER IN WHICH SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY INFLUENCES ARTISTIC PRACTICE IN TERMS OF RAPID PRODUCTION, ORIGINALITY AND AUTHENTICITY.

BY APPROPRIATING EXISTING DESIGNS, A NEW WORK IS CREATED CONVEYING CONTEMPORARY, SOCIAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL CONCERNS IN A POST-MODERN FASHION. 93

ROOS, LIESL & VAN WYK, RETIEF ONTKIEM THE WORK CONSISTS OF A GLASS NEST HOUSING THE EXOSKELETAL REMAINS OF A GOLDEN STARBURST TARANTULA AND IS SYMBOLIC OF A SOCIETY DESPERATE FOR CHANGE, YET CLINGING TO THE PAST. THE NEST, FRAGILE, TRANSPARENT AND VULNERABLE, RELATES TO A NURTURING ENVIRONMENT AND SECURITY. THE TARANTULA SHEDDING IS ASSOCIATED WITH GROWTH, CHANGE AND PROGRESS. WHEN MOULTING, THE TOP OF THE THORAX IS EXPELLED FROM THE BODY AND THE TARANTULA PULLS ITSELF OUT OF ITS OLD SKIN LIKE A SEED WOULD BURST FROM ITS POD. THE SHEDDING IS A REMNANT OF THE PAST, A PARODY, EMPHASIZING THE IMPORTANCE OF ACTIVE ENGAGEMENT FOR THE CREATION OF BETTER CONDITIONS FOR SOCIETY.

MOLTEN GLASS AND ORGANIC

liam purnell

MATERIAL

94

pieter mathews

RUVIMBO CHIKIWA, NYASHA CHICKEN FOR DINNER EGG SHELL THE CHILDHOOD MEMORY OF THE ARTIST TAKES PHYSICAL SHAPE: TRYING TO CATCH A CHICKEN FOR DINNER. THE ARTIST’S STRUGGLE STANDS IN OPPOSITION TO THE EASE WITH WHICH HIS GRANDMOTHER FULFILLED THE TASK.

95

pieter mathews

SAAYMAN, LOERITHA LIVE SMALL TO LIVE BIG COPPER PLATED MILD STEEL THE ARTIST CHALLENGES THE VIEWER TO RE-ASSESS THE WAYS IN WHICH WE INHABIT OUR ENVIRONMENT. TO REDUCE OUR CARBON FOOT PRINT AND BE MORE CONSCIOUS ABOUT OUR PLACE IN THE ECOLOGICAL SYSTEM, WE SHOULD PROMOTE SUSTAINABILITY. THE ARTWORK PORTRAYS THE INTERCONNECTIVITY BETWEEN HUMANS AND NATURE IN AN ‘EVERYDAY LIFE ENVIRONMENTALISM’ SITUATION. THE ARTIST SUGGESTS THAT WE INTEGRATE NATURE INTO OUR DAILY LIVES AND APPRECIATE IT, RATHER THAN TO TREAT IT AS AN EXOTIC PLACE ELSEWHERE, ONLY TO BE VISITED ON OCCASION OR STUDIED.

96

SCHICKERLING, MARTYN UNTITLED

liam purnell

STEEL SINCE I CAN REMEMBER I WAS FASCINATED WITH MAN-MADE GEOMETRIC STRUCTURES IN THE BACKDROP OF A NATURAL ENVIRONMENT. ONLY WHEN I STARTED STUDYING FINE ARTS THE PASSION GREW INTO A PHYSICAL MANIFESTATION. I STARTED EXPERIMENTING WITH THE CONCEPT WHICH I NAMED “GEOMETRIC ORGANICA” WHICH SUMS UP QUITE NICELY WHAT I PLANNED TO DO WITH A BODY OF WORK WHERE PYLON STRUCTURES ARE USED AS A POINT OF DEPARTURE. MY AIM AS A SCULPTOR WAS TO MANIPULATE EXISTING GEOMETRIC STRUCTURE IN ORDER TO “MARRY” THEM WITH THE NATURAL SURROUNDINGS. IN OTHER WORDS, TO GIVE THEM LIFE, OR EVEN ANIMATE THEM INTO SOMETHING MORE DYNAMIC. IN SOME OF MY PYLON SCULPTURES I EVEN LOOK TO DANCERS FOR INSPIRATION. AT THE END OF THE DAY, IT BECAME PART OF ME, PART OF MY WORK. A SIGNATURE OF SORTS. IT CAN BE SEEN IN MANY OF MY SCULPTURES AND DRAWINGS. I FIND THE CONTRAST BETWEEN THE GEOMETRIC AND ORGANIC EXTREMELY INTRIGUING AND I SEE IT AS A POWERFUL TOOL IN WHICH TO COMMUNICATE MY MESSAGE. AS A HUMAN RACE, WE MANIPULATE AND EVEN DESTROY NATURE FOR OUR OWN CAPITALISTIC BENEFITS AND THE SCARS CAN BE SEEN ALL OVER THE WORLD. I USE THIS IMAGE AS A MEANS OF COMMUNICATION TO THE VIEWER. 97

SCHULZE, BEANA LITTLE PEOPLE

pieter mathews

GLAZED CERAMIC

98

SIEBERHAGEN, JACO THE ELECTED LASERED MILD STEEL AND PAINT EDITION 1/12

pieter mathews

TWO CONTRASTING PHRASES RING TRUE IN SOUTH AFRICAN POLITICS: ‘YOU GET WHAT YOU ASKED FOR’ AND ‘WHAT YOU SEE ISN’T ALWAYS WHAT YOU GET’. THE ELECTED ADDRESSES THE JUXTAPOSITION OF HOW POWER CORRUPTS AND HOW THE ‘SAVIOUR’ BECOMES A ‘VULTURE’ AND QUESTIONS OUR WORLD WHERE ABSOLUTE POWER HAS THE ABILITY TO CHANGE TRUTH INTO LIES

99

pieter mathews

SIETRSEMA, HARRIE LOST WOOD AND GILDED FRAME ART IS THE SEED THAT GROWS INTO THE CORE OF CIVILISATION. LOST PAYS HOMAGE TO THE NUMEROUS WORKS OF ART THAT ARE STOLEN ANNUALLY AND THUS REMOVED FROM THE FABRIC OF SOCIETY. THE FORM IS A REFERENCE TO BLACK SQUARE BY KASIMIR MALEVICH WHICH CAUSED A DIVISION BETWEEN FIGURATIVE AND NON-FIGURATIVE ART JUST AS LOST CREATES A CHASM BETWEEN THE PRESENCE AND LOSS

100

SITHOLE, NIC OX

pieter mathews

CERAMIC

101

SMIT, ANTON TOKOLOSH POLYMER

carla crafford

THE ENERGY AND DIVERSITY OF THE CITY OF TSHWANE IS ENCAPSULATED BY THE ANIMATED SHAPE OF THE COOL CAPITAL LOGO.

102

SNYDERS, TREVOR HOEVEEL LETTERS OM ‘N HUIS TE BOU A-Z

carla crafford

HAND-MADE BRICK

103

SOAL, CHRIS VIBRATION GLASS SHARDS, GLUE AND FOUND OBJECT

pieter mathews

VIBRATION IS PART OF A SERIES OF SCULPTURES IN WHICH BROKEN GLASS IS USED TO EXPRESS THEMES OF CONTRADICTION. GLASS SHARDS ARE BOTH REPULSIVE AS IT CARRIES INHERENT THEMES OF VIOLENCE AND DANGER, YET IT IS ALSO DECEPTIVELY ATTRACTIVE. MUSIC CAN CONVEY AN EMOTIONAL MESSAGE AND BE PLEASING TO THE EAR, BUT AT LOUD VOLUMES IT DAMAGES HEARING. OUR HUMAN NATURE TENDS TOWARDS THINGS THAT ARE OFTEN DECEPTIVELY ATTRACTIVE, AS THEY CAN POTENTIALLY DO US HARM.

104

pieter mathews

STEYNBERG, ISA MOERSAAD (MOTHER/SEA SEED) CEMENT FONDUE I WAS INSPIRED BY THE SEED OF THE ‘COCO DE MER’ PALM THAT GROW ON THE SEYCHELLES. ‘MER’ MEANS SEA AND MÈRE MOTHER. THE EROTIC SHAPE HAS GIVEN RISE TO MANY LEGENDS AND FABLES. I PORTRAY A SEED BEGINNING TO SPROUT NEW LIFE IN A SWAMP. IT ALSO HAS THE APPEARANCE OF A STONE THAT HAS BEEN SHAPED BY THE WAVES. I USED A BOWL THAT WAS GIVEN TO MY MOTHER BY FRIENDS, MR AND MRS DE JONGH, WHO VISITED THE SEYCHELLES TOGETHER WITH THEIR MUTUAL FRIENDS, J H PIERNEEF AND MRS PIERNEEF. THE ‘’SAADJIE’’ WAS MADE IN CERAMIC CLAY AND COVERED IN A PLASTER OF PARIS WASTE MOLD INTO WHICH CEMENT FONDUE WAS CAST, CURED AND THEN CHIPPED OUT. AFTER DRYING I FINISHED IT OFF, ADDED A LAYER OF WAX AND POLISHED IT.

105

STUTZER, RINA IN PRAISE OF THE MONADIC FEMININE BRONZE AND PATINA EDITION 1/12

pieter mathews

IN PRAISE OF THE MONADIC FEMININE, AN ARMATURE OF A TENT MADE FROM BRONZE, COLLECTIVELY LOOKS AT IDEOLOGIES OF IMPLICIT THOUGHT AND HIDDEN, UNFOLDED AND UNEXPLORED MONADIC BEGINNINGS. THE TENT IS REPRESENTATIVE OF SHELTER AND PROTECTION. BY USING FEMININE FOLDS TO CREATE THE TENT’S OPENING, STUTZER DELIBERATELY INCORPORATES ELEMENTS OF THE FEMALE; DRAWING THE TWO NOTIONS INTO A MEANINGFUL, AT TIMES PARADOXICAL, DIALOGUE.

106

SWART, SANNA STARSEED STAINLESS STEEL & SLATE EDITION 1/1

lisa hnatowicz

STARSEEDS ARE BORN FROM A MULTI DIMENSIONAL UNIVERSE ENTERING 3D GAIA AS SENTIENT BEINGS OF CONSCIOUSNESS; SPENDING A LIFETIME ON THE EARTH VESSEL, LEARNING TO BE HUMAN, SPREADING THEIR LIGHTSEEDS; AND UPON THEIR DEATH THE HUSKS GO BACK TO THE SOIL AS THE SEEDS RE-ENTER THE SPIRIT WORLD AMONG THE STARS.

107

TAYLOR, ANGUS FRACTAL HEAD CAST BRONZE, STAINLESS STEEL AND PATINA

pieter mathews

IN AFRICA, A LARGE PART OF THE GEOMETRY UTILIZED IN ARCHITECTURE AND DESIGN IS BASED ON FRACTALS – A SELF-SIMILAR GEOMETRY THAT VARIES IN SCALE. THIS SEEMED AN APT METAPHOR FOR CONVEYING THE EXPANSION OF A SINGULAR CONCEPT OF SUBSTANCE AS A TYPE OF MEME. BUT ALSO IN CONTRAST TO THIS, WHEN READ IN THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION, THE FRACTALS BECOME A METAPHOR FOR THE DIMINISHING OF UNDERSTANDING, THINGS WE ONCE HELD DEARLY AND UNDERSTOOD WHICH WE HAVE FORGOTTEN.

108

EXTRACT FROM “FROM EXPLICIT TO IMPLICIT” EXHIBITION CATALOGUE (2014), WITH ESSAY WRITTEN BY DR. GERHARD SCHOEMAN: “TAYLOR’S SCULPTURE PORTRAIT OF A PLOT HOUSE, MODELLED AFTER HIS CHILDHOOD HOME, CONJURES THE SHADOW OF A BOY’S NAUGHTINESS. YOU DON’T SEE IT, BUT YOU CAN IMAGINE IT. WHAT BOY ISN’T NAUGHTY IN HIS FAMILY HOME?

TAYLOR, ANGUS PORTRAIT OF A PLOTHOUSE BRONZE, PATINA, RED JASPER, VERDITE, PLATINUM ORE &

pieter mathews

VOLCANIC LAPILLI

THE METAPHOR OF THE HOME EXTENDS BEYOND NAUGHTINESS. THE SCULPTURE IS SMALL AND EVOKES LONGING AND LOSS. I ONCE LIVED THERE: THESE WERE MY FORMATIVE YEARS. TAYLOR TELLS ME HE HATED THAT HOUSE. HE RECALLS IT BEING OPPRESSIVE, STIFLING. NO MATTER HOW HAPPY WE WERE AS CHILDREN IN OUR CHILDHOOD HOMES, THE PAINFULNESS OF ISOLATION, LONELINESS AND A FEELING OF BEING HELD HOSTAGE HAUNT THESE HOMES.”

109

carla crafford

TEN KROODEN, LYNETTE SOURCE CLEAN COATED RESIN, GOLD LEAF AND BRONZE SOURCE IS A STATEMENT ABOUT GLOBAL WARMING AND THE FRAGILITY OF GAIA (EARTH). A PRECIOUS DROP OF LIFE IS PROTECTED BY A FRAGILE BRANCH. ENRICHED WITH MINERALS AND GOLD, SOURCED FROM THE DEEP EARTH IN AQUIFERS, IT REMINDS OF A SEMIPRECIOUS STONE. THE EGG SHAPE SYMBOLIZES A SEED, BEGINNING AND GROWTH. THERE IS A CONNECTION TO THE SAN PEOPLE WHO USED OSTRICH EGGS FOR CARRYING WATER. THE BRONZE STAND WAS CAST FROM A DRY BRANCH OF OPUNTIA (PRICKLY PEAR CACTUS), SOURCED FROM THE CARNARVON AREA WHICH IS GOING THROUGH THE HARSHEST DROUGHT IN THE HISTORY OF SOUTH AFRICA. APART FROM FORMING A STAND, THE BRANCHES PROTECT THE PRECIOUS WATER DROP AND REPRESENT A SPROUTING SEED OF HOPE.

110

TRENT, STUART SEED OF ACCOMPANIMENT

eunese beukes

GILDED FRAMES

MY SAADJIE SCULPTURE IS A GROUPING OF SMALL FRAMES, THE SEEDS OF BIGGER FRAMES. THROUGH THE AGES FRAMING TRENDS HAVE CHANGED ALONG WITH THE “ISMS” IN ART. FRAMING THAT IS DONE CORRECTLY WILL ENHANCE AN ARTWORK OF AN ERA TO BECOME PART OF THE ARTWORK AND ITS “ISM”. ART NOUVEAU FRAMES WITH WORKS FROM THEIR ERA, ART DECO FRAMES WITH THE WORKS FROM THEIRS ARE PART OF THE “LOOK/FEEL”. WHEN THESE FRAMES ARE REMOVED FROM THESE PAINTINGS TO ME THEY LOOK INCOMPLETE. MY SAADJIE REPRESENTS THE SEEDS OF GREAT ARTWORKS OF OUR ERA/ISM.

111

pieter mathews

TSHABALALA, MBALI

AWAKENING / ONTWAKENING / VUKA CERAMIC MOST OF OUR INTERACTION WITH THE CITY IS LINEAR. THE IDEA IS TO REPRESENT THE FEMALE FORM AS A METAPHOR FOR THE CITY - AN ORGANIC SHAPE PORTRAYING IT AS A LIVING ORGANISM. THE MEANING MUST NOT BE OVERTLY OBVIOUS; THE AIM IS TO OBSCURE THE MEANING LEAVING ROOM FOR INTERPRETATION. THE TITLE SPEAKS OF AN AWAKENING IN THREE SOUTH AFRICAN LANGUAGES THAT ARE WIDELY UNDERSTOOD BY THE GREATER MAJORITY, REPRESENTING AND CELEBRATING DIVERSITY AND INDIVIDUALITY.

112

carla crafford

VAN DER MERWE, JAN LETTERS RUSTED TIN

THE SCULPTURE WAS MADE OUT OF RUSTED METAL, WHICH IS A REFERENCE TO FRAGILITY AND TRANSIENCE. THE ENVELOPES ARE A METAPHOR FOR COMMUNICATION BETWEEN INDIVIDUALS, GENERATIONS, CULTURES – A CONNECTION OVER TIME AND DISTANCE. THE ENVELOPES ALSO REPRESENT A DOCUMENTATION OR ARCHIVAL RENDERING : AND A LINK BETWEEN THE PAST AND PRESENT.

113

VAN DER MERWE, STRIJDOM CORNERSTONE STONE AND STAINLESS STEEL

pieter mathews

THIS IS A VISUAL PLAY ON WORDS CORNER AND STONE TO CREATE THE CORNERSTONE. THE CORNERSTONE AS A LITERAL MEANING IS AN INTEGRAL PART OF ANY STRUCTURE AND FITS THE SAME MEANING IN A SYMBOLIC WAY IN AN ORGANISATION, COMMUNITY OR FAMILY. IT REPRESENTS THE THING UPON WHICH ALL ELSE IS BUILT.

114

carla crafford

VAN DER MERWE, STRIJDOM STAIRWAY TO HEAVEN BRONZE AND WOOD BASE

THE STAIRWAY LEADS TO INFINITY INSPIRING THE VIEWER TO NEVER STOP DREAMING.

115

VAN RENSBURG, THELMA SEED OF A NATION MIXED MEDIA

A FOUND PLASTIC DOLL STRIPPED OF CLOTHING AND HAIR IS ATTACHED WITH ROPE TO A WOODEN SCRUBBING BRUSH WITH STEEL BRISTLES. THE SCRUBBING BRUSH REVEALS REPETITIVE USE, EVIDENT IN THE SHORTENED BRISTLES AND DECAY OF THE WOOD. THIS ALLUDES TO THE REPETITIVE NATURE OF SEXUAL ABUSE. THE SHARP BRISTLES WHICH THE DOLL IS PLACED ON, IS AN UNCOMFORTABLE AND PAINFUL SUPPORT REFERENCING THE VIOLENCE OF SEXUAL ABUSE AND THE LIFELONG PAIN IT INDUCES IN ITS VICTIMS.

pieter mathews

THE BLACK INSECT ATTACHED TO THE DOLL’S TORSO IS A METAPHOR FOR THE SEED OF VIOLENCE THAT VICTIMS OF ABUSE CARRY WITH THEM ULTIMATELY CAUSING A CYCLE OF ABUSE FROM GENERATION TO GENERATION.

116

VAN ROOYEN, MAGDEL VORM OF FROMMEL: ODE TO TRANSFORMATION I & II COPPER PLATED PAPER

pieter mathews

THE WORK DEALS WITH THE THE LIMINAL TENSION BETWEEN THE TWO AFRIKAANS WORDS ‘VORM OF FROMMEL’. ‘VORM’ MEANING TO FORM AND ‘FROMMEL’ WHICH MEANS TO CRUMPLE UP. WHILE CRUMPLING YOU ARE DESTROYING BUT SIMULTANEOUSLY GIVING FORM TO SOMETHING NEW. A PIECE OF PAPER IS IMMORTALISED AS METAPHOR OF THE CURRENT TENSION IN OUR COUNTRY.

117

pieter mathews

VAN WYK, MARILEEN MILLIFIORI FROGS GLASS

THE IDEA OF THE MILLIFIORI FROG WAS CONCEIVED AND HANDMADE IN THE FLAME WITH MOLTEN GLASS FOR THE PURE REASON OF DELIGHT OR EVEN AMUSEMENT. THE ‘SAADJIE’ PROJECT BRINGS TO MIND THE POSSIBILITY OF NEW LIFE. WITH THIS IN MIND I CHOSE THE MILLI FROG FROM MY FLAME WORKING STUDIO TO REPRESENT THE INITIATIVE. IT IS A SIMPLE OBJECT, READYMADE MILLIFIORI IS COVERED IN CLEAR GLASS SHELTERED BY THE QUIRKY FROG ON TOP. LOOK AT IT PURELY FOR WHAT IT IS AND TAKE PLEASURE IN ITS TINY PRESENCE.

118

VAN WYK, RETIEF IDEA BUBBLES GLASS

THE PROCESS OF THE FORMATION OF AN IDEA IS VISUALLY REPRESENTED. AN IDEA STARTS AS A FORMLESS BUBBLE WHICH GROWS AND INCREASES IN SIZE. AS THE IDEA BUBBLE DEVELOPS, IT EVOLVES, CHANGES COLOUR AND POSSIBLY FORMS NEW IDEAS. A SMALL FLOWER AT THE TOP REPRESENTS THE FORMED IDEA.

119

VENTER, JUANE THE EYES OF THE WORLD CLAY AND BIRD SEEDS

carla crafford

A SEGMENTED EYE RETURNS THE VIEWER’S GAZE, REFERRING TO BOTH THE MECHANISM THAT ENABLES LOOKING (THE EYE) AND THE PROCESS OF LOOKING OR WATCHING. THE ACT OF LOOKING IS LINKED TO BEAUTY AND PLEASURE BUT ALSO TO SCIENTIFIC OBSERVATION AND BALANCE. THE SEGMENTED EYES ARE LINED UP SO THAT THE VIEWER IS CONFRONTED WITH A DIFFERENT PICTURE WHEN GAZING THROUGH THE HOLE.

120

DURING THE SECOND BOER WAR, CILLIERS WENT INTO HIDING IN THE VICINITY OF COLESBERG, EVENTUALLY FLEEING TO PRETORIA DRESSED IN HIS WIFE’S CLOTHING. IN THIS WORK VISSER TRIES TO ENVISION THE EMOTIONS HE FELT WHEN HE FIRST READ THE POEM. IT SPEAKS TO THE CALMNESS WHICH FOLLOWS WHEN ALL IS LOST. THE FIGURE HAS BEEN STRIPPED NAKED - WHEN ALL HAS BEEN TAKEN AWAY, THIS IS WHAT IS LEFT. THE JACARANDA SEED IS A SYMBOL OF HOPE AND REFERS TO THE ORIGIN OF THE STORY (CELLIERS’S NEED TO RETURN TO PRETORIA), AS WELL AS VISSER’S BEGINNINGS. YOU CAN ONLY BE WHERE YOU ARE NOW. EVERYTHING ELSE BEGINS FROM THAT SAME PLACE. IT WON’T ALWAYS BE THAT WAY, BUT IT IS A GOOD PLACE TO BEGIN FROM.

VISSER, FRANCOIS DIS AL

pieter mathews

BRONZE

121

VISSER, FRANCOIS JACK

BRONZE

neil human

JACK IS THE SIGNATURE PIECE OF ARTIST FRANCOIS VISSER AND WAS INITIALLY SENT ON A CRUISE SHIP WITH THE INTENTION OF FINDING A NEW HOME IN A CULTURALLY SIGNIFICANT LOCATION BUT HAS INSTEAD TRAVELLED TO MEXICO, SPAIN, FRANCE, ITALY, AMERICA, AND BUDAPEST. JACK IS THE EMBODIMENT OF SAADJIE COLLECTION.

122

VON MALTITZ, ADELHEID ASHES TO ASHES, DUST TO DUST BOTTLES, ASH, EARTH EDITION 1/1

pieter mathews

I COLLECTED SAMPLES OF EARTH AND ANIMAL BONES FROM PLACES OF TRAUMA, SUCH AS THE ROADSIDE SHRINES. BY MEANS OF PROCESSES SUCH AS VISITING, COLLECTING, CATALOGUING, BURNING AND GRINDING I ATTEMPT TO ORGANIZE AND MAKE SENSE OF SENSELESS TRAUMA AND DEATH. IN THIS WAY I EXPLORE MOURNING RITUAL AS MEANINGFUL WHEN ORIENTATED AROUND THE MATERIALITY OF A PLACE WHICH IS SANCTIFIED THROUGH DEATH AND TRAUMA.

123

WIECHERS, SYBRAND BRICK PSYCHE BRICK, STEEL, CONCRETE, COPPER TAR AND GLASS

carla crafford

THE BRICK IS MADE UP OF ALL THE ELEMENTS USED TO CONSTRUCT A CITY: CONCRETE, STEEL, GLASS, COPPER AND ASPHALT. IN THEORY, IF THIS BRICK WERE PLANTED, IT HAS THE POTENTIAL TO GROW INTO A CITY.

124

carla crafford

WIID, IZANNE WHITE BOX / BLACK BOX BRONZE

THE ‘WHITE BOX’ EDITION OF ‘BLACK BOX’ - A DEVICE, SYSTEM OR OBJECT WHICH CAN BE VIEWED IN TERMS OF ITS INPUTS AND OUTPUTS, WITHOUT ANY KNOWLEDGE OF ITS INTERNAL WORKINGS. - TO ANALYSE SOMETHING, AS AN OPEN SYSTEM, WITH A TYPICAL ‘BLACK BOX APPROACH’, ONLY THE BEHAVIOR OF THE STIMULUS/RESPONSE WILL BE ACCOUNTED FOR, TO INFER THE (UNKNOWN) BOX. - ‘BLACK BOX THEORY OF CONSCIOUSNESS’ STATES THAT THE MIND IS FULLY UNDERSTOOD ONCE THE INPUTS AND OUTPUTS ARE WELL DEFINED. IN PHILOSOPHY AND PSYCHOLOGY, THE SCHOOL OF BEHAVIORISM SEES THE HUMAN MIND AS A ‘BLACK BOX’ 28 ARTIST’S FINGERS – VISIONARIES, CREATIVE, INTUITIVE, TOOL, SENSORY PROBE, VULNERABLE, MANIPULATION, CHANGE, DIRECTION, INTIMATE, PERSONAL, POWERFUL, SMALL, PART OF, DIGIT, FINGERPRINT, UNIVERSAL LANGUAGE, CROSSING BORDERS, STORY 125

GLOSSARY 30

BALIE, MICAELA play with me

50

FOUCHE, LIEKIE cool capital hotspots

31

BASSIN, CARLI yesterday’s news, old and forgotten

51

FOURIE, HEIDI autosuggest abc

52

32

BATTSON, LIBERTY april maquette

FROUD, GORDON cone virus

53

33

BESTER, NICOLAAS a pair of conkers

GAMBERINI, CARLO untitled

54

34

BESTER, SHALETTE seed pod

GRASKIE, ODETTE the grin (pick me up)

55

35

BOSCH, ANNEKE bloed in ons wortels

GREENBERG, CAITLIN same shit, different topper

56

JANSE VAN RENSBURG,

36

BOSCH, ANNEKE woven in my skin

37

BOTTCHER, LOTHAR cube dot grid

57

KOK, LOUIS suicide kok ring

38

BUITENDACH, RETHA chief dolphin tongue meets his guru

58

LAING, ALLEN artists seed drill

39

CONOLLY, DARREL jacaranda choir

59

LE ROUX, RENIER een halwe baksteen

40

CRAFFORD, CARLA itinerant jakaranda

60

MAHOMED, SHENAZ african babushka i & ii

41

DU PLESSIS, JOHANDI inspeksie gat

61

MAPULA EMBROIDERY PROJECT embroidery

42

DU TOIT, GUY- FOUNDRY DAY Cool Capital commemorative Chess set

62

MAYHEW, MIGNON light battery

63

MAHLANGU, ESTHER pot for a seed

43

DU TOIT, GUY kirkness brick

64

44

DU TOIT, GUY psyche

MEIJER, TINEKE garden of remembrance

65

45

ERASMUS, ELBIE birth of the metropolis

MEINTJES, FRANLI breakdown

66

46

FERREIRA, SUNET fortuinverteller

MERTZ, ISABEL wasp nest

67

47

FERREIRA, SUNET & LE ROUX,

MOKHOTHU, TEBOHO rhino horn

68

MOKOENA, KENEILWE untitled

69

MOSAKO, DANIEL cohesion

70

MPANZA, NDUKENHLE the memory box

RENIER dubbeltjies

126

DANÉLLE danger, pasop, quaphela

48

FERRIMAN, RACHEL do not open

49

FORBES, RICHARD J richard twister

71

MQEKU, ZANOXOLO SYLVESTER fecund

93

ROOS, LIESL idealist

72

MUNNIK, ANDREW another desert to cross

94

ROOS, LIESL & VAN WYK, RETIEF ontkiem

73

MUTHIVHITHI, LIVHUWANI pyramid

95

RUVIMBO CHIKIWA, NYASHA chicken for dinner

74

NAUDÉ, ANDRÉ makisaki

96

SAAYMAN, LOERITHA live small to live big

75

NCUBE, BRYAN mongoose

97

SCHICKERLING, MARTYN untitled

76

NELL, DANIE madonna and child

98

SCHULZE, BEANA little people

77

NIEHAUS, CARI process of growth

99

SIEBERHAGEN, JACO the elected

78

NJARA, LWANDISO totem

100

SIETRSEMA, HARRIE lost

79

NKOANA, IKE figure

101

SITHOLE, NIC ox

80

NORTJE, JOHANN gebou met wense

102

SMIT, ANTON tokolosh

81

OLIVIER, LEANNE in-side / sight / cite

103

82

OLIVIER, NICCI balance

SNYDERS, TREVOR hoeveel letters om ‘n huis te bou a-z

104

OLIVIER, SHARLEENE mos cute ou

SOAL, CHRIS vibration

105

PETE, MALOSE thorn apple

STEYNBERG, ISA moersaad (mother/sea seed)

106

STUTZER, RINA in praise of the monadic feminine

83 84 85

PETRUS, SAREL where men win glory

86

PHIRI, LUTHANDO balance

107

SWART, SANNA starseed

87

PITSO, THABO sins of our fathers

108

TAYLOR, ANGUS fractal head

88

POTTS, KAY entwined

109

TAYLOR, ANGUS portrait of a plothouse

89

PRETORIUS, ANNETTE harmony

110

TEN KROODEN, LYNETTE source

90

PRINSLOO, NICO consumerism

111

TRENT, STUART seed of accompaniment

91

REDELINGHUYS, IAN small pillow for jacob

112

92

ROOS, LIESL beijing star

TSHABALALA, MBALI awakening / ontwakening / vuka

127

128

113

VAN DER MERWE, JAN letters

114

VAN DER MERWE, STRIJDOM cornerstone

115

VAN DER MERWE, STRIJDOM stairway to heaven

116

VAN RENSBURG, THELMA seed of a nation

117

VAN ROOYEN, MAGDEL vorm of frommel: ode to transformation I & II

118

VAN WYK, MARILEEN millifiori frogs

119

VAN WYK, RETIEF idea bubbles

120

VENTER, JUANE the eyes of the world

121

VISSER, FRANCOIS dis al

122

VISSER, FRANCOIS jack

123

VON MALTITZ, ADELHEID ashes to ashes, dust to dust

124

WIECHERS, SYBRAND brick psyche

125

WIID, IZANNE white box / black box

S A A D J I E S 2017 BUSINESS AND ARTS SOUTH AFRICA AWARD WINNER Saadjies was a Cool Capital initiative with the aim to make sculpture more accessible – both from the perspective of the artist and the viewer. The collection was uncurated with the small scale of the artwork making participation cost-effective and achievable to any artist, irrespective of their background or formal training.

Over 100 sculptures were received, and these were exhibited and

photographed

outside

traditional

gallery

spaces.

The

collection was formally exhibited in 5 South African locations and sculpture-bombing took place in more than 8 international cities. Photographs of the saadjies (seeds) spread online and ensured a true open source legacy for South African sculpture.