true grit Art powers Joburg’s unique urban transformation
SA R36,90 (incl. VAT) - November 2018
11018 9
771607
519004
SPRING SYMPHONY SEASON
CALL 031 369 9438 TO SUBSCRIBE & SAVE UP TO 20%
Making music together. 031 369 9438 • www.kznphil.org.za
WORLD SYMPHONY SERIES
THURSDAY, 01 NOVEMBER 2018, 7:30PM, DURBAN CITY HALL Conductor:
William Eddins
Soloist:
Rachel Lee Priday, violin
Brahms
Violin Concerto in D Major, Op. 77
Sibelius
Symphony No. 5 in E Flat Major, Op. 82
THURSDAY, 08 NOVEMBER 2018, 7:30PM, DURBAN CITY HALL A CENTENARY CELEBRATION OF THE BIRTH OF MRS ALBERTINA SISULU Conductor:
Justus Frantz
Soloists:
Dina Ivanova, piano Linda Nteleza, soprano
SPRING SEASON 2018
Abongile Fumba, mezzo-soprano Wayne Mkhize, tenor Andile Dlamini, bass
WITH
OUTSTANDING
SOLOISTS,
STAR CONDUCTORS AND A NEW SINFONIA BY ACCLAIMED LOCAL COMPOSER BONGANI NDODANA-
Choir:
Sounds of Joy (celebrating their 15th anniversary)
Mozart
Overture to Lucio Silla, K. 135
Mozart
Piano Concerto No. 9 in E Flat Major, K. 271, “Jeunehomme”
Ndodana-Breen Ma Sisulu Sinfonia Mozart
Coronation Mass in C Major, K. 317
BREEN, THE KZN PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA PROUDLY PRESENTS THE
THURSDAY, 15 NOVEMBER 2018, 7:30PM, DURBAN CITY HALL
SPRING SEASON OF ITS RENOWNED
Conductor:
Yasuo Shinozaki
Soloist:
Robert Pickup, clarinet
Mendelssohn
Die Schöne Melusine Overture, Op. 32, (Fair Melusina)
Barber
Adagio for Strings
Weber
Clarinet Concerto No. 1 in f minor, Op. 73, J. 114
Schumann
Symphony No. 1 in B Flat Major, Op. 38, “Spring”
WORLD SYMPHONY SERIES 2018 FROM 01 TO 22 NOVEMBER.
THURSDAY, 22 NOVEMBER 2018, 7:30PM, DURBAN CITY HALL Conductor:
Daniel Boico
Soloist
Olga Scheps, piano
Mendelssohn
Symphony No. 3 in a minor, Op. 56, “Scottish”
Balakirev
Overture on Three Russian Folk Songs
Rachmaninoff
Piano Concerto No. 2 in c minor, Op. 18
Bongani Tembe, Artistic Director
“The
KZN
Philharmonic
is
committed
to
enriching the cultural life of South Africa’s diverse audiences by presenting world-class concerts and implementing education and community engagement programmes.”
2 / Creative Feel / November 2018
Single tickets priced from R68 – R240 are available at Computicket. All concerts commence at 7:30pm at the Durban City Hall. Preconcert talks are held from 6pm - 6:40pm. The City Hall precinct, including surrounding parking garages, is patrolled by a dedicated security team.
Rachel Lee Priday
William Eddins
Olga Scheps
Yasuo Shinozaki
Dina Ivanova
Robert Pickup
Justus Frantz
SOME OF THE ARTISTS FEATURED IN THE KWAZULU-NATAL PHILHARMONIC’S SPRING SEASON 2018
Daniel Boico
Abongile Fumba
The KwaZulu-Natal Philharmonic Orchestra
Linda Nteleza
Andile Dlamini
World Symphony Series
Spring Season 2018 24 OCTOBER - 17 NOVEMBER 2018, LINDER AUDITORIUM, PARKTOWN, JOHANNESBURG
Concert 1
24-25 OCTOBER 2018 | 20H00
Camille Saint-Saëns: Bacchanale from Samson et Dalila Johannes Brahms: Concerto for Violin in D Major, Op. 77 Bongani Ndodana-Breen: Ma Sisulu Sinfonia Leonard Bernstein: Symphonic Dances from West Side Story
Rachel Lee Priday
William Eddins
VIOLIN
CONDUCTOR
Acclaimed for her beauty of tone and riveting stage presence, Rachel Lee Priday combines a fierce intelligence with an imaginative curiosity.
William Eddins is the Music Director Emeritus of the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra and a frequent guest conductor of major orchestras throughout the world
Opening Gala Concert with the KZN Philharmonic Orchestra, celebrating the centenary of the birth of Mrs Albertina Sisulu “a woman of fortitude”
Concert 2
31-01
OCT - NOV 2018 | 20H00
Franz Liszt: Les Preludes, S. 97 (Symphonic Poem No. 3) Camille Saint-Saëns: Violoncello Concerto No. 1 in a minor, Op. 33 Antonín Dvořák: Symphony No. 9 in e minor, Op. 95, “From the New World”
Aristide du Plessis
Justus Frantz
CELLO
CONDUCTOR
Aristide du Plessis has established a reputation as one of South Africa’s leading cellists, making regular appearances on national television and radio.
SEASON AND SINGLE TICKETS ARE AVAILABLE ONLINE AT
Chief conductor of the Philharmonia of the Nations, Professor Justus Frantz has been an internationally successful pianist and conductor for more than 30 years.
.COM, BY PHONE ON 0861 915 8000
OR AT ANY COMPUTICKET OUTLET INCLUDING SHOPRITE AND CHECKERS MONEY MARKET COUNTERS.
“The action of making and sharing great music is one of the most profound and uplifting experiences known to humanity. It is the surest way of bringing people of diverse ages and cultural backgrounds together in a spirit of harmony, goodwill and understanding.” BONGANI TEMBE - CHIEF EXECUTIVE AND ARTISTIC DIRECTOR
Concert 3
07-08 NOVEMBER 2018 | 20H00
Felix Mendelssohn: Die Schöne Melusine Overture, Op. 32, (Fair Melusina) Carl Maria von Weber: Clarinet Concerto No. 1 in f minor, Op. 73 Ludwig van Beethoven: Symphony No. 3 in E-Flat Major, Op. 55, “Eroica”
Robert Pickup
Yasuo Shinozaki
CLARINET
CONDUCTOR
Robert Pickup is principal clarinettist of the Orchestra of the Zürich Opera House and has won several music competitions including the UNISA Overseas Scholarship.
Yasuo Shinozaki has acquired a truly international reputation for his musical knowledge and his emotionally direct style of music-making.
Concert 4
14,15&17 NOVEMBER 2018 | 20H00
Franz Liszt: Hungarian Rhapsody No. 2 in c minor (arr. Müller-Berghaus) Sergei Rachmaninoff: Piano Concerto No. 2 in c minor, Op. 18 Edward Elgar: Enigma Variations, Op. 36 (Variations on an Original Theme)
VISIT JPO.CO.ZA FOR MORE INFO
Olga Scheps
Daniel Boico
PIANO
CONDUCTOR
Steinway Artist Olga Scheps has been exclusively signed to Sony Classical since 2009 and has recently recorded her seventh album.
Daniel Boico’s innate musical sensitivity, keen ear and deep musicianship have produced exciting performances with orchestras around the world.
Saturday finale performance added due to popular demand
CONTENTS
COVER IMAGE Street art by Falko One, PHOTO by Cale Waddacor
cover story
20
TRUE GRIT
The uniqueness of Joburg’s inner city lies in the vibrant artistic spaces that can be found scattered across the often rough and chaotic
Nicholas Hlobo’s latest solo show, Isango, is an
metropolis. There are many current and
exhibition of sculpture, painting and installation.
planned developments that are revitalising the City; dirty, neglected areas and no-go zones are being transformed into places ‘to be seen’
36 KANTEKA AN EXHIBITION OF LOWFIRED CERAMICS & BEADWORK
and to ‘hang out’. These developments are at
KANTEKA observes the MTN Art Collection and
different locations throughout the Inner City,
selects items specific to Africa’s indigenous artistic
but they all have one thing in common: they are
practices – particularly low pit-fired ceramics and
using the arts as a means to reinvigorate and
the tradition of beadwork.
stimulate growth and investment in the City.
arts and culture 16
35 ISANGO: A NEW MULTIDISCIPLINARY EXHIBITION BY NICHOLAS HLOBO
THE PINK ELEPHANT
38 A HOLISTIC FOUNDATION FOR A SUCCESSFUL CAREER IN THE ARTS The Vaal University of Technology (VUT) offers Fine Art
In September and October, Creative Feel ran a
courses at different levels that emphasise the mission
competition to find a unique and interesting image
of the university by ensuring that graduates have the
for our November cover. And we found it!
academic and technical skills to negotiate the art world effectively and achieve excellence.
28 HERMAN CHARLES BOSMAN: JOBURG MAN
40 MAKING A DIFFERENCE THROUGH DANCE
Journalist Lucille Davie reveals the deep connection
2018 marks 40 years since Moving into Dance was founded
that famous author Herman Charles Bosman had for
in Sylvia ‘Magogo’ Glasser’s garage as a way to provide
the spaces and places of Johannesburg.
dance training to youth in underprivileged communities and equip them with the skills to overcome their socio-
32 A LETTER TO MY 22-YEAR-OLD SELF Through an eye-opening new exhibition at the Absa Gallery, Banele Khoza shines the light on the
economic circumstances.
50 31 YEARS OF JANICE HONEYMAN’S PANTO
difficulties experienced by young creatives trying
Joburg Theatre and Bernard Jay present Janice
to obtain an education and start their career.
Honeyman’s Snow White, The Fairest Panto in All The Land, opening on The Mandela Stage at Joburg Theatre on 3 November and running until 23 December.
Switch / 5004715A
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R5 1 oz Sterling-Silver Grass Crinum
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Order yours today from the South African Mint. Also available from Elegance Jewellers, Melrose Arch. www.samint.co.za or email: numismatics@samint.co.za +27 (0)12 677 2357/2482
R10 1 oz Sterling-Silver Yellow-throated Sandgrouse
R10 1 oz Sterling-Silver White-backed Night Heron
This third collection in the color coin series includes two R10 silver coins showcasing the region’s birdlife, and two R5 silver coins depicting its beautiful flora. Perfect in full-colour splendour for the nature enthusiast, new young collector or even as a gift.
CONTENTS
54 MBDA POWERS NMB FASHION WEEK TO SUCCESS
72 25 YEARS OF POSITIVE CHANGE Through the support and motivation of a number of
The Mandela Bay Development Agency
organisations and individuals, the country’s arts and
(MBDA) is an entity of the Nelson Mandela Bay
culture landscape has continued to reach new heights.
Municipality with a specific mandate centred
Over the years, few have been as influential as the Arts &
on urban renewal. The Agency, now in its 14th
Culture Trust.
year, was established to halt the economic regression and eventual decay state of the
74
central business district of Port Elizabeth.
Andrea Bocelli, the biggest-selling solo classical artist
58 GROUNDBREAKING EXHIBITION REMEMBERED BY STRAUSS & CO
60
Strauss & Co’s forthcoming November sale in Johannesburg includes a session titled An Unsung History that is dedicated to highlighting the achievements of unheralded modernist artists.
MASTERING AN ART AUCTION Creative Feel sat down with Dr Meredith to find out a bit more about art auctions, get some advice on
today, returns after 14 years with an album of all-new material entitled Sì.
lifestyle and entertainment 78 79
46
from a family with a long history of mental illness. In stating this fact, she does not seek to reconcile herself to a fallibility, but to find her own point of flight. It is as an artist that James uncovers the surest route to – momentary – recoveries.
70 UPCOMING AUCTIONS IN JOHANNESBURG FOR STEPHAN WELZ & CO. With the last three sales for the year swiftly approaching, Stephan Welz & Co. look forward to once more presenting exquisite items in a number of categories.
BUSINESS & ARTS Michelle Constant explores the importance of collaboration.
THE CARE OF THE SELF Tamara James confides at the outset that she comes
BOOK REVIEWS CD REVIEWS
contributors
bidding, and clarify basic auction terminology.
64
SÌ: A CELEBRATION OF LOVE, FAMILY, FAITH AND HOPE
52
ARTLOOKS & ARTLINES
Ismail Mahomed looks into King Leopold II’s rule.
66
COLLECTING FOR THE FUTURE
Ruarc Peffers recommends investing in art online.
68
THE ART OF PERFORMANCE
Dave Mann explores the language of collage.
80
LITERARY LANDSCAPES Indra Wussow is off to Indonesia for the Gong Laut festival.
Maggie Laubser, Harvesters in Wheatfield
R2 000 000 -3 000 000
Important South African and International Art Auction, Monday 12 November 2018, The Wanderers Club, Illovo Preview 9-11 November, 10am - 5pm Walkabouts 10 and 11 November at 11am
www.straussart.co.za
Lectures 10 and 11 November at 4pm Enquiries 011 728 8246 | jhb@straussart.co.za
Strauss & Co: The global leader in the South African art market
EDITOR’S NOTE
THE POWER OF ART
I
n this issue of Creative Feel, we celebrate a special uniqueness of Joburg and the many different developments that are revitalising the inner city. These developments are at different locations throughout the inner city, but they all have one thing in common: they are using the arts as a means to reinvigorate and stimulate growth and investment in the
City. With cutting-edge architecture, the incorporation of public art, enticing living and working spaces, exquisite cuisine and a lively atmosphere, these spaces are turning the City into an artist’s and art lover’s dream. Through the power and positivity of art, this unique South African city is starting to see much-deserved upliftment and transformation. Dance can be an extremely powerful tool in changing mindsets and bringing about transformation. 2018 marks 40 years since Moving into Dance (MID) was founded in Sylvia ‘Magogo’ Glasser’s garage as a way to provide dance training to youth in underprivileged communities and equip them with the skills to overcome their socio-economic circumstances. Today, MID is a trailblazing, nationally acclaimed, professional dance company and accredited training organisation that has had a major impact on socio-cultural transformation and the economic empowerment of South African youth. Their Enable Through Dance programme is supported by RMB and the primary objective is to equip dance facilitators with the understanding and methods of inclusive dance teaching and choreography. As Michelle Constant commented about a recent production she saw: ‘Perhaps what knocked at my ribs (was it my heart pounding, I wonder) was a duet, featuring dancers Musa Motha and Thabang Mojapeli. Motha is differently abled – he only has one leg and dances with the use of a crutch. Possibly one of the most beautiful works I have seen in a long time, the dancer’s feline fluidity was deeply moving.’ It's not just here in South Africa that art is being used to create change. When young American opera singer Nadine Sierra, who has already performed at the Met, Teatro alla Scala, Opéra national de Paris, and the Staatsoper Berlin, recently released her debut album, There’s a Place for Us, with Deutsche Grammophon, she commented: ‘It is an album that I wanted to create to, yes, show myself as an artist. But with the things that we’ve been presented with in today’s world, especially in this country (America) – with certain messages being sent out into people’s ears – I wanted to just give people who listen to it a little bit of hope. I wanted them to know that if they do feel neglected by certain individuals, or if they feel shunned and ashamed by certain people who have great responsibilities and leadership in this world, that they’re not alone. ‘I too understand what it is to be singled out. I come from an immigrant mother. My mother’s from Lisbon and my father’s side of the family also came from elsewhere. As we all did. My grandfather basically swam here from Puerto Rico. So I just wanted to send out a message that no matter what the dilemmas we’re facing today are, there will always be, at the end of the day, a place for everybody.’ She chose a selection of songs by Leonard Bernstein, who is currently being celebrated worldwide for the 100th anniversary of his birth, to remind us that while he was very well known for his music compositions and conducting, he is also remembered for his outspoken
Nadine Sierra © Paola Kudacki
political views and his strong desire to further social change. For example, he broke down racial barriers in casting On the Town and addressed racial tensions in West Side Story, which are among his most-loved works.
10 / Creative Feel / November 2018
Lore
THE ANTICIPATED NEW ALBUM FEATURING STELLAR DUET PARTNERS: • ED SHEERAN • JOSH GROBAN • DUA LIPA • AIDA GARIFULLINA AND HIS SON MATTEO BOCELLI ON ‘FALL ON ME’
TEAM PUBLISHER & EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Lore Watterson; lore@desklink.co.za COPUBLISHER & PRODUCTION DIRECTOR Chris Watterson; chris@desklink.co.za DEPUTY EDITOR Tamaryn Greer; tammy@desklink.co.za DIGITAL CONTENT CURATOR Angelia Muller; angelia@desklink.co.za ADDITIONAL EDITORIAL CONTENT: Ismail Mahomed Indra Wussow Dave Mann Michelle Constant SALES & MARKETING COORDINATOR Zama-Africa Mkhize; zama@desklink.co.za SALES & MARKETING sales@desklink.co.za, sales@creativefeel.co.za Tshepang Ralekgari; tshepang@desklink.co.za DESIGN Leigh Forrest; leigh@desklink.co.za DISPATCH Khumbulani Dube SUBSCRIPTION & CIRCULATION subs@creativefeel.co.za Published by DeskLink™ Media PO Box 3670, Randburg, 2125 Tel: 011 787 0252 Fax: 011 787 8204
We love this! Brett Murray, The Visionary: Portrait/Self-Portrait, 2015. Bronze, 60 x 63 x 45 cm. Courtesy of Everard Read and Circa Galleries. Exhibited as part of his 2017 show Again Again, The Visionary: Portrait/Self-
www.creativefeel.co.za www.desklink.co.za Printed and bound by
, a Novus Holdings
Company © Copyright DeskLink™ Media The opinions expressed in this publication do not necessarily represent the views of the publisher.
Portrait, the black bronze depicts a figure mimicking Murray’s own short, round form resting his head against the wall – ‘banging his head in eternal, immovable “what-the-fuckedness”,’ according to Tymon Smith.
While every last effort has been made to check that the information in this magazine is correct at the time of going to press, the publisher and their agents will not be held liable for any damages incurred through any inaccuracies.
12 / Creative Feel / November 2018
Robert Hodgins, A Bad Day on the Dow: An Apoplectic Painting, 1994/5, oil on canvas, 91.5 x 121.5 cm | Estimate: R700 000 - 900 000
SUMMER AUCTION Cape Town | 3 March 2019
Historic, Modern & Contemporary Art ENQUIRIES & FREE VALUATIONS CAPE TOWN +27 83 283 7427 | cpt@aspireart.net JOHANNESBURG +27 11 243 5243 | enquiries@aspireart.net
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Simply just... be
N
estled on the northern slopes of the Magaliesberg mountain range, this stunningly beautiful hotel is hidden away from the ‘hustle and bustle’ of Gauteng. Here, people come together to have fun
and relax…
With 30 luxurious rooms, beautiful gardens, on-site entertainment and access to hiking trails on the mountain, Casta Diva truly offers an escape from the hectic cities. Little treasures can be found spread across the property (which is almost two hectares), among breathtaking views and serene surroundings. One does not expect to find such a tranquil environment so near to the activities of the busy city. Perfect
Boutique Hotel A unique venue, nestled high on the northern slopes of the Magaliesberg amidst peaceful and tranquil surroundings that offer stunning views and an unsurpassed setting of natural beauty and elegance in an oasis of peace and serenity in the city.
for a ‘retreat’ on any day of the week. Casta Diva’s 40-seater Charisma Restaurant serves breakfast, lunch and dinner from à la carte menus. Charisma delivers exactly what its name implies: charm, personality, appeal, magnetism and allure. This delightful restaurant is also open to the public, but booking is essential. Take that special someone, enjoy a weekend away at Pretoria’s best-kept secret, and experience the elegance and rejuvenation of Casta Diva Boutique Hotel. The name of Casta Diva’s theatre/art gallery, Vissi d’Arte, is inspired by the famous soprano’s aria from Act II of Tosca by Giacomo Puccini. The aria begins with ‘I lived for my art, I lived for love, I never did harm to a living soul!’
Restaurant Guaranteed the true Decadent, Divine, Delightful fine dining experience, the perfect fusion between the magic of Casta Diva, fresh ingredients, a dedicated culinary team and the friendliest service of South Africa.
It is only natural, then, that the main focus of the venue is the exposure and development of arts and culture. So, if you are on the look-out for new talent, or if you are new talent waiting to announce yourself, Casta Diva’s Vissi d’Arte truly is the perfect place to show off your talents. The intimate Vissi d’Arte has a nice line-up of shows by artists of various disciplines, visit the [Casta Diva’s Vissi d’Arte] Facebook page to make sure you don’t miss any of these delightful events. So, spoil yourself or a loved one and take a break ‘with love’ to enjoy the things that are important in life – love, health and happiness. Visit Casta Diva’s website at www.castadiva.co.za and view the rooms to find the one that will fit just right. Casta Diva, the place where you can break away, winddown, breathe and simply just… be. CF Contact Casta Diva: Email: info@castadiva.co.za Landline: 012 542 4449 Cellphone and WhatsApp: 081 542 4449
14 / Creative Feel / November 2018
Joburg Ballet’s Satellite School auditions take place this month! Do you know a child who loves to dance? Joburg Ballet believes in nurturing new talent in Johannesburg, regardless of background or location, and the company’s development programme includes three Satellite Schools in Soweto, Alexandra and Braamfontein.
S
tudents for the programme are identified through
Festival, and Joburg Ballet’s season of The Nutcracker at
annual open auditions and registration is now
Joburg Theatre. Performances like this allow our students to
open for the next round, taking place from 27 to 29
improve their skills and gain valuable experience on stage.
November. Children accepted into the development
‘We look forward to unearthing more new talent during
programme pay a registration fee to cover the cost of their
these upcoming November auditions, to join our existing
ballet clothing, plus a small fee to attend weekly classes,
and very dedicated students in our vocational programme.’
which will start in January 2019. Exceptional students identified during the audition
So be sure to let any budding ballet dancers know about this great opportunity to train with one of South Africa’s
phase also stand a chance to audition for Joburg Ballet
foremost companies. Auditions will take place at 15:00 on
School’s accelerated programme. Classes for all new
27 November at Uncle Tom’s Hall, Orlando West, Soweto;
students take place during weekday afternoons.
28 November at San Kopano, 12th Avenue, Alexandra; and
‘Joburg Ballet School’s passionate students have proved that, with perseverance and regular attendance, they can really develop their talent,’ says Schools Coordinator Keke
29 November at the National School of the Arts, Hoofd Street, Braamfontein. For further details and to book a place for your child,
Chele. ‘This year, learners from the school have taken
email Keke Chele via keke@joburgballet.com before Friday,
part in a number of events, including a special Heritage
23 November. You can also visit the Learn page on the
Day performance for over 600 learners in association with
company’s website – www.joburgballet.com – where you can
the Johannesburg Philharmonic Orchestra, the Jozi Tese
register online. CF
Creative Feel / November 2018 / 15
Celebrate the success of
2018
with an exclusive movie adventure Stand a chance to sit back, relax and enjoy a glass of Bombay Sapphire Gin and an exclusive preview screening of The Old Man & the Gun on 21 November 2018 at Cinema Nouveau Rosebank Mall at 19:00.
C
reative Feel and Cinema Nouveau are giving away double-tickets (with popcorn and a coke!) for The Old Man & the Gun to a selection of our lucky readers. And there’s more! In partnership with Bombay Sapphire,
the world’s number one premium gin, readers will also have the chance to experience the fresh, bright taste of ten precious botanicals expertly distilled to perfection. The critically acclaimed The Old Man & the Gun comes to South African screens in January 2019, but Creative Feel and Cinema Nouveau are giving readers a chance to see it before anyone else in the country. Written and directed by David Lowery (A Ghost Story, Pete’s Dragon), The Old Man & the Gun is based on the true story of Forrest Tucker (Robert Redford), from his audacious escape from San Quentin at the age of 70 to an unprecedented string of heists that confounded authorities and enchanted the public. Wrapped up in the pursuit are detective John Hunt (Casey Affleck), who becomes captivated with Forrest’s commitment to his craft, and a woman (Sissy Spacek), who loves him in spite of his chosen profession. A well-told story brought to life by a beautifully matched cast, The Old Man & the Gun is pure, easygoing entertainment for film fans – and a fitting farewell to a legend.
Go to www.creativefeel.co.za/the-old-man/ to enter into the draw
Join Creative Feel, Bombay Sapphire and Cinema Nouveau
B
ombay Sapphire® is the world’s number one
their West African Grains of Paradise; which are some of the
premium gin by volume and value. Bombay
ten precious botanicals that are chosen to bring their own
Sapphire is created with a unique combination of
special something to the gin. Uniquely distilled, they come
ten sustainably sourced botanicals from around the
together to give Bombay Sapphire its tantalising, smooth
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following recipe:
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INGREDIENTS
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Lime Wedge
The Bombay Sapphire Bar was one of the most-talkedabout highlights of this year’s edition of the Sanlam
50 ml Bombay Sapphire 100 ml Premium tonic water
Handmade Contemporary Fair. And now, Creative Feel readers will be able to experience this premium gin for
METHOD
themselves as we celebrate the success of 2018 at an
Fill balloon glass to the rim with good ice.
exclusive Cinema Nouveau screening.
Stir until frosted.
Located in the Textile Pavilion at the Sanlam HMC, the
Strain excess liquid from the glass.
Bombay Sapphire Bar allowed guests to experience the
Pour Bombay Sapphire over ice and squeeze lime (with pith
best cocktails from the experienced barmen, enjoyed in a
removed) over the drink.
beautifully designed chill area, which was reminiscent of
Add lime to the glass after squeezing.
the botanicals that the gin is made out of. The design of the
Stir drink to acclimate contents.
bar motif was inspired by the botanicals themselves; from
Tilt glass and pour chilled tonic water down the side of the
the heat of their Moroccan cubeb berries to the spice of
glass and lift once gently using a bar spoon.
For more information, please explore www.bombaysapphire.com.
C
ale Waddacor is a creative from South Africa with
The pink elephant
a degree in film and a keen interest in the visual arts. He has an array of hobbies and interests, from music and photography to street art and urban
exploration. Waddacor is an avid book collector, currently obsessed with photobooks. Waddacor is one of South Africa’s top documentarians of the country’s street art and graffiti. Since 2011, he has run the website Graffiti South Africa to document urban art in South Africa, and has amassed a huge archive of knowledge
In September and October, Creative Feel ran a competition to find a unique and interesting
and photography. His book, also titled Graffiti South Africa, was published in late 2014 by Schiffer Books in the USA – the first of its kind to showcase South African graffiti on an
image for our November cover. And we found it!
international stage.
Cale Waddacor’s photograph of one of renowned
photographic platform, DEAD TOWN, which self-publishes
graffiti artist Falko One’s signature elephants
a 96-page high-quality photo zine along with group
in positive pink and green, juxtaposed against barbwire and rubbish, speaks to the essence of what makes Joburg unique. Among the
More recently, Waddacor launched a film-only
exhibitions in Cape Town and Johannesburg. Falko One is one of South Africa’s most well-known and respected graffiti artists. With a career spanning almost three decades, he has been an integral part of the foundation and development of South Africa’s graffiti scene. He is
abandoned buildings and littered streets of the
heralded as a graffiti icon, not only for his style, but for
City, art is being used to revitalise, rejuvenate and
establishing graffiti as a credible visual art form. Falko's
bring positive new life back in.
initiative started the first graffiti competition in South Africa in 1996, a concept that has been popularised the world over.
18 / Creative Feel / November 2018
PHOTOS Cale Waddacor
Falko is widely recognised for his iconic elephant
a little village on the outskirts of Dakar, with an angry
paintings that pop up in streets, townships and other
community who did not like the chickens! And so I
random locations across the country. Rendered in his
painted what I could from memory: an elephant! And
unique characteristic style and often situational to their
that was the beginning of where we are now.’ Though
surroundings these elephants have captured the imagination
he’s now synonymous with the colourful elephants, Falko
of all who see them.
prefers to let people interpret them freely. ‘I do not like
‘Me painting colourful elephants was not a “light bulb”
to reveal too much about their meaning; that helps keep
moment, but rather a story that spans about 15 years,’
the conversation going. But they make me happy, and
says Falko. ‘I was painting them for fun, but the interest
when I’m happy, I am inspired, and that’s the ticket to
in painting them didn’t last more than one year, because
their success.’
I was always just painting commissioned work.’ This
Falko regularly travels the world doing what he loves
commissioned work required him to paint whatever his
– making art. He has been commissioned for projects
clients demanded, and it never involved his elephants. ‘At
such as the backdrop for Nelson Mandela’s 79th birthday,
the time there was no term or category such as street art,’
work for the Cape Town 46664 concert and ad campaigns
says Falko, ‘and traditional hip-hop graffiti was still very
for major labels such as Adidas, Black Flys, MTV, Puma
much the preferred style of art.’
and Levi’s.
Although he had been painting for many years, he didn’t
He believes that graffiti is a dynamic social tool, and
have his own identity until 2014, when he had a pivotal
therefore dedicates a considerable amount of his time to
experience in Senegal. ‘From 2012 until April 2014 I was
community projects around South Africa. He participated
painting chickens,’ says Falko. ‘I liked painting them because
in Red Bull’s Street Style tour in 2007, has worked closely
it was a little joke and they have so much value and meaning
with the British Council of South Africa, and government
to us as people. The metaphors are interesting.’
in facilitating workshops in disadvantaged communities,
But in 2014, a community in Dakar forced him to
highlighting issues such as gender rights, racism,
rethink his approach. ‘The chickens did not go down
environmental awareness, and creating awareness about art
well with the people at all!’ says Falko. ‘I was stuck in
as a form sustainability. CF
Creative Feel / November 2018 / 19
BRENTON MAART & JODI BIEBER Brenton Maart’s creative and professional
What’s your
Joburg?
activities span eight disciplines, and include design programmes, curatorial works, institutional collaborations, editorial projects, cultural activism, visual art and an interest in the application of creative archival practice. Jodi Bieber’s professional career began after attending three short courses at the Market Photography Workshop in Johannesburg, and covering the 1994 democratic elections in South Africa for The Star newspaper. A turning point was Bieber’s selection to participate in the World Press Masterclass held in the Netherlands in 1996. This opened the door to travel the world on assignments for international magazines and NGOs. The artist has won numerous international awards, including the Premier Award at World Press Photo in 2010. Bieber continued during this time to pursue personal projects, and currently most of the artist’s time is spent working in this way. Bieber also mentors students, producing projects and lectures, and also gives photographic workshops all over the world. # i is a public art poster campaign conceptualised by Jodi Bieber and designed by Maart. It features 45 young people from Johannesburg aged between 15 and 23 – a generation that did not grow up under apartheid, and that has the ability to access and communicate using technologies that integrate them within a larger global community. In the
Brenton Maart and Jodi Bieber, # i Tshepang Dumelakgosi
campaign, the visions of these young people are expressed in their words, photographs from their phones, their portraits photographed
The competition for our cover was a huge success,
by Bieber, and in the environmental portraits
and we were spoilt for choice with many Joburg-
experiences are highly specific to their life in
inspired images to choose from. While we could only choose one work for our cover, we have picked four others that were very close contenders.
created through Maart’s graphic design. Their Johannesburg, but in many ways may also be read as a barometer for the rest of South Africa. The public art component of the work – where members of the public may select a poster to take away with them – creates a future life of the artwork. The campaign was commissioned by, and first shown, at the Women’s Jail, Constitution Hill, 2018.
20 / Creative Feel / November 2018
LEHLOHONOLO LANGA Lehlohonolo Langa is a third-year UJ student currently studying communication design. He describes himself as ‘bubbly, energetic and likes a challenge.’ Of the photograph he submitted, Langa says, ‘The reason I chose this particular place is because the buildings in the background are well known throughout South Africa and other countries. They are mostly known for negative things, so my image shows that there is beauty in everything, you just have to look at it at the right angle. My photograph can be easily spotted where it was taken, and the technique I chose comes from the saying “Joburg is the city of light”, so I literally bought that to life.’
WANDA VOGEL
MARK STRAW Mark Straw was born on a Free State farm in 1973. He
Wanda Vogel is a real estate/property photographer who lives
studied Fine Arts at the Vaal Triangle Technikon from 1993
in Jozi and is a lover of all forms of art and architecture.
to1995 and majored in printmaking with photography and
‘To me, Joburg is a new-meets-old metropolitan city, with the skyline continuously changing,’ she says. ‘Joburg is often represented by its classic skyline, which includes Ponte City,
painting as minor subjects. Straw currently works as a motion graphics designer and 3D artist. Straw is a founding member of the Joburg Photowalkers
Brixton Tower and Carlton Centre – “The Old”. The picture I
social photographic group, which was started in 2009. He
chose to enter is of The Maude and Rivonia Corner (MARC)
regularly co-ordinates photographic walks, primarily around
building in Sandton, which showcases the new, modern
Johannesburg, and has an interest in art, culture and heritage.
architecture and skyline of Joburg – “The New”.’
Straw has created a photographic series that serve as a form of documentation of an evolving city where spaces are continually reinvented.
Creative Feel / November 2018 / 21
True grit ART POWERS JOBURG’S UNIQUE URBAN TRANSFORMATION The uniqueness of Joburg’s inner city lies in the vibrant artistic spaces that can be found scattered across the often rough and chaotic metropolis. There are many current and planned developments that are revitalising the City; dirty, neglected areas and no-go zones are being transformed into places ‘to be seen’ and to ‘hang out’. These developments are at different locations throughout the inner city, but they all have one thing in common: they are using the arts as a means to reinvigorate and stimulate growth and investment in the City.
© Media Club South Africa (www.mediaclubsouthafrica.com)
22 / Creative Feel / November 2018
Turbine Hall PHOTO Andrew Moore
A
rt is at the centre of all of these new developments in Joburg. With cutting-edge architecture, the incorporation of public art, enticing living and working spaces, exquisite cuisine and a lively
atmosphere, these spaces are turning the City into an artist’s and art lover’s dream. Through the power and positivity of art, this unique South African city is starting to see muchdeserved upliftment and transformation. These spaces provide artists with a place to explore their creativity while being inspired by the buzzing city around them. The inner city’s art map is littered with creative spaces. For example, there are performance hubs like William Kentridge’s Centre for the Less Good Idea, and whole buildings that cater exclusively for artists’ studios like
Nelson Mandela Bridge © Media Club South Africa (www.mediaclubsouthafrica.com)
August House and the Bag Factory Artists’ Studios, spaces that cater to very specific art making like The Workhorse Bronze Foundry, or provide a collective creative energy for artists like Ellis House and No. One Eloff. Some parts of Joburg have already been successfully converted, like the Newtown Precinct, which lies at the heart of the city’s regeneration and reinvention of itself. Newtown is a fairly large area that lies sandwiched between the railway lines to the north, the M2 highway in the south and is bounded in the east and west by West Street and Quinn Street respectively. It has a distinctly cosmopolitan vibe; and underlying its trendy coffee shops, restaurants, art galleries and clubs is the same avant-garde attitude that made it a hotbed of protest theatre, music and poetry during the apartheid era. What makes Newtown so accessible is the Nelson Mandela Bridge, which links it to Braamfontein, home of the Wits Art Museum and gallery spaces like Kalashnikovv. Newtown is a mixed-use area with a vibrant and unique character, particularly if you take its cultural facilities into account. It is home to the renowned Market Theatre, which played such an important role in South African theatre during the apartheid era, committed as it was to non-racial theatre right from 1976, where a run-down Edwardian market hall was converted into a cultural arena that provided a platform for some of the country’s best actors and playwrights.
William Kentridge in The Centre for the Less Good Idea PHOTO Zivanai Matangi
Creative Feel / November 2018 / 23
Maboneng PHOTO Martyn Smith
The Victoria Yards
Centred on Mary Fitzgerald Square, Newtown is packed with museums, art galleries, craft workshops, dance studios,
Maboneng PHOTO South African Tourism
live music venues, nightclubs, bars and restaurants. Among Newtown Cultural Precinct’s more famous landmarks are Museum Africa, the Market Theatre, the Turbine Hall with the Forum restaurant, Sci-Bono Discovery Centre and the various dance studios. Events like the RMB Turbine Art Fair, great theatre and wonderful exhibitions, like the recent The Wonders of Rock Art: Lascaux Cave and Africa exhibition at Sci-Bono, all add to the unique atmosphere. Maboneng is the trendy place that was featured by Lonely Planet as the neighbourhood to look out for in Joburg. This once-gritty neighbourhood has reinvented itself, with cool coffee shops, cultural spaces and a vibrant street-art scene. Since it’s establishment in 2009, the neighbourhood has been well received by locals and visitors alike as a great spot for getting some of the best arts and culture that Joburg has to offer. While in Maboneng, visit the Museum of African Design – the first of its kind on the continent – head over to The Bioscope for a unique movie experience or sip a cocktail at
24 / Creative Feel / November 2018
Artist's impression Jewel City
Maboneng PHOTO South African Tourism
The Living Room, an awesome rooftop venue that overlooks
The Victoria Yards
the gorgeous city skyline and makes you feel like you’re sitting in a greenhouse or nursery. Stop by the Standard Bank Gallery, a space that has been providing the City with exhibitions of local and international artworks for almost three decades. Spend some time at the largest second-hand bookstore on the continent at Collectors Treasury, which is located in an eight-storey building, 44 Commissioner Street, on the east side of Joburg’s CBD and was founded in 1974. It’s said to be the largest bookstore in the Southern Hemisphere, hosting over one million books in stock, as well as maps, artworks, antiques and over 300 000 vinyl records. If you’re collecting, this is unequivocally your spot to visit. There are also plenty of restaurants in the area and numerous coffee stands to get your caffeine fix at. Or go to the Marabi Club, which offers food and drinks accompanied by live jazz performances. Situated in the basement of award-winning British-Ghanaian architect David Adjaye’s Hallmark House, which is also a boutique hotel, it evokes a vibrant history through the many careful details of the club’s interior.
Creative Feel / November 2018 / 25
The Victoria Yards Down the road at Arts on Main is The Centre for the
Artist's impression of Jewel City just past Maboneng, around the corner from the Troyeville Hotel,
Less Good Idea, which creates and supports experimental,
right across the road from Nando’s Central Kitchen, a couple
collaborative and cross-disciplinary arts projects. The Centre
of blocks away from Ellis Park Stadium, a stone’s throw from
was founded by Kentridge as a physical and immaterial
Joburg’s very own China Town, and a few hundred metres from
space to pursue incidental discoveries made in the process
Nicholas Hlobo’s private studio in a converted synagogue.
of producing work. Often, you start with a good idea, it
Victoria Yards, according to Nando’s annual publication
might seem crystal clear at first, but when you take it to the
Clout, ‘is a collection of early 20th-century warehouses and
proverbial drawing board, cracks and fissures emerge in its
industrial buildings that spans 30 000 square metres. By the
surface, and they cannot be ignored. It is in following the
time developer Brian Green and a few partners came upon
secondary ideas, those less good ideas coined to address the
it, it was derelict. Which suited Green just fine – as the man
first idea’s cracks, that the Centre nurtures, arguing that
behind the popular 44 Stanley in Milpark, he’s well versed
in the act of playing with an idea, you can recognise those
in transforming down-and-out properties destined for
things you didn’t know in advance but knew somewhere
demolition into desirable destinations.
inside of you. The Centre is a space to follow impulses, connections
‘Green and his team spent much of 2017 developing Victoria Yards into a creative hub. “The idea was to turn it
and revelations. It’s a physical space for artists to come
into an urban city farm, I wanted to fill it with artists and
together over two seasons every year and for curators to
artisans, and some kind of educational element that would
bring together combinations of text, performance, image
slot into a specific gap in the South African educational
and dance. The Centre believes an ensemble sees the world
market, specifically towards artisanal skill sets development,”
differently to how one individual does. It is a safe space for
he explains. Although still a work in progress, there remains
failure, for projects to be tried and discarded because they do
a strong focus on the development of the surrounding
not work. It’s a space for short-form work that doesn’t have a
community through work as well as educational training
natural home in a theatre or gallery.
opportunities. “We want to formalise training so that people
There are other locations that are still being developed, such as the small suburb of Lorentzville, which lies between Bertrams and Judith’s Paarl. Lorentzville’s newest revitalised space, Victoria Yards, is currently being extended phase-by-phase. It is
26 / Creative Feel / November 2018
can come in from the community and walk out with an artisanal accreditation.”’ The rawness of the buildings is too extraordinary not to be inspired by, especially the layered history that is so visible >
August House on the walls. The intention of the space is to create an opportunity for creatives to build and grow their businesses surrounded by other like-minded people. It is home to a number of different spaces, from a coffee roastery and a gin distillery to a gallery and studios for acclaimed artists such
The Centre for the Less Good Idea PHOTO Zivanai Matangi
as Blessing Ngobeni, Roger Ballen and Ayanda Mabulu. ‘Perhaps one of the most striking features of Victoria Yards is its walls, which have not been painted or plastered over. “I love what Brian’s doing in exposing the layers as
August House
opposed to covering them up,” says Brett McDougall of the Joburg Heritage Foundation. “When I look around, I see the various textures of brickwork, right from the stone base of the original 1913 buildings through to later periods. From a heritage perspective, the buildings tell a story.”’ There is another exciting new project that has just been announced: Absa Towers Main and Jewel City will be redeveloped. The R2-billion development is located in the eastern CBD of Joburg on Fox Street, placed between the existing Maboneng and Absa precincts where six city blocks of the Joburg CBD and the iconic Absa Towers Main building will be redeveloped to create a new urban precinct
be created from Absa Towers Main all the way to Maboneng.
that will enhance and bring even more visitors into existing
This unique urban intervention will prioritise pedestrians
art spaces like the Absa Gallery. Following a competitive
and people of the local community above vehicular traffic.
bidding process, the 30-storey Absa Towers Main building
But it’s not just private property developers who are
will be redeveloped into a one-of-a-kind mixed-use building
working to bring art into the city. The Johannesburg
for South Africa, including 520 affordably priced residential
Development Agency and The Trinity Session’s Art My Jozi
rental apartments, a floor for coffee shops, restaurants
programme has, and will continue to, breathed life into the
and recreation, ground floor convenience retail, child-care
streets of Joburg through its artistic projects. This multi-
facilities, a public park, integrated public transport facilities
faceted approach to planning, design and management
and a wealth of public art.
capitalises on the local community’s assets, inspiration and
Absa will also be leasing back nine floors of office space in the redeveloped building. Besides creating an inclusive new world-class ‘live, work, play’ environment, the project
potential, with the intention of creating public spaces that promote health, happiness and well-being. Rebuilding the inner city of Joburg is not a quick fix, it’s
is also designed to enhance the area as a whole. As part of a
a medium- to long-term strategic initiative, but as many of
wider neighbourhood development initiative, a pedestrian-
these revitalised areas have shown, art plays an important
friendly walkway with street furniture, lighting and art will
role in making it successful. CF
28 / Creative Feel / November 2018
Creative Feel / November 2018 / 29
Johannesburg City Hall in 1964
Herman Charles Bosman
Joburg man
Journalist Lucille Davie reveals the deep connection that famous author Herman
Charles Bosman had for the spaces and
Vanishing that the municipality had ‘no understanding of
places of Johannesburg. The article was
Johannesburg, no veneration for this city.’ He went on: ‘I don’t suppose, for one thing, that
first published on the City of Joburg’s
they’ve got too many genuine Joh’burg old-timers on the
website at www.joburg.org.za
Council. Otherwise we wouldn’t have every Johannesburg
H
building turned over to a demolition-gang the moment it becomes historical.’
erman Charles Bosman watched as they
His frustrations are an expression of his enjoyment of
demolished the old Magistrate’s Courts in
the city. The city where he wrote most of his work, becoming
downtown Joburg. And felt ‘a kind of silent fury’.
one of South Africa’s most popular short story writers. In
He wrote in his essay Old Johannesburg is
a series of short essays in Bosman’s Johannesburg, Bosman
30 / Creative Feel / November 2018
Rissik Street, 1889
reminisces about ‘Old Joh’burg’, where he lived in the early 1920s and again in the 1930s and ‘40s. He had good times in the city: rioting on the steps
Herman Charles Bosman
Bosman used to enjoy the Easter Rand Show, as recounted in The Witwatersrand Show. At the show, held once a year, the people of the city used to meet, ‘all idea of
of the City Hall, visiting the city’s pubs, seeking out old
race and economic difference forgotten. For a while, the
Joburgers and getting their perspectives, living on the edge
people are at one and in peace – they are brought near to
of the CBD, walking the pavements and riding the trams.
the soil, near to reality.’ It doesn’t last though. ‘But soon
He was as familiar with Market Street, Commissioner Street
all the strife starts again and discord is abroad. And yet in
or Rissik Street; Kensington, Lombardy East or Berea as any
those blessed days at Easter, the nation is made aware of its
present Joburger.
community of interests. That means a great deal, it means a
He strolls around the city, seeking out places where he had memorable experiences. He used to have tea at the OK
stride towards unity.’ He bemoaned the fact that Johannesburgers have never
Bazaars’ Tearoom, looking down on the pavement outside
respected their heritage very much – the city has a sad
Markham’s (still there); visit the old abandoned mine
history of demolishing its buildings and landmarks within a
workings along the reef, which he called ‘shipwrecks’; stop in
decade or two of building them, valuing the land much more
at Shanty Town, an emergency camp established alongside
than the often magnificent buildings that were demolished.
Orlando in Soweto, with its mealie sack-covered shanties,
It was only in the 1990s that the city’s citizens’ desire for
where he was struck by the residents’ proud struggle and
demolition calmed, and an appreciation for what they had
dignity in the face of extreme conditions; remember the old
inherited from their forefathers finally hit home.
central library in Kerk Street where, when you took a book
Bosman laments another building that Joburgers
down from one of the top shelves ‘a shower of dust would
demolished – the Standard Theatre, built in 1891 and
descend on you’, this was in contrast to the ‘gorgeous new
demolished in 1949.
building’ that is the Johannesburg Public Library but ‘not
He says in The Standard Theatre: ‘They will pull down
such a very good Library’; a visit to Jeppe High School for
the Standard Theatre like they have pulled down all the old
Boys elicits a ‘sweet sadness’ but also a ‘mild resentment’ at
buildings, theatres, gin-palaces, dosshouses, temples, shops,
the thought that his photograph was not on the walls of the
arcades, cafes and joints that were intimately associated
school hall.
with the mining-camp days of Johannesburg.
Creative Feel / November 2018 / 31
Pritchard Street, 1889
“They will pull down the Standard Theatre like they have pulled down all the old buildings, theatres, gin-palaces, dosshouses, temples, shops, arcades, cafes and joints that were intimately associated with the mining-camp days of Johannesburg” ‘Because I know Johannesburg. And I am satisfied that there is no other city in the world that is so anxious to shake off the memories of its early origins.’ Bosman was born in Kuils River, just outside Cape Town, in 1905 but spent a good deal of his life in Johannesburg, where he died in 1951 at the age of 46. He was educated in the city – Jeppe High School for Boys in Kensington, and Wits University. It was in the Joburg suburb of Bellevue that his life moved in a direction he would never have predicted.
32 / Creative Feel / November 2018
The old Carlton Hotel (from Meet Me at the Carlton)
"His frustrations are an expression of his enjoyment of the city. The city where he wrote most of his work, becoming one of South Africa’s most popular short story writers”
Alexandra Township, 1940 On holiday from a teaching spell in Groot Marico in
He suggests that ‘lovers and loafers’ need places like
North West province, he accidentally shot and killed his
rambling parks in which to find themselves. In this park
stepbrother, David Russell. In 1926, he was convicted of
they ‘acquire dignity, they are positively beautiful, and they
first-degree murder and was sentenced to death. But his
absorb beauty, in wild surroundings.’
sentence was commuted to life imprisonment, and he
He concludes that ‘no city is truly a city without such
was taken to Pretoria Central Prison. But three years and
a park’, at the same time acknowledging that Zoo Lake in
nine months later, he was a free man and at the end of
Parkview is something like what he had in mind.
1930, he moved to Johannesburg, where he mostly lived until his death. His exasperation at the demolitions is not only reserved for the city bosses. He is shocked that citizens didn’t object more
Pity he didn’t live to see Melville Koppies, a back-tonature park, proclaimed just a few years after his death, in 1959. And as for the railways, his solution is easy: ‘I should
loudly to the destruction of the Magistrate’s Courts in 1948.
give it to Germiston or to any other town that thrives on
They were able to voice objections to the demolition of the
smoke and noise.’
‘Wanderers or the final closing down of the Standard Theatre. With the Wanderers, especially, there was almost a revolution.’ But the courts didn’t conjure up the same ‘sense of aching
Despite this criticism, there’s no doubt of his love of the metropolis as he indicates in The Johannesburg Public Library. ‘. . . I shall content myself by concluding, as I began,
void’. Then, he changes his tune, remembering ugly features
with a nostalgic sign for those colourful edifices that
of the courts – cramped prisoners’ yard, primitive toilet
graced Johannesburg’s skyline in that past this is beyond
facilities – and begins to understand the public’s nonchalance
recall. I sorrow for the buildings and the people who have
at hearing that the courts were to be demolished.
gone. People and things that have vanished like hopes.
This doesn’t mean that Bosman was opposed to all demolitions. He says in Unsocial Reconstruction that he’d like
All gone into the unremembering dust, familiar faces and familiar facades.’ CF
to get rid of the Wanderers cricket ground, and the railways. In place of Wanderers, he’d like to create a ‘large, unkept, much-
Lucille Davie has written about Jozi’s people, places, history
forested park, in which dogs and children were free to run,
and heritage for many years. Take a look at
lovers to walk, and uselessly meditative men like me to ramble.’
www.lucilledavie.com
A Letter To My 22-Year-Old Self Through an eye-opening new exhibition at the Absa Gallery from 11 November 2018 to 25 January 2019, Banele Khoza shines the light on the difficulties experienced by young creatives trying to obtain an education and start their careers. One of the most promising artists to have come out of the Absa L’Atelier art competition in recent years, Khoza has curated a group exhibition that will give the next generation hope and see the development of a new foundation to provide financial help and guidance to young creatives.
T
Banele Khoza
he inspiration for the exhibition A Letter To My
decision-making that was driven by hunger and a lack of help,’
22-Year-Old Self stems from personal, first-hand
says Banele Khoza.
experience. ‘In 2011, I had days where I would sleep without food and had to result to going to
Now at a place in his life where his career is starting to take off and his basic necessities are covered, Khoza wishes
school with a grumbling stomach (if I had money for the
he could let his 22-year-old-self know that there is hope.
taxi fair), my concentration levels were impaired. But I could
By writing an open and honest letter, he could explain what
not tell anyone as I was afraid to ask for help, also I felt
has happened over the past few years and, in essence, guide
ashamed by my situation. I failed my first year due to my poor
himself through it.
34 / Creative Feel / November 2018
Zanele Muholi x Banele Khoza, Zana Nyilenda, Los Angeles, 2013. Edition 1/1. Illustrated 2016
“Khoza has put this exhibition together to give young creatives hope and show them that they are not alone. He will also be using the funds raised through this exhibition to build a foundation that will assist future arts practitioners with funding for their education and basic needs” Realising that his situation was by no means unique,
choice of artists and thought that some of them might not
Khoza has put this exhibition together to give young
agree to it but, he says, they were the very first ones to say,
creatives hope and show them that they are not alone. He
‘yes, I’m here to help.’ In reflection, he reminds himself of
will also be using the funds raised through this exhibition to
something he was told: ‘if you want something, just ask, and
build a foundation that will assist future arts practitioners
that’s what I did, I asked.’
with funding for their education and basic needs. ‘Through the foundation, we basically want to help with
Excitingly, a recent collaboration between Zanele Muholi and Khoza will also be exhibited at A Letter To My 22-Year-
those tiny needs like transportation money, money for food
Old Self. Muholi approached Khoza in 2016 ‘and asked that I
while you are at school, and it’s just trying to help with those
please interpret her series called Faces and Phases and I did
small specifics. Then come registration fees, if you miss the
about 40 illustrations of that work. We hadn’t found a space
deadline, it means you don’t enrol for the year, so it’s trying
to exhibit the series in the past and so, two years later, I
to tackle those issues as well.’
asked her if she would be open to having this series of work
Khoza has asked a number of artists and friends in his personal network to donate an artwork for this exhibition and to write a letter to their own 22-year-old-self, which will
available for the exhibition and she said yes, so we are going to have it.’ It’s no secret that there are inconsistencies in the
also be on display at the exhibition and hopefully provide
South African arts education system and a lack of sufficient
hope, inspiration and advice for young creatives.
funding and support when it comes to the arts, and Khoza
Khoza approached each artist personally to ask if they
feels that ‘as artists and people in the practice, I think it’s
would consider donating their artwork for the exhibition.
almost our responsibility. While you are at varsity as a
‘Having that one-on-one, and also being very honest and
creative, you might realise that something is lacking, but
just saying that actually, I’ve had periods where I didn’t
once you’re able to earn something, try to invest it back
have food.’ It’s reaching into a personal space where ‘we’re
into education because then that’s how it gives light to the
not just creating this show for hype or anything, it’s about
next creative. I don’t think it’s something we should wait on
helping the next individual that is hungry, and instantly,
government to actually sustain or build up, I think that we
everyone is willing to donate.’ Khoza was ambitious in his
have to take it in our own hands to build it up.’
Creative Feel / November 2018 / 35
to learn from iconoclasts both in person and online – both as videos and as podcasts. In terms of identifying different people to approach as mentors for these masterclasses, he looks at inviting people who are savvy in the creative industry. For example, Sylvester Chauke, a respected branding and marketing practitioner. With his own studio, BKhz, Khoza says he has learnt that ‘you have to be aware of so many aspects. Since we’ve opened the doors here, we’ve had people from different foundations coming in. We need to be able to answer questions related to business practice and teach the students to be independent in their own practice,’ which is why it is important to identify people who are knowledgeable in these fields. As the 2017 Absa L’Atelier Gerard Sekoto Award winner, Khoza is proud to be bringing this exhibition ‘home’. ‘I’m very excited to be curating at the Absa Gallery – and that they are trusting that I will do a great job within it. I think I have times where I feel slightly unsure... but I feel I got this opportunity because I can do it, and I’m learning to trust that I will do it. They’ve allowed my visions to actually happen, like recolouring and adding a bit of comfort to the space, so I’m very happy about that.’ Ed Young, Biscuit, 2015. South African Mohair Traditional Teddybear. 42cm A Letter To My 22-Year-Old Self opens a space to say, ‘if you need help, we are here to provide you.’
The future looks exciting for Khoza, whose travelling solo exhibition will start in March next year at the Absa Gallery and continue to different venues throughout South Africa. He also hopes to expand the brand BKhz. In light of his upcoming exhibition, what advice does he have
The foundation’s goals, initially, are to develop
for his 22-year-old self? ‘I would definitely say relax, it’s going to
scholarships for creative students who are of need (not
happen, whatever you’re thinking of right now at this point, it’s
based on merit) and identify varsity individuals who need
all going to happen and it’s going to happen so rapidly you’re not
help covering registration fees, transportation costs and
even prepared for it and you’re going to love it.’ CF
art material costs. Khoza hopes to also use the foundation as a platform to link creatives to mentors, and to fund
A Letter To My 22-Year-Old Self is on at the Absa Gallery,
masterclasses. Through these, audiences will have the ability
Johannesburg from 11 November 2018 - 25 January 2019.
36 / Creative Feel / November 2018
Isango:
A new multidisciplinary exhibition by Nicholas Hlobo
Nicholas Hlobo’s latest solo show, Isango, is an exhibition of sculpture, painting and installation. Currently showing until 26 January 2019 at STEVENSON in Johannesburg, this is his seventh exhibition with the gallery, and his second in the Johannesburg space, following Tyaphaka and other works in 2013.
N
icholas Hlobo’s previous gallery exhibition, Sewing Saw, reflected on the necessity of destruction in creation as the artist
underwent a form of self-inventory, remarking, ‘this work is to deconstruct whatever it is I have constructed so that I get to understand the layers that I might have missed in the process of building that edifice’. Isango, which translates as ‘portal’, ‘passageway’ or ‘gate’, pictorialises a new gestative moment in Hlobo’s practice, with the artist pointing to the words of Major Tom, David Bowie’s fictional narrator in ‘Space Oddity’: ‘I’m stepping through the door / And I’m floating in a most peculiar way...’ Copper, lauded as an element with highly conductive properties, is integrated into Hlobo’s lexicon as a material key to exploring the passage between states of
Nicholas Hlobo, Iqhawe elingenagama IV, 2018. Copper, brass. Dimensions variable
being. Sculptures constructed from this metal feature heavily as Hlobo delves deeper into terrain first explored in Umthamo at the
various objects that act as mediators between the spiritual,
Maitland Institute in Cape Town and elaborated in Unyukelo,
elemental and somatic.
his forthcoming exhibition at the SCAD Museum of Art in
The curvilinear forms described by Hlobo as ‘frayed hula
Savannah, Georgia. He now posits, ‘Perhaps we’ve ascended
hoops’ and ‘imperfect crowns’ echo the paintings in Isango.
to this doorway. Perhaps now I’m about to move, I’m about
‘This is a continuation of those energy lines that I explore
to alight. We’re stepping through a door.’
in flat surfaces,’ states Hlobo. ‘I’m still stitching, but the
The artist foregrounds the potential of vessels and entryways as conduits for experiences with water, fire, air and earth. The sculptural works in Isango incorporate
material I’m using is an alloy that you heat, so I’m stitching with metal rather than stitching with ribbon.’ Isango is on at STEVENSON until 26 January 2019. The
religious paraphernalia, plumbing implements,
gallery will close for the summer holidays on 14 December
candleholders, wind instruments and door handles among
2018 and reopen on 7 January 2019. CF
Creative Feel / November 2018 / 37
KANTEKA
Ian Calder An outpost on the Hills, Number 9 (Ifafa Lilies)
Juliet Armstrong, San Shape with Ginko Leaf
KANTEKA observes the MTN Art Collection and selects items specific to Africa’s indigenous artistic practices – particularly low pit-fired ceramics and the tradition of beadwork.
An exhibition of low-fired ceramics and beadwork
K
ANTEKA is the first exhibition curated by MTN’s Art Collection Graduate, Katlego Lefine. He has taken the approach of exhibiting the above-mentioned objects alongside contemporary artworks that either refer to these
old modes of creation or are influenced by them. Furthermore, the focus of this endeavour is to celebrate and honour the cultures and female individuals who are custodians and vessels of this generational information and practice. The title of the exhibition, KANTEKA, is an archaic name denoting a matriarchal ruler or sovereign from ancient East or North Africa and is used in this context to highlight the contributions of female artists to world culture.
38 / Creative Feel / November 2018
Emma Damane, Vessel
According to Abarim Publications (www.abarimpublications.com/Meaning/Candace.html#.W6NadeQUl14), the contemporary name ‘Candice’ is a variant spelling of ‘Candace’, a name that appears in the Acts of the Apostles in the New Testament of the Bible. The English got the name from the Greek Κανδακη (Kandake), which was ultimately derived from a very ancient Kushite word kdke meaning ‘queen mother’. Originally, Candace was not really a personal name but rather a Nubian (Cushite or Ethiopian) authoritative title, not unlike pharaoh or caesar. This name occurs once in the Bible, in Acts 8:27. KANTEKA will run until the end of February 2019 at the MTN Innovation Centre, No. 216 14th Avenue in Fairlands, Johannesburg. To view the exhibition or to book a guided Artist Unknown, Izikhamba
tour and walkabout, please contact Katlego Lefine at Katlego.Lefine@mtn.com CF
Creative Feel / November 2018 / 39
Vaal University of Technology
A holistic foundation for a successful career in the arts The Vaal University of Technology (VUT) offers Fine Art courses at different levels that emphasise the mission of the university by ensuring that graduates have the academic and technical skills to negotiate the art world effectively and achieve excellence. WORDS: MASHAOLE MAKWELA, FINE ART SENIOR LECTURER AND COURSE COORDINATOR
T
Art by Nombuso Maseko he Fine Art courses offered by the Department of Visual Arts and Design at the Vaal University of Technology (VUT) are multidisciplinary in nature. Through research, teaching and
learning, these courses explore both traditional and technological fine art-related disciplines. The core objective of the courses is to equip each individual with the skills to become creative and professional, competent visual practitioners and entrepreneurs sensitive to community and global needs. VUT offers a three-year diploma in Fine Art, a MA in Visual Arts: Fine Art (two years) and a PhD in Visual Arts. An advanced diploma and a post-graduate diploma in Fine Art are currently being registered with the Department of Higher Education (DHE) and will soon be available to those wishing to take their academic knowledge and technical skills to higher levels. The previous Fine Art courses, i.e. the national diploma, BTech, MTech and DTech qualifications, are presently being phased out. State-of-the-art facilities for both traditional (e.g. ceramics, surface printing, sculpture and painting) and technological (e.g. digital arts and product design) artistic making processes are available, a combination that is not found at many other institutions in South Africa. In fact,
40 / Creative Feel / November 2018
Sculpture by Lettah Mantswe, 2015
Ashley Nkosi Ceramics
Staff exhibition 2016
VUT’s Fine Art courses are among the few in the country to offer digital imaging or digital arts as a major elective subject. The diversity of the course offering and the high level of training and skills transfer provided attracts students from all over the world, including Botswana, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Zimbabwe, Lesotho and Ukraine, to name a few. Nationally, students from Limpopo, Free State, Eastern Cape, Mpumalanga and North West travel to take advantage of these industry-tailored programmes. Fine Art alumni, both young and old, are a testament to the high level of training provided through the courses. While not all are working as fine artists, they are making meaningful contributions in various visual arts or creative industries and related disciplines. Notable alumni include Dr Ian Robert Marley (an academic and practising artist), Richardt Strydom (practising artist and 1997 Absa L’Atelier merit award winner), Captain Ludomo Gqotso (senior forensic analyst for the South African Police Service), Lebogang Motaung (practising artist), Thato Nhlapo (practising artist and entrepreneur), Sabelo Mabuza (practising artist and photographer), Tebogo Ralesai (assistant curator at Goodman Gallery), Thully Hlatswayo (production designer and art director for TV shows) and Ivy Rihlampfu (practising artist and social entrepreneur), to name a few. The Fine Art section (both students and staff members) continues to produce contemporary, high-quality creative and artistic works that address community and global needs. CF
Creative Feel / November 2018 / 41
2018 marks 40 years since Moving into Dance (MID) was founded in Sylvia ‘Magogo’ Glasser’s garage as a way to provide dance training to youth in underprivileged communities and equip them with the skills to overcome their socio-economic circumstances. Today, MID is a trailblazing, nationally acclaimed, professional dance company and accredited training organisation that has had a major impact on sociocultural transformation and the economic empowerment of South African youth. Forty years is an incredible milestone, particularly in the arts sector, and has been achieved through the organisation’s constant striving for excellence, its extraordinarily talented and dedicated dancers, passionate support staff and generous funders such as RMB. Creative Feel spoke to CEO of MID, Nadia Virasamy, and Head of Social Investment at RMB, Yvette Nowell, to find out a bit more.
dance
Making a difference through
Eugene Mashiane and Teboho Letele in Passage of Rites choreographed by Sylvia Glasser and performed at MID’s 40th anniversary. PHOTO Herman Verwey 42 / Creative Feel / November 2018
Enable Through Dance project in action. PHOTO Herman Verwey
M
oving into Dance (MID) is one of the oldest and most respected dance training institutions in South Africa and has served as an incubator for some of the country’s top choreographers
and dancers. Internationally renowned and multiple-awardwinning practitioners like Vincent Sekwati Mantsoe, Gregory Vuyani Maqoma, Shanell Winlock-Pailman, Thabo Rapoo, Portia Mashigo, Luyanda Sidiya, Sonia Thandazile Radebe, Otto Andile Nhlapo, Sunnyboy Motau, Themba Mbuli and Oscar Buthelezi are just a few of the organisation’s graduates. Buthelezi, who is currently a member of MID’s renowned professional dance company, won the prestigious Kurt Jooss Prize in May 2016 in Germany. He broke ground as the first South African to win the award, and as the first choreographer ever to clinch both the high-profile choreographic prize and the Audience Choice Award. Maqoma now runs his own dance training organisation and professional dance company and is one of the most in-demand dancers and choreographers worldwide. He still collaborates with his childhood friend, Mantsoe, who served as artistic director of MID from 1997 to 2001 before founding his own company. Mantsoe now lives in France and regularly performs to sold-out venues across the globe.
Bongani Hloma, a partipant in MID's Connections Provincial Project PHOTO Mark Straw
Building legacies
Excellence has been integral to MID’s ethos since its establishment 40 years ago. Founder Sylvia ‘Magogo’ Glasser has herself received numerous awards for her choreography as well as her contributions to democracy and social change. She was knighted in 2014 by King Wilhelm-Alexander of the Royal Netherlands in the Order of Oranje-Nassau, was awarded The Order of Ikhamanga: Silver from the South African Presidency in 2016 for her excellence in the field of dance, and won an Arts & Culture Trust Lifetime Achievement Award. While Glasser is no longer involved in the day-to-day running of the organisation, she has instilled a legacy that will see the organisation she so passionately built continue on the same upward trajectory for the next 40 years – and beyond. Nadia Virasamy was hired by Glasser as director of education, even though she had never worked for an NPO and had little working knowledge of Sussera Olyn in The Women Who Fell From the Moon by Khutjo Green, performed at JOMBA! 2018 PHOTO Val Adamson
44 / Creative Feel / November 2018
the arts sector. ‘I come from a sociology and industrial management background,’ says Virasamy, ‘but I think
Moving into Dance female dancers in We Are Still Marching by Sunnyboy Motau PHOTO Herman Verwey
Sylvia saw something in me and took it upon herself to groom
The skills training that students receive over the course
me and teach me how to write funding proposals, to network
of the three years goes back to the original founding
and to create reports. I learnt a lot from her. Susan Graham,
objectives of MID – to train youth from disadvantaged
who was the manager at the time, was also quite hands-on
communities and equip them with skills that can be used
in the training.’ Glasser’s instincts were, of course, right –
to overcome their socio-economic circumstances. This is
Virasamy has been recognised numerous times for her work as
where MID’s strength lies. Trainees are taught performance,
CEO of MID, including being a top three finalist in the Business
choreography, how to teach dance, and administrative/
Women’s Association’s Regional Awards.
project management skills.
Virasamy adds: ‘The more I look at this organisation, the
‘We have found a balance where we manage to
more I see that its sustainability (in terms of how long it has
inculcate all those skills in them so they’re not necessarily
been in existence) has a lot to do with the organisational
limited to one particular aspect,’ says Virasamy. ‘We
culture and the kind of people who are groomed through
constantly provide them with opportunities to explore
it. There’s always been that trajectory of passing your
those assets instead of just honing in on one particular
knowledge on to the younger generation.’
skill set.
Through their education programme, MID has long been
‘We teach them administrative skills because
at the forefront of training in Contemporary African Dance
we understand, especially at a first-year level, that
and has been the core feeder of talent to the broader industry.
not everybody is going to be a great teacher, a great
The SAQA-accredited education and skills development
choreographer, or a great dancer, but they all want to be part
programme consists of three years of theoretical and practical
of this industry. So we try to find a niche for them in the
training on a developmental basis. For the first year, no more
industry where they can do something that they love even if
than 22 students are selected after a rigorous audition process
they are not directly involved in performance.’
that looks for both talent and passion. Between five and ten
Virasamy adds that ‘Administration is not just sitting
students are then selected to continue on to the second year,
them down and teaching them how to write a business letter.
and only three to five are retained for the third year. One or
It is about sending them out into different communities,
two graduates are then offered employment as part of the
into different projects, and giving them the opportunity to
professional dance company.
manage and run a project on their own.’
Building legacies
FROM LEFT Sunnyboy Motau, Otsile Masemola and Oscar Buthelezi in Stone Cast Ritual choreographed by Sylvia Glasser, Dance Umbrella Festival PHOTO John Hogg Connections, a project that took place earlier this year,
practice organisations that provide tertiary-level students
involved sending trainees and some of the professional
with access to quality training in the performing arts
dancers into different communities in three different
disciplines of music, dance, drama and visual arts, to achieve
provinces. They were tasked with workshopping,
success and earn a living within the creative sector.’
choreographing and staging a production in that particular
In 2016, MID piloted the Enable Through Dance
province and then had to bring their entire group back
project, prompted by the RMB Fund drive for inclusion
to Johannesburg to stage a joint production. Each team
and the mainstreaming of disabilities across its social
was given a budget to work within, had to do their own
investment relationships. The successful pilot was
administration and marketing, and was required to write up
conducted under the leadership of MID Artistic Director
a report on the project.
Mark Hawkins in partnership with Gladys Agulhas. The
This educational programme is made possible through
primary objective of this programme is to equip dance
investment (which extends beyond the financial) from RMB.
facilitators with the understanding and methods of
This long-standing relationship has existed for well over a
inclusive dance teaching and choreography.
decade now. Since the days of Glasser’s leadership and artistic
Including disability in MID’s training programme is
direction, when there was a Mophatong at the end of Moving
something that Virasamy and Hawkins had been discussing
Into Dance (MID); since the days when Margie Keeton headed
for a while, but received the impetus to put their ideas
up Tshikululu Social Investments – RMB has supported
into action following a RMB workshop. Agulhas, who had
this Afro-fusion dance company and creative arts training
previously run her own dance company for people living
organisation in various ways, aligned to the ever-maturing
with disabilities, was called upon to train MID’s second and
social investment strategy of the FirstRand Foundation.
third years to work with youth with disabilities.
According to Yvette Nowell, head of Social Investment at RMB, ‘This is aligned to our strategy to support relevant best
46 / Creative Feel / November 2018
MID then extended their outreach programme, through which they were already working with schools and providing
“We constantly provide them with opportunities to explore those assets instead of just honing in on one particular skill set” and showcase it at the production. The school brought 70 of the learners to the live show – kids who had never been to a theatre before, because the teachers weren’t sure how they were going to respond. These kids were blown away. They actually came to Mark at the end of the production and said, “next year, we are not on a video, we are up on stage.” So this year, we’ve got them to come into the theatre a few times, just to get them familiar with it, so it’s not new when they get onto the stage,’ she says. ‘Over the past two years, we have taken in learners from the Enable project into our first-year programme, and two of them are currently in their second year at the moment.’ Virasamy adds: ‘And RMB has been kind enough to sponsor a stairlift for us, so now we can actually get wheelchairs upstairs – we previously had to use the little studio downstairs, but there just wasn’t enough space.’ Enable Through Dance earned RMB and MID the Sylvia Glasser and Nadia Virasamy at MID’s 40th anniversary celebration PHOTO Herman Verwey
2018 BASA Award in the Increasing Access to the Arts category, an acknowledgement not just of the investment that RMB are placing in the arts sector, but of their
dance classes as part of each school’s curriculum, to focus
passionate belief in the sector and its ability to impact
on schools for youth living with disabilities, such as the
real socio-cultural transformation.
Johannesburg Hospital School of Autism, the Winnie
‘It’s just one of those projects that we are very proud of
Madikizela Mandela School, Hope School, Don Mattera
and, to be honest, in terms of our relationship with RMB, I
School and Philile Foundation Pre-School.
think one of the things I value most is the support structure,’
‘When we started the first year of training, we had twelve
says Virasamy. ‘They give you funding, but they also provide
second years doing training with Gladys, but only six of
you with real support, invite you to workshops or to network
them got through that training,’ says Virasamy. ‘The first
and engage, and really open up different opportunities for
time we put them into a classroom with youth living with
you. I think that’s where the connection is, that’s where
disabilities, six of them just broke down and had to walk out.
those relationships are built, that’s where partnerships
It’s emotionally taxing, it really is intense, but it’s been a
and collaborations happen. You get to know who they are
complete mind shift for the organisation.
funding, what their area of interest is, and the fact that they
‘When we had our first performance at the end of that
are actually invested in you succeeding as an organisation.
first year, Yvette Nowell came to watch and was seated a
It’s not about ticking boxes, it’s a lot more supportive than
row in front of me. Half-way through, she looked at me with
that and I think that’s one of those incredible things. I’ve
tears streaming down her face and said, “My God, this is
never had that from any other funder,’ she concludes.
beautiful.” Everybody in the audience cried – not because we
Nowell says, ‘In short, MID use the tool of dance to
felt sorry for anyone, but because the need for projects like
empower young people with formalised training and skills
this was so glaringly evident,’ says Virasamy.
that make them employable – in and beyond the arts
The project is an ongoing learning experience. ‘Last year,
sector. RMB are proud to be part of MID’s 40-year journey
we didn’t take the children from the Autism School into
of unlocking talent and social transformation through the
the theatre to perform, but opted to film their performance
creative arts.’ CF
Building legacies
BUSINESS & ARTS |
MICHELLE CONSTANT
Collaborating beyond politics
T
Musa Motha and Thabang Mojapeli PHOTOS John Hogg
he recent launch of dance journalist Adrienne
people who are versed in the language of dance, it may not
Sichel’s book on contemporary dance Body Politics:
be so striking, but something shifted in me. I subsequently
Fingerprinting South African Contemporary Dance
sent a photo of the two, taken by the supremely talented
(Porcupine Press) at the Market Theatre filled me
John Hogg, to the BASA team with the message, ‘If you are
with complex emotions. Sichel has been an important driver
ever thinking of giving up…’ This, after all, is the example of
of how contemporary dance in this country has been covered,
true grit, and many, many South Africans could learn from
reviewed, marketed, challenged and even changed. For anyone
it. (I think the duet should be taken to corporates, to teach
who believes in the power of transformation and real diversity
them how to deliver against all odds – just a thought…)
in the cultural context of dance, this book is an important
Post the event, I was challenged by an arts journalist as
offering into the academy and more. The event too was highly
to why BASA might have supported the book. The support
emotive – featuring dancers from different companies and
was on the basis that we were then able to get RMB to
well-wishers from around the world.
add to the monies so that Sichel and the Artchive team
Perhaps what knocked at my ribs (was it my heart
could get it published. RMB has always been a supporter of
pounding, I wonder) was a duet, featuring dancers Musa
contemporary dance, engaging in a manner that goes way
Motha and Thabang Mojapeli. Motha is differently abled
beyond simply the funding or sponsorship, but with a real
– he only has one leg and dances with the use of a crutch.
desire to make a difference in the sector, and broader society.
Possibly one of the most beautiful works I have seen in a
What saddens me is that at a time when we are desperate
long time, the dancer’s feline fluidity was deeply moving. For
to get South Africans, academia, business and government
48 / Creative Feel / November 2018
“This is a time when we have to be strong, we have to be united; we may not agree with one another – but, as Adam Kahane says in his book Collaborating with the Enemy, we need to consider how we work together, even with those we dislike, or don’t agree with”
to see the value of the arts – in this case, contemporary
we dislike, or don’t agree with. 2019 promises to be far
dance – we are still being stymied by pettiness. A book that
more difficult than 2018 – between elections, an economy
acts as a vessel of institutional knowledge and is notable
impacted by right-wing international politics, and struggling
in how it focuses on the power of dance to transform and
to get off of life support, and inequality, inequality,
address socio-political themes is important. There is very
inequality. We need to acknowledge that the creative sector
little institutional knowledge or historical writing on the
is not going to be top of mind for many, in both the private
contemporary dance sector, a challenge and a problem for
and public sector. It should be. But how we take this fight
young practitioners. This book is one of the first in the steps
forward is going to decide whether we succeed or fail in
moving forward, and while the frustration of BASA is that we
making the difference. CF
cannot support everything, we need to think strategically as to how we impact broadly. Hopefully, this book will be a start in the library of dance works. Perhaps what upset me too is the sense of anger, self-
Business & Arts is a monthly column by
righteousness and privilege that seems to be feeding off our
MICHELLE CONSTANT,
sector. This is a time when we have to be strong, we have
CEO of Business and Arts South Africa (BASA).
to be united; we may not agree with one another – but, as Adam Kahane says in his book Collaborating with the Enemy, we need to consider how we work together, even with those
Creative Feel / November 2018 / 49
Cry the Beloved Eldos In the wake of service delivery protests in coloured dominated communities where residents are calling on the government for better services and for a speedy drug intervention programme, Roseline Wilkens’ choreographic work couldn’t come at a more pertinent time. Cry the Beloved Eldos explores the circumstances that have become ingrained in these communities and how they shape the youth. The piece will be presented during Vuyani Dance Theatre’s annual Vuyani Week, a showcase that will take place at Dance Factory in Newtown, opening on Friday 30 November through to Sunday 2 December 2018.
C
ry the Beloved Eldos was inspired by a desperate mother, Dereleen James, who penned a letter to then-president Jacob Zuma. In this letter, she and a few other mothers and sisters relayed their stories
of family members who had been swallowed by the drug problems in the community. ‘I have withdrawn myself from society, I can no longer cope, I live like a prisoner. My son climbs through the trap door to break into his own home. I’m forced to give him all my money, just so that I can have peace. I keep my purse in my panty and I lock my room door just in case he becomes violent. I wish he can die or for me to have the courage to end my life. I wonder if God will forgive me.’ These words are from an unnamed 67-year-old mother who contributed to the letter.
50 / Creative Feel / November 2018
Gregory Maqoma’s Fullmoon, performed by Vuyani Dance Company
“She explores
‘We all grow up with dreams for our lives, but what we
the idea that
fail to realise is that our environment and our communities have their own plans for our lives, which are later forced on the youth,’ says Wilkens. She explores the idea that the overbearing negative narrative of the Eldorado Park environment denies children their true potential. The average age of children experimenting with drugs in South Africa is now at 12 – and decreasing – and it is quite clear that issues such as unstable home environments, family worries, poverty, a lack of support from social groups or communities, a lack of acceptance among peers – perceived or real, and mental health problems like depression need
the overbearing negative narrative of the Eldorado Park environment denies children their true potential”
to be dealt with. Many learners report that they have been either offered, sold or given illicit drugs at schools. In a double bill that will also form part of the Vuyani Week programme, Gregory Maqoma gives hope to these youth with his new work, Rise. He shares with them that they should stop looking for heroes, but rather become the heroes for themselves and for those around them. Maqoma emphasises that young people should never for a second think that they are not needed. Acting like every day is a personal tragedy will not do anything for anyone. We should all start taking advantage of the fact that WE ARE ALIVE! – alive in SUCH an amazing time, where we have GREAT music, GREAT theatre productions, so much creativity and so much technology. Against the backdrop of Rise, Maqoma and Otto Nhlapo, who is also premiering a new work, have curated a programme of company and students solos entitled Back 2 Back. The solos are personal journeys of identity, cultural relativism and ethnocentrism. The curation of the solos threads the opposing views of society on culture and sets them back-toback, and will hopefully liberate us from thoughts of prejudice and misogyny. Children hold a baton for the future of our country. The Vuyani Outreach Programme Performance will form a strong part of Vuyani Week and is the perfect way to engage with the youth and, more importantly, to let them tell
Roseline Wilkens
their stories through dance. CF
Creative Feel / November 2018 / 51
panto
Tshepo Ncokoane is Prince Chuck B Charming and Kiruna-Lind Devar is Snow White
Ben Voss is Wicked Queen Hildegonda Hoggenham and John Robbie is Major Dumb-Ou in Snow White
31 YEARS OF JANICE HONEYMAN’S UNIQUE BRAND OF
In 1987, at the Alexander Theatre in
Braamfontein, writer/director Janice
Honeyman created her first pantomime, based on the classic fairy tale, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.
W
hile this year’s pantomime was still in its development stages (during which time, Janice Honeyman was also busy with rehearsals for a production at the Market Theatre as well as
The Color Purple at Joburg Theatre), Creative Feel caught up with Honeyman to find out more about this much-loved Johannesburg spectacular. ‘Do you know that I am doing pantomime number 31 this year?’ she says. ‘Thirty-one years of the same thing at Christmastime and, you know what? It’s actually great fun. I still have a lovely time when I am doing them.’
Now, 31 years later, Joburg Theatre and
Bernard Jay present Janice Honeyman’s
Today, generations who have grown up with Honeyman’s
signature, annual panto are now taking their own children. Bigger and more spectacular than ever, the classic
Snow White, The Fairest Panto in All The
evergreen story of Snow White will be brought to life once
Land, opening on The Mandela Stage
again from page to stage in an enchanting production
at Joburg Theatre on 3 November and running until 23 December.
complete with an all-star cast, stunning sets, beautiful costumes, breath-taking special effects – including a neverbefore-seen-in-South-Africa, amazing interactive journey into the forest in 3D! – and lots and lots of comedy (with maybe a few double-entendres thrown in… ). South African movie, television, stage and comedy star Desmond Dube returns to his fifth Joburg Theatre
52 / Creative Feel / November 2018
pantomime, playing the comic role of Dame Dolla Diddledaddledoodledragon, having become one of Joburg audiences’ most loved panto stars. Legendary 702 talk radio show host and international champion rugby player John Robbie makes his pantomime debut in Snow White as The Major-Dumb-Ou of the Royal Palace of Cool Cornucopia. Robbie recently retired after 30 years on 702, having built an unrivalled reputation on air for professionalism, integrity and fairness. Ben Voss is a comedian, actor and playwright, best known for his portrayal of the fictional South African businesswoman, Beauty Ramapelepele, using the alter ego of Beauty to deliver satirical social commentary. In Snow White, Ben will play the role of the Wicked Queen Hildegonda Hoggenham. Snow White also features two of South Africa’s most highly acclaimed rising theatre stars, Kiruna-Lind Devar (Sweet Charity, Saturday Night Fever, Evita) as the Princess
Desmond Dube is Dame Dolla Diddledaddledoodledragon in Snow White Also in the all-South African cast are (in alphabetical order) Oscar Buthelezi, Matt Counihan, Sne Dladla, Daniel Keith Geddes, Emil Haarhoff, Dirk Joubert, Saxola Ketshengane, Sebe Leotlela, Dolly Louw, Namisa Mdlalose, Noni Mkhonto, Sabelo Radebe, Senzesihle Radebe, JP Rossouw, Kaylan Sabbadin, Nicol Sheraton, Nkanyiso Shezi, Lindo Sithole and Sarah-Ann Van Der Merwe. Snow White is written and directed by Janice Honeyman, with musical direction by Coenraad Rall and choreography by Nicol Sheraton. Bernard Jay serves as executive producer of this, his 18th Janice Honeyman pantomime. ‘Each year, Joburg Theatre audiences expect us to exceed with surprises and to go over-the-top with spectacle,’ says Executive Producer of the panto, Bernard Jay. ‘Janice Snow White with the seven dwarves
Honeyman and the team have been “shopping” for effects around the world and I know that this production of Snow
and Tshepo Ncokoane (Janice Honeyman’s Sleeping Beauty, Priscilla, The Color Purple) as Prince Chuck B Charming. ‘This is the reason why I love doing the pantos. Ncokoane has been a really faithful chorus member for quite a few years, getting a little bit more of a part every year and now
White will live up to our panto reputation in every aspect.’ Janice Honeyman’s Snow White will be on the stage of The Nelson Mandela Theatre at Joburg Theatre from 3 November to 23 December 2018. Performance times vary according to the Festive Season
this year he is playing Prince Chuck B Charming. Seeing
schedule – consult www.joburgtheatre.com to get exact
them go through the ranks, seeing them learn the techniques
dates and times. CF
of pantomime and finally being able to take on lead roles, that is something I enjoy doing very much. I enjoy working
Tickets range from R245 – R375 and can be booked
with a cast of young people whom we can teach and older
at www.joburgtheatre.com or by calling 0861 670 670.
people who can do the teaching but can also borrow some of
Theatre patrons can also book online and pay at selected
the young energy,’ says Honeyman.
Pick N Pay stores.
Creative Feel / November 2018 / 53
ARTLOOKS & ARTLINES |
ISMAIL MAHOMED
John Kani & Robert Whitehead in a thinking person’s play
John Kani, Robert Whitehead and Lesedi Job. PHOTOS Thandile Zwelibanzi
I
n June this year, an opulent 187-year-old mansion in
Africa Museum, which was founded by King Leopold II and
France belonging to King Leopold II of Belgium went on
which, for a century, had neglected to tell the story of his
sale for a whopping $410 million. The 14-bedroom villa,
rule, hosted an academic conference in order to ascertain
which has an Olympic-size swimming pool and is set
the ‘historic truth’ behind Adam Hochschild’s book, King
in a glamorous coastal enclave close to Nice, is considered
Leopold’s Ghost, a haunting account of a megalomaniac of
to be the ‘world’s most expensive house’ and was built for
monstrous proportions, a man as cunning, charming, and
the King of Belgium using his profits from land-grabs in the
cruel as any of the great Shakespearean villains.
Congo. Close neighbours of the palatial home include British
Veteran South African actors John Kani and Robert
composer Andrew Lloyd Webber and the late US tech-tycoon
Whitehead have come together at the Market Theatre to
Paul Allen.
star in a gut-wrenching political thriller, CONGO The Trial
In December last year, student activists at the Queen
of King Leopold II, directed by award-winning director
Mary University of London tore down two plaques
Lesedi Job. Adapted from Mark Twain’s King Leopold’s
commemorating a visit to the British university by King
Soliloquy about his defence for his Congo rule, the script
Leopold II of Belgium. Students claimed that the plaques
has been developed by Kani, Whitehead and Job with
were offensive to ethnic minority students because they ‘pay
financial support from the Thabo Mbeki Foundation.
homage to a genocidal colonialist’ and should be removed.
CONGO The Trial of King Leopold II is an imagined encounter
The 19th-century monarch visited it in 1887 when he laid the
between Advocate Xola Mlambo (Kani) and King Leopold
University’s library’s foundation stone.
(Whitehead) about the 23-year rule of the Congo by King
If King Leopold II were alive today, there is no doubt
Leopold II. During this period, more than 10 million Africans
that he would be on trial at The Hague for genocide and
were massacred without him even setting foot in the Congo.
crimes against humanity for his exploits in the Congo at the cusp of the 19th and 20th centuries. In 2005, Belgium’s
54 / Creative Feel / November 2018
Under his rule, the Congo Free State, suffered a decline in population from 20 million to 10 million as his colonial
“Kani and Whitehead star in a deeply moving portrait that brings to life this largely untold story about an African holocaust with wit and skill to expose these crimes against humanity articulated in Hochschild’s book. On stage together at the Market Theatre for the first time since the 1980s, these two theatre titans immerse themselves in an emotional and heartwrenching performance ” agents implemented a brutal regime of forced labour. Belgian agents would enter a village and hold the women and children hostage until the men would head into the forest, find rubber trees, tap them, and return with
performance that is given volume and credibility through an
superhuman quotas of sap. Many were worked to death, or
added local angle.
else killed. If agents killed those held to ransom, they might
CONGO The Trial of King Leopold II is a powerful re-
chop off their hands, to prove that the bullets used hadn’t
imagination of the terror reigned over an African nation.
been wasted on game.
This is the thinking person’s kind of theatre production and
If you were King Leopold II how would you structure
could not be left in finer hands than the trio of multi-award-
your defence? Are the numbers of people who were
winning stars John Kani, Robert Whitehead and Lesedi Job.
massacred exaggerated? Did they die from other causes?
The show is currently on at the Market Theatre until
Was King Leopold II even aware that he ordered such
11 November 2018. CF
barbaric acts? With Kani in the role of Advocate Xola Mlambo and Whitehead as King Leopold II, the tragedy of the Congo – too long forgotten – is brought into our consciousness with great power and compassion. This deeply moving portrait brings to life this largely
Artlooks & Artlines is a monthly column
untold story about an African holocaust with wit and skill
written by ISMAIL
MAHOMED,
to expose these crimes against humanity articulated in
CEO of the Market Theatre Foundation.
Hochschild’s book. On stage together at the Market Theatre for the first time since the 1980s, these two theatre titans immerse themselves in an emotional and heart-wrenching
Creative Feel / November 2018 / 55
PHOTOS © Embo Photography
NMB FASHION WEEK MBDA POWERS
TO SUCCESS
56 / Creative Feel / November 2018
Tramways Building
The Mandela Bay Development Agency (MBDA) is an entity of the Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality with a specific mandate centred on urban renewal. The Agency, now in its 14th year, was established to halt the economic regression and eventual decay state of the central business district of Port Elizabeth. Back then, the City witnessed high levels of capital flight and increasing numbers of vacant commercial properties.
F
ast forward to 2018, the inner-city of Port Elizabeth is in a much better state, but even more interestingly, arts, culture, creativity and fashion are beginning to thrive in the City. This is in part thanks
to the MBDA’s approach of incorporating creative arts into public space upgrade projects and restorations. Infusing art into public spaces has been a signature imprint of the MBDA across its precincts. What this approach has achieved is a revival of the creative industries, it has brought opportunities to local artists, and has livenend up public spaces. Most of the artists who have worked with the MBDA have gone on to open successful galleries, sell
Creative Feel / November 2018 / 57
“The Nelson Mandela Bay Fashion Week is a fashion platform aimed at marketing and exposing designers to other platforms around the rest of Southern Africa. The platform focuses on local Nelson Mandela Bay talent that is previously unexposed and brings them forth into the limelight” their works abroad, develop trading networks and contribute to the revitalisation of Nelson Mandela Bay. The completion of the Tramways building restoration has added a huge boost to the creative industries by acting as a platform, a marketplace and a meeting point for the business of arts and consumers. The elegant and trendy Tramways building has been a fitting host to one of the signature events in the City’s calendar, the Nelson Mandela Bay Fashion Week. Now in its third year, the initiative has gone from strength to strength, in part due to the support and partnership forged with the MBDA. The Nelson Mandela Bay Fashion Week is a fashion platform aimed at marketing and exposing designers to other platforms around the rest of Southern Africa. The platform focuses on local Nelson Mandela Bay talent that is previously unexposed and brings them forth into the limelight. This is an annual platform. 2018 was a bigger, bolder and better edition of this annual three-day initiative, an inclusive and diverse offering. The three-night show saw designers from across the country converge at the Tramways building to put on a spectacular showpiece. As far as the MBDA is concerned, the initiative is more than an event, it’s a prestigious platform for fashion designers, both emerging and highly experienced. The platform brings academia, highly skilled designers, motivated models, interested businesses and other key stakeholders that form part of the value chain for fashion.
58 / Creative Feel / November 2018
This project is crucial for the City, which is struggling with a growing youth unemployment rate. Fashion as an industry contributes greatly to job creation and shows big potential, especially when big names like Laduma Ngxokolo of Maxhosa endorse the platform and stand behind it. The MBDA has supported the Fashion Week this year by providing both the venue and the printing of a magazine that covered both the fashion and some of the key role players in fashion development in the City. The Fashion Week has grown immensely over the last few years, with some key successes. For example, Ngxokolo is now a partner to the programme, selected designers are given a platform to have their ranges in stores, there are active partnerships with Amarula and Renault, and there has been an endorsement by the Nelson Mandela University
“As far as the MBDA is concerned,
Fashion and Textiles School.
the initiative is more than an
this initiative and looks forward to a bigger and
event, it’s a prestigious platform for fashion designers, both emerging and highly experienced”
The MBDA is proud to be associated with more impactful 2019 edition. CF For more info, visit www.fashionweek.co.za Email: llewellyn@nmbfw.co.za Find more on the MBDA at www.mbda.co.za Tel: 041 811 8200 | Email: create@mbda.co.za
Creative Feel / November 2018 / 59
Groundbreaking exhibition
remembered by Strauss & Co in its forthcoming sale
Strauss & Co’s forthcoming November sale in Johannesburg includes a session titled An Unsung History that is dedicated to highlighting the achievements of unheralded modernist artists working through the country's most tumultuous periods.
T
he themed session includes early pioneers like Ernest Mancoba, John Koenakeefe Mohl, Gerard Sekoto and Moses Tladi. The special session is intended to commemorate a groundbreaking
event held three decades ago at Johannesburg’s premier public art institution.
Sydney Kumalo Horse and Rider
On 23 November 1988, curator Steven Sack presented his landmark exhibition, The Neglected Tradition:
Tladi was the first black artist to be exhibited at
Towards a New History of South African Art (1930-1988),
the South African National Gallery. His work Mountain
at the Johannesburg Art Gallery. Informed by an earlier
Landscape (estimate R80 000 – 120 000) portrays Mont-
1986 exhibition of works by, among others, painters
aux-Sources in his typically enraptured manner. Mohl,
Ephraim Ngatane and George Pemba, at the Alliance
who appeared on Sack’s Neglected Tradition, is represented
Française, Pretoria, Sack’s 1988 exhibition was widely
by a pastoral scene painted in Serowe, Botswana (estimate
hailed for casting a spotlight on a neglected canon of
R40 000 – 60 000).
black artists. Along with Sekoto, Pemba and Ngatane are now well-
The sale also includes a strong selection of sculptures by, among others, Jackson Hlungwani, Noria Mabasa,
known figures at auction. In March 2009, at its debut sale
Phillip Rikhotso, Cyprian Shilakoe, Winston Saoli and
in Johannesburg, Strauss & Co sold Pemba’s portrait of a
Lucas Sithole, as well as Zimbabweans Tapfuma Gutsa and
dapper musician, The Guitar Player (1977), for R401 040.
Brother Andrew.
Standout offerings from Strauss & Co’s selection of
Dr Phuthuma Seoka’s carved and painted wood
overlooked and unsung artists from the past century
figures, Page vs. Coetzee (estimate R40 000 – 60 000),
includes two oils by Ngatane and Sekoto’s Women and Baby
depicts two prominent heavyweight boxers from the
in the Street (estimate R800 000 – 1.2 million), which was
1980s and reads like an allegory of the politically
painted shortly after his return to Pretoria in 1947.
troubled period it was created in.
60 / Creative Feel / November 2018
Wilfred Delporte, Morning
Phillip Rikhotso Mr Baboon
“The range and depth of talent South Africa produced throughout the 20th century is truly astonishing. We are an auction house – not a museum – and our aim with this specially themed section of our sale is to stimulate collector interest in the diversity and variety of South Africa’s art history.” throughout the 20th century is truly astonishing,’ says
IMPORTANT SOUTH AFRICAN AND INTERNATIONAL ART AUCTION
Susie Goodman, a director at Strauss & Co. ‘We are an
Monday 12 November 2018
auction house – not a museum – and our aim with this
14:00 Session One
specially themed section of our sale is to stimulate
18:00 Session Two
collector interest in the diversity and variety of South
20:00 Session Three
‘The range and depth of talent South Africa produced
Africa’s art history. Our aim is to broaden appreciation among collectors by introducing them to overlooked
VENUE
artists and practices from this country.’
The Wanderers Club
Strauss & Co is a global leader for South African art
Ballroom, 21 North Street, Illovo, Johannesburg
and has sold nine of the ten most expensive paintings ever auctioned in South Africa. The An Unsung History sale
PREVIEW
forms part of the company’s day-long sale of modern and
Friday 9 to Sunday 11 November from 10:00 to 17:00
contemporary art at the Wanderers Club in Johannesburg on 12 November 2018. For further details consult the website:
WALKABOUTS
www.straussart.co.za CF
Saturday 10 and Sunday 11 November at 11:00
Creative Feel / November 2018 / 61
MASTERING AN ART AUCTION Dr Alastair Meredith
During the FNB JoburgArtFair 2018, Strauss
Creative Feel: Could you give us a brief background on art
& Co Senior Art Specialist Dr Alastair Meredith
auctions? How long have they been in existence and how
gave an enlightening talk at the Strauss & Co Art Hub at Keyes Art Mile on ‘How an Auction Works’. As we all know, art is not just about aesthetics and can often be a
have they grown over the years? Dr Alastair Meredith: What we know today as Sotheby’s was founded in London in 1744 by Samuel Baker, while James Christie established his eponymous London saleroom in 1766. It’s amazing to think that these auction houses pre-date the city’s local museums. The
sound investment, but as a new investor,
Dulwich Picture Gallery only opened to the public in
participating in an art auction is sometimes
It’s worth noting too that international salerooms in
daunting, not only in terms of choosing the right artwork but also in understanding the very specific terminology that is used. Creative Feel sat down with Dr Meredith to find out a bit more about art auctions, get
1817, for instance, and the National Gallery in 1824. the 18th and 19th centuries were typically dominated by dealers as opposed to private collectors, and these dealers were helping to bolster major royal and aristocratic collections. Auction houses started attracting more private buyers in the 20th century, and the real fireworks started from the 1980s. Locally, the first major art auction was held by Sotheby
some advice on bidding, and clarify basic
Parke Bernet in Braamfontein in November 1971 (in
auction terminology.
London auctioneer was in the rostrum, but the sale was
62 / Creative Feel / November 2018
the space now occupied by the Wits Art Museum). A
"When valuing a work we consider the results of similar examples that have appeared on the secondary market in the recent past."
driven by German émigré
R21 million, for instance, while Pierneef’s spectacular
Reinhold Cassirer. Cassirer’s
painting of Twin Peaks, Stellenbosch made R20 million last
key protégé was a young
year in the company’s Johannesburg saleroom.
Stephan Welz, who went on to dominate the auction scene
CF: Strauss & Co operates at the same standard as the
after establishing Stephan
international greats like Christie’s, Sotheby’s, Bonhams, etc.,
Welz & Co. in association
but how do you differ?
with Sotheby’s. After selling
AM: A good number of Strauss & Co’s staff have international
up in 2006, Welz came out of
experience at Christie’s and Sotheby’s, so the company is
retirement in 2008 to found
modelled to some extent in their images. We certainly put the
Strauss & Co, which quickly
same emphasis on objectivity, honesty, transparency, accuracy
became the global leader in
and client confidentiality. Christie’s and Sotheby’s have an
the South African art market.
endless list of wide-ranging departments, of course, and
The company holds the records
while Strauss & Co handles a good number of international
for nine of the ten most expensive paintings ever sold
items, we tend to focus on South African art, decorative arts
at auction in South Africa, and has pioneered online
and jewellery. A defining difference between us and the other
auctions in the country too.
international heavyweights is our commission rate, which is typically at least half of what is offered elsewhere, both to our
CF: What have been some exciting auction highlights over the years, both internationally and for Strauss & Co?
buyers and sellers. Strauss & Co is also committed to education. As local
AM: Major auction records have continued to tumble, here
collectors are usually starved of quality museum shows and
and abroad. Works by Picasso, Munch, Modigliani, Van Gogh,
exhibitions, we think carefully about how we present, curate
Rothko and Bacon have pushed prices through the
and contextualise our sales. We have a year-long programme
$100 million ceiling, while eye-watering prices for living
of lectures and talks under the banner of Strauss Education,
artists like Jeff Koons, Gerhard Richter and Damien Hirst
and support a number of art-related charities.
remain headline news. We expect a new high mark for a living artist to be established when David Hockney’s Portrait
CF: How do you go about valuing an artwork? And why
of an Artist (Pool with Two Figures) goes under the hammer
do two works by the same artist sometimes differ greatly
at Christie’s in November (its low estimate has been set at
in price?
$80 million). These figures pale into insignificance, however,
AM: Our role as an auction house is to suggest market-
against the recent sale of Da Vinci’s controversial Salvator
related low and high estimates for each artwork. In order
Mundi that fetched $450 million!
to do this, we rely in the main on auction precedent.
Strauss & Co has followed these record-breaking trends,
Essentially, when valuing a work we consider the results
and has set new marks for most major South African artists.
of similar examples that have appeared on the secondary
Strauss & Co sold Irma Stern’s Two Arabs for just over
market in the recent past. There are occasions, of course,
Creative Feel / November 2018 / 63
Irma Stern SOUTH AFRICAN 1894-1966 Still Life with Watermelon, Flowers and Grapes Signed and dated 1933 Oil on canvas 57 x 42,5cm R1 800 000 – 2 400 000
Jacob Hendrik Pierneef SOUTH AFRICAN 1886-1957 Cinnamon Mill, Seychelles Signed and dated 1954 Oil on canvas 65,5 x 86cm R4 000 000 – 5 000 000
when a specific work is singled out as a special example. A
authenticity, but it also might give a work an exciting
work might have a wonderful provenance, for instance, be
edge. A work with a headline-grabbing provenance, for
of historical significance, or come from the moment in an
instance, will more than likely generate more interest
artist’s career considered to be his or her best.
at auction. The best recent example is perhaps the David Bowie Collection that went under the hammer in
CF: What is provenance and how does it contribute to the
London. The collection – which included a good number
value of an artwork?
of South African works – caused enormous excitement,
AM: Provenance is the particular history of an artwork.
and prompted fanatical bidding.
Provenance might include where and why a work was produced, who owned it, where it might have been
CF: There is often the ‘belief’ that prices for an artist’s
exhibited, what awards it might have won, or where it
work skyrocket upon their death, is this true?
may have been illustrated. Provenance helps establish
AM: This is quite often the case, but no, it’s not always
64 / Creative Feel / November 2018
will sell the lot to the commission bidder at the lowest possible amount. Absentee bids are perfect for those who would prefer to keep emotion out of the process, or simply cannot or do not wish to attend an auction. CF: What is the difference between an estimate and a reserve? Can an artwork sell for below the reserve price? AM: The estimates attached to a work represent the broad and market-related range between which a lot might sell. The estimates are always published. The reserve price for a work remains confidential, but can never be set above the low estimate. The reserve price acts as the seller’s safety net, and the auctioneer can never sell an artwork below it. CF: What are the costs to the seller of auctioning an artwork? Is there a fee charged if the artwork doesn’t sell? AM: Our seller’s commission is set at 12%. This is the percentage deducted from the winning hammer price. VAT is also deducted, but is related to the commission only. There are no other fees whatsoever due to Strauss & Co. The commission covers the insurance of the artwork throughout the process, as well as the related photography, cataloguing, marketing and storage costs. Moreover, should a work not sell at Strauss & Co, the seller would not be charged a cent. CF: What is the ‘hammer price’? Is this the final price that the buyer pays or are there other cost implications that they need to take into account? true. Naturally, after the artist’s death his or her oeuvre
AM: The hammer price is the winning bid. It is the figure
is finite. As the artist can no longer supply works into the
upon which the auctioneer’s gavel falls. It is not, however,
market, it might follow that prices increase. The reality is
the final price paid by the buyer. The final price includes the
that artists are just as often forgotten after their deaths.
buyer’s premium and VAT.
CF: How does one bid at an auction? And what is the
CF: Is there any advice you would give to someone who
difference between a telephone bid and an absentee
wants to buy at auction for the first time?
written bid?
AM: We’re always trying to bust the myth that the auction
AM: Bidding at auction is as simple as raising one’s
world is opaque and intimidating. That couldn’t be further
paddle! Of course, in order to be issued a paddle one
from the truth. Bidding will always set the heart racing,
has to register beforehand. This is a straightforward and
but buying art at auction is very simple and transparent.
quick process. A telephone bid is executed by a Strauss
My advice would be to attend as many auctions as you
& Co employee on the telephone’s bidder’s behalf. An
can to get a feel for the atmosphere, the rhythm of the
absentee bid – which is sometimes called a commission
bidding, and the basic etiquette. Most importantly, ask
bid – is lodged with the auctioneer before the auction
questions! We are always happy to explain the entire
begins. It is the maximum amount one would be prepared
process, and even more delighted to talk about specific
to pay for a particular lot. This bid remains anonymous,
pictures and sculptures on our sales. One should always
and the auctioneer will bid up to this figure if need be.
bid on what one loves, but doing one’s homework will
Should there be no other bidding, however, the auctioneer
always stand one in good stead. CF
Creative Feel / November 2018 / 65
Tamara James, Exude
The Care of the Self Tamara James confides at the outset that she comes from a family with a long history of mental illness. In stating this fact, she does not seek to reconcile herself to a fallibility, but to find her own point of flight. It is as an artist that James uncovers the surest route to – momentary – recoveries.
T
WORDS: ASHRAF JAMAL
he question remains: what defines health, and
far more thrilling, is the quest, always, to become the other
what ill health? As Michel Foucault has pointed
of our afflicted self.
out in Discipline and Punish, the so-called ‘normal’ only possesses its cogency – its ‘truth’ – because
In The Care of the Self, Michel Foucault underscores this drive. ‘I don’t think it is necessary to know exactly what I
of the so-called ‘abnormal’. At every turn we are policed,
am. The main interest in life and work is to become someone
measured, judged, because, as Foucault reminds us, we are
else that you were not in the beginning.’ For those who
all caught in a ‘panopticon’, pitted against each other, and
believe in consistency, or imagine life to be a calibrated arc,
surveilled at every instance.
Foucault’s view may be threatening, for what he supports is
However, for an artist such as Tamara James, who has taken illness – her own and that experienced by others – and
not a piecemeal alteration of being but a stark shift. Foucault’s reasoning behind this view stems from his
made it the core and substrate of her work, we need not be
abiding suspicion that ‘self-knowledge’ is a hoax, that
divided against ourselves, and need not be the victim of
we live in doubt and confusion and fear, and that we
another’s judgement. For what also awaits us, and which is
cannot apprehend who and what we are in advance. The
66 / Creative Feel / November 2018
great adventure in life is to surprise oneself. Now Johann
Between the idea
Wolfgang von Goethe too shared this view. ‘From early on
And the reality
I have suspected that so important-sounding task “Know
Between the motion
Thyself” is a ruse of a cabal of priests. They are trying to
And the act
seduce man from activity in the outside world, to distract
Falls the Shadow
him with impossible demands: they seek to draw him into
…
false inner contemplation. Man only knows himself insofar
Between the conception
as he knows the world.’
And the creation
For an artist such as James, who, I imagine, follows an
Between the emotion
elaborate routine of self-care, Foucault’s blithe embrace
And the response
of radical extremes of being may seem daunting, and yet,
Falls the Shadow
when reviewing the artist’s own summation of her work, we
…
find ourselves caught between an abyssal entrapment and a
Between the desire
yearning to ‘arc’ and ‘flex’ the better to create a being that is
And the spasm
not the victim of the pathology assigned to it. And it is for
Between the potency
this reason too that I would venture that, like Goethe, James
And the existence
must reconcile introspection with a greater will to belong
Between the essence
and participate in the greater world.
And the descent
With the artist, then, we are on a psychological journey that comprises a variety of physical-emotional-psychic-
Falls the Shadow (Extract from The Hollow Men)
spiritual states, among them extension, frustration, preservation, confidence, release. That said, James’ works
These words, which I have cherished for a lifetime, find
are not a pictorial shorthand for a discourse on mental
their uncanny echo in the works by James, for she too has
health. Made up of uncluttered black and white images of
intuited a night-world – the Shadow – at the core of every
body parts, what James, in effect, gives us is the electrified
transaction, yearning, hope or belief.
tension within being itself. Strikingly dramatic, suggestive
The glistening and fragmented allure of his photographs –
in part of a dancer’s movements – an arabesque – James’
images which refuse the conventional understanding of what
images conjure moments of being.
a photograph does – seem to bring the shadow to the fore. It
Each of these moments, however, is haunted. It is as
is as though the artist cannot satisfactorily adhere to some
though each physical expression is snagged. This sensation, or
balance or negotiation – between idea and reality, conception
intuition on my part, finds its echo in the words of TS Eliot:
and creation, the desire and the spasm – without accepting darkness. That said, there is not inherent morbidity in these works – they are not pathological but triumphal. Which returns us to Foucault and the care of the self. That ‘self’ for which we care is not some fetish or curiosity that we water and nurture, that ‘self’ is the core mystery of our being. It is all the more damningly ironic therefore that in today’s world it is precisely the ‘self’ that is squandered and trivialised. Against this genocide of the self, we find James, an artist who has embraced her own fragility, and then translated that fragility. Her inkjet prints, which bisect and fragment the human body – thereby spilling and liquefying its illusory substantiveness – are a keen reminder of our inherent aqueousness. We are not the projected ideal we imagine ourselves to be, and neither are we the sum of the flaw within that gnaws at us. The ‘shadow’ that lies between our hopes and dreams is not necessarily an obstacle. Indeed, as Eliot and James both realise, the shadow is, in fact, the veil and the pivot, which, when embraced, will allow us to free ourselves, if only momentarily, from bondage. CF
Tamara James, Clench Creative Feel / November 2018 / 67
COLLECTING FOR THE FUTURE |
RUARC PEFFERS
In Boksburg by David Boldblatt
INVESTING IN ART ONLINE
A
spire Art Auctions has consistently led the market
subsantail growth of Christie’s database – up to 30% of its
in terms of technological innovation. One of the
new clients each year.
key areas in which the auction house has opened up new horizons is in the field of online sales, a
In the South African market, the online platform serves a similar purpose. Because of its lower price points and
growing area of commercial interest for the fine art auction
accessibility, buying art online attracts a wider audience that
industry. Reliable figures are not available for the South African
doesn’t have to deal with the perceived barriers to entry that
market for online auction sales of fine art. However, in 2017,
go along with participating in live auctions.
global online sales of art and collectables were estimated at
Aspire has brought several innovations to the South
$3.75 billion, an increase of 15% over 2016, according to the
African online art auction space. This year we have launched
fifth annual Online Art Trade Report, published annually by
the concept of themed auctions, which brings more focus
insurance company Hiscox. This is steady growth, from a low
and ease of navigation for participating buyers. Sales of
base, and represents almost 10% of a global market that recent
contemporary art, prints and multiples, and art books have
reports have valued at $45 billion or higher.
all been met with success.
One of the global market leaders for online sales is
Often the volume of work, and the wide range and variety
auction house Christie’s, whose internet sales last year
on offer because it can be accommodated on the online
generated $72.4 million, an increase of 12% year-on-year.
platform, can prove intimidating to the buyer. Themed
Perhaps more important than the revenue they generate,
auctions circumvent these issues and enable collectors to
these sales produce a major influx of new customers, causing
pick out their favourites easier.
68 / Creative Feel / November 2018
David Goldblatt, Carvings for sale on William Nicol Drive, Bryanston, 3 July 1999. Black and white gelatin print. 20 x 25cm
Carvings for sale on William Nicol Drive, Bryanston, 3 July 1999, sell for R82 075, almost five times its high estimate. Ever-innovative, Aspire has also brought the first smartphone app for online auctions to the South African market. The increasing adoption by clients of the smartphone app to interface with the online auctions demonstrates the growth and development of the sales channel. For Aspire, increasing support for online also means more royalty payments to living South African artists under the terms of the company’s pioneering Artist’s Resale Rights initiative, still the only one in the country to generate royalties for visual art sales in the auction market. In line with its strategic approach to themed online auctions, Aspire’s last sale for 2018 offers an extensive range of top quality art books and collectable contemporary art prior to the year-end holidays. Aspire is seeing the whole platform gaining traction in the South African market, following the growth curve of online buying in Europe and the US. CF
In the case of art book sales, there is a dedicated collector base, and Aspire has had notable successes this year with two online sales that featured art books prominently. In the most recent of these, special presentation editions of a monograph on Norman Catherine, edited by Hazel Friedman and Ashraf Jamal and offered in the artist’s original wooden case, and a leatherbound special edition of Goldblatt’s seminal collection
The Human Race by Robert Hodgins
from the early 1980s, In Boksburg, both sold for R23 450. Many other art book editions and rarities sold for well over their high estimates as art book dealers and general art book collectors realise that Aspire is the place to be for selling their precious volumes, and they can do so with the
Every month the MD of Aspire Art Auctions,
ease of the online platform. The same is true of the quality
RUARC PEFFERS, contributes a
offerings in the contemporary art sphere. For example, a
column on the business of collecting and
recent Aspire Timed Online Auction saw an exceptionally
investing in art.
rare hand-printed photograph by the iconic and recentlydeceased South African fine art photographer Goldblatt,
Creative Feel / November 2018 / 69
THE ART OF PERFORMANCE |
DAVE MANN
Billie Zagewa Stolen moments, 2017. Silk tapestry, 119cm x 138 cm. Courtesy of the artist and blank projects
The fragmented language of
T
collage
he collage forms an important, but often overlooked
consumption of information, such as self-curated timelines
role in the realms of visual art. It’s provided a
or invisible algorithms that collect our reading or viewing
longstanding metaphor for the advents of mass-
patterns before processing and feeding them back to us in
production and consumption, as well as notions of
the form of adverts, suggested links, or even AI-generated
the readymade, the fragmented, in our daily lives. The writer, academic and theatremaker Jane Taylor
prompts in our Gmail accounts. All of this considered, I think collage can be seen as
recently highlighted to me, South Africa’s particular
a medium that’s crucial to our understanding of history,
preoccupation with archival information, explaining
fragmented realities and experiences, and the ways in which
that this is partly due to our desires to fill in the gaps, or
we engage with various forms and streams of information.
correct the skewed versions of history created by colonial
Collage art in South Africa ranges from traditional cut-
and apartheid legacies. But we also hold a distrust for
and-paste techniques, to the increasingly prevalent digital
the archive, and in this way, the archive can be seen as
collage art. Many of these artists explore notions of history,
something that’s taken in fragments – picked apart and
memory, identity, consumption, performance, and more
rectified, or used for only its more vital parts.
through their work.
Technology, the internet, and social media have also
Cape Town-based artist Jody Paulsen employs felt in
played their part in these fragmentary and disproportionate
his works, many of which have been exhibited both locally
access points to information. Not in the way of an
and abroad. Paulsen’s work is also a stunning example of
information overload, because the world’s libraries were
collage as a direct response and resolution to the notions
just as rich and full before we gained the internet, but more
of consumerism, identity, and mass-production. Through
so how we engage with that information. Social networks
the use of felt, which Paulsen says complements his love for
allow anyone with an internet connection to access or add
play, craft, and hobby, the artist makes use of various pop-
to information archives, contributing their own narratives or
culture iconography, logos, and advertising clichés to deliver
ways of understanding to a particular history or narrative in
a simultaneously wry and flamboyant collage technique.
a way that’s faster and more accessible than ever before. But
Paulsen’s work also includes various fonts, often taken from
there are also factors that can limit our access to a broader
fashion and fast food brands. When I interviewed the artist
70 / Creative Feel / November 2018
lends a strong textural and seemingly tangible element to something as intangible as memory, melancholy, or whimsy. Olatunji Sanusi is another artist who works with collage techniques to brilliant ends. Known for his large-scale works of African cultural icons, Sanusi uses multi-coloured pieces of paper sourced from magazines and other printed media to create intricate portraits. ‘I don’t think I go a day without pasting paper onto canvas,’ the artist explains in a Creative Feel interview earlier this year. ‘Even on the weekends, if it’s just for five or ten minutes, I’ll be working with paper.’ While Sanusi’s work doesn’t feature much of the composition of traditional collage works, close viewings of his works reveal an impromptu cohesion between the readymade, the free-spirited process of cut-and-paste techniques, and the written word. In one of his works, strips of paper used to form a woman’s shirt collar, for example, feature the words Jody Paulsen, Emotional Ninja, 2015 Felt Collage. 250 x 236 cm
‘heritage’ and ‘inspirational’. ‘A lot of the time that comes about naturally,’ he explains. ‘I don’t go out looking for specific words or phrases, but they’ll present themselves to me.’ Before 2018 FNB JoburgArtFair Featured Artist Billie Zangewa began creating her signature silk collage pieces,
in 2016, he explained how his work is a result of his daily
she experimented with printmaking and sculpture, the
thoughts, observations and interactions with contemporary
influences of which are evident in her work today. Zangewa’s
media and society. Once resolving or condensing these
collages deal with the introspective gaze and often look at
thoughts, he said, the work would begin to take shape.
the effects of technology in daily human interactions, as well
‘I tend to have obsessive thoughts, which I record quite meticulously in my diary every day. I collage these thoughts
as performativity in city and urban spaces. Digital artist Tabita Rezaire draws on collage
into a text similar to the way one would write a poem. Once I
techniques in her videographic and printed works, many
have resolved the text in my diary, I start recreating the text
of which result in a kaleidoscope of identity, wellness,
in felt. I give the text another edit and then I start sourcing
technology, spirituality, and history. Rezaire’s videos
imagery that resonates with my text. Once I have all of these
can, at times, feel like a brief and overwhelming trip to
elements, the work becomes a puzzle.’
the far corners of the internet, or perhaps the mind of a
Another artist who takes a fascinating approach to collage is Cape Town-based Sitaara Stodel. Stodel has a
contemporary internet-user. Above all else, I enjoy the medium of collage for its sense
background in photography and her relationship with the
of play, as well as its accessibility, both to those who view
medium is evident in her collage works. ‘I tend to make
it and those who practice it. Now, in the times of fake news,
collages about my memories, and memories are often
sponsored posts, pop-up ads, and the same fascination and
blurred into each other, or fabricated from a photograph
curiosity with history that’s always been around, collage may
you saw or a dream you had,’ the artist explains in a 10and5
be a medium that’s more vital than ever. CF
article about her work. ‘So for me, the surrealist nature of collage lends to the work I create around memory.’ Stodel’s collages make use of repurposed and manipulated photographs – some found, others her own – and can even be said to veer into the realms of assemblage
DAVE MANN is an editor and
through her use of layered, 3D pieces and fragmented
award-winning arts journalist.
imagery. Some works stand out like pop-up books, while others resemble terrains and topographies. Perhaps my favourite thing about Stodel’s work is the way in which it
Creative Feel / November 2018 / 71
Upcoming auctions in Johannesburg for
Stephan Welz & Co.
With the last three sales for the year swiftly approaching, Stephan Welz & Co. look forward to once more presenting exquisite items in a number of categories – showcasing extraordinary quality across various departments.
Jacobus Hendrik Pierneef, Grassland With Trees
O
Johannes Meintjes, Rural Lovers
Jan Ernst Abraham Volschenk, Meiringspoort
n 11 November, Stephan Welz & Co. will be
features a fine selection of South African landscapes and
holding a jewellery sale with viewing from Friday
mountain scenes by the likes of Tinus de Jongh and Jan
9 November, followed shortly by an online art
Ernst Abraham Volschenk, as well as the Michaelis School of
auction running from 13 to 20 November.
Fine Arts Twenty Prints (1951 – 1953) portfolio comprising
For the online art sale, collectors will have a selection
works on paper by artists such as Walter Battiss, Gregoire
of quality artworks to choose from. Highlights on the
Boonzaier, Maggie Laubser, JH Pierneef, Alexis Preller, Irma
online auction include a selection of Walter Battiss
Stern, Maurice Van Essche and Jean Welz.
works on paper, the Henry Moore West Wind Relief
Since the launch of the online auction platform Welz
artist’s book with accompanying etching, a Colin Jones
Online in September, Stephan Welz & Co. are proud to report
photograph of The Who and Judith Mason’s The Gospel
that the platform has seen an influx of interest for online
According to Judas.
buyers. Look out for the new app, available from the iOS and
Stephan Welz & Co.’s 2018 sales will end on a high note with their year-end live auction in Johannesburg scheduled
Google Play app stores. Stephan Welz & Co. look forward to seeing you at the
for 27 November. The sale promises an exciting selection
Killarney Country Club from 22 November for the viewing, and
of artworks, classic cars, furniture, silverware and Judaica,
Tuesday 27 November for the year-end sale. CF
among other categories. The art session has a variety of highlights, including
CONTACT STEPHAN WELZ & CO.
works by South African artists such as JH Pierneef,
www.stephanwelzandco.co.za
Adriaan Boshoff, Gregoire Boonzaier, Nelson Makamo,
JOHANNESBURG | 011 880 3125 | jhb@stephanwelzandco.co.za
Dorothy Kay, Johannes Meintjes, Judith Mason, and
CAPE TOWN | 021 794 6461 | ct@stephanwelzandco.co.za
Vladimir Tretchikoff, to name a few. The auction also
PRETORIA | 078 074 2721 | pta@stephanwelzandco.co.za
72 / Creative Feel / November 2018
Welcome to our new beginning.
w w w. s t e p h a n we l z a n d c o.c o. z a Register | Consign | Bid Anywhere & Anytime
TM
Creative Feel / November 2018 / 73 D ow n l o ad the Ste pha n Welz & Co. a pp for even greater a ccessa bility, ava ila ble on:
25 YEARS
OF POSITIVE ACT has created a lasting impact CHANGE: How in the South African arts sector
ACT | DALRO | Nedbank Scholarships 2017 PHOTO Suzy Bernstein.
When it comes to the arts, South Africa has a long and rich history. Over the years, there has been no shortage of talented and passionate arts practitioners, facilitators,
ACT Awards 2015 Lifetime Achievement Winners
K
nown to arts practitioners and enthusiasts alike as ‘ACT’, the Arts & Culture Trust is the oldest funding agency in democratic South Africa. Founded in 1994, ACT was born out of an invitation from Nedcor Bank
and Sun International to the Department of Arts and Culture
and supporters, but talent and passion alone
(then still operating as the Ministry of Arts, Culture, Science
cannot sustain an arts economy. Through
short-term aim was to secure financial and other resources for
the support and motivation of a number of organisations and individuals, the country’s
and Technology) to set up a new body for arts and culture. The arts and culture, and to project the needs and role of the sector into the public domain. Now, nearly 25 years later, ACT has continued to foster
arts and culture landscape has continued to
a self-sustaining perpetual fund for the development of
reach new heights. Over the years, few have
arts, culture and heritage in the country, actualised through
been as influential as the Arts & Culture Trust.
74 / Creative Feel / November 2018
mutually beneficial partnerships between the corporate, public and cultural sectors.
To take a brief look at the past two-and-a-half decades of
Desando explains that transparent governance, a strong
ACT is to trace the trajectory of an ever-expanding arts industry,
fostering of relationships, and a willingness to change and
aided by ACT’s plethora of awards, development programmes,
adapt to the needs of its beneficiaries have been key factors
scholarships, and internships across the fields of music, theatre,
to sustaining the trust for all these years.
literature and more. ACT has awarded over 150 groups and
‘We’ve instituted a more hands-on approach to
individuals, allocated more than 800 national project grants,
understanding our beneficiaries and are putting in place a
32 scholarships, 50 bursaries, and trained more than 500
system that allows them to not just look at us as a grant-
practitioners in the arts. Moving into Dance, Vuyani Dance
making body but an organisation that cares for their growth
Theatre, Artist Proof Studio, and Ubom! Eastern Cape Drama
and sustainability.’
Company are just a few of the initiatives and projects that have,
ACT has changed its development grant to being
through the support of ACT, gone on to create a lasting impact.
discipline-focused and has included visual arts in its
Chairperson of the ACT board of Trustees, David Dennis,
scholarships programme to broaden their reach. In the coming
explains that while every member of the ACT team has a
years, Desando will also be working towards a research and
success story that is close to their hearts, the organisation’s
development division in the trust that will inform ACT’s
overall success has been its continued existence in an era of
decisions on how programmes will function in the future, as
dynamic change.
well as creating a ‘new look’ for the organisation.
ACT Awards 2016 ‘I believe that the growth and success of the South
Performing Arts Scholarships 2011 Looking back at the progress of arts and culture in South
African arts sector is a process of team-work coupled to
Africa, it’s difficult to ignore the contribution that ACT has
collaborative community engagement,’ he says. ‘The Arts
made to the sector through its ongoing support and impact
& Culture Trust is making an important contribution to
in the realms of employment, community development,
that effort. In the end, it is the audiences and the market
and the facilitation and support of new works, projects,
for artistic works that will gain from the work done by
organisations and individuals.
supporting entities like ACT.’ ACT itself has grown over the years, having been nurtured by CEOs and boards who understand the
As ACT approaches its 25th year of championing the local arts sector, what lies ahead for the organisation? ‘We’re looking to launch a very exciting campaign
importance of funding the arts. 2017 saw the appointment
during our awards event to encourage more ownership of
of a new CEO: Marcus Desando, an artist, arts manager and
the trust by our communities, corporate companies and
former CEO of Gauteng Opera. Desando explains that joining
government,’ explains Desando. ‘We’re also looking to have
ACT meant forming part of a legacy that’s been firmly
a big celebration involving as many of our previous and
cemented in the country’s arts and culture sector, and that
current beneficiaries to showcase what legacy the trust has
a more personalised approach to sustainability is the key to
been part of.’
furthering such a legacy.
The rest, he says, we’ll have to wait and see. CF
Creative Feel / November 2018 / 75
Sì
A celebration of love, family, faith and hope
Andrea Bocelli, the biggest-selling solo classical artist today, returns after 14 years with an album of all-new material entitled Sì. At the centre of the new record is a spine-tingling duet between father-and-son, as 20-year-old Matteo Bocelli steps into the limelight to duet with Andrea on ‘Fall On Me’ – a beautifully poignant song which reflects the bond between parent and child. Bocelli also teamed up with some of the hottest musical stars in the world – reuniting with his friend Ed Sheeran after their chart-topping ‘Perfect Symphony’ on a brand-new song called ‘Amo Soltanto Te’ (written by Sheeran with lyrics by Tiziano Ferro) and joining with pop sensation Dua Lipa on the single ‘If Only’. Crossover superstar Josh Groban and classical soprano Aida Garifullina also duet with Bocelli on the record.
A
nd so, in his 60th birth year, Andrea Bocelli
So, when you’ve sung with Katherine Jenkins, Ariana Grande,
is proud to return to where it all began. His
LeAnn Rimes and Jennifer Lopez… wowed crowds in New
uplifting new Decca Records album, Sì, gives us
York City’s Central Park with a star-studded concert featuring
a window into the world of this extraordinary
Céline Dion, Tony Bennett, Chris Botti and David Foster… sung
singer and global icon. What do you do when you’ve done and achieved
‘Nessun Dorma’ and your signature song ‘Con Te Partirò (Time To Say Goodbye)’ for Claudio Ranieri’s Premier League-winning
seemingly everything? When you’re one of the world’s
Leicester City and their rapturous fans at the King Power
top-selling contemporary classical musicians, with lifetime
Stadium in May 2016… and collaborated with Ed Sheeran on
record sales of 80 million copies, and an unparalleled
2017 smash ‘Perfect Symphony’… where, and what, next?
reputation as a live performer? What is left to achieve when you’ve been honoured by
If you’re Andrea Bocelli, after 15 albums covering the classical and pop canons, you go back to the roots, both of
popes and presidents and royalty, and performed in many
yourself, and of the music that formed you. You take the
of the greatest international concert halls and opera houses
time and the effort – and perhaps the risk – to find a batch of
(and football stadiums)?
new songs. You seek out original compositions, worthy of the
What is the next goal after duetting with a diverse host of talented young female vocalists, helping one of the biggest pop stars in the world reach a whole new audience,
all-time classics with which you have established a worldbeating reputation as a maestro of interpretation. ‘I wanted to go back to my memories of being a young
and celebrating with a compatriot and friend one of the most
man playing at a piano bar. Obviously, since then I’ve
remarkable modern fairy tales in global football?
produced lots of albums, sung lots of covers, performed many
76 / Creative Feel / November 2018
‘It can be really difficult to understand the worth and the value of a song, which sometimes makes it a matter of luck, finding a great song in such, ah, unpromising circumstances!’ Andrea Bocelli © Mark Seliger 2018
Creative Feel / November 2018 / 77
Matteo and Andrea Bocelli © Mark Seliger 2018
other things. But at a certain point, I said to myself: “Maybe
‘Every day at my home I get songs proposed from all
it’s time… Maybe the time has come to put my effort into
over the world. People send songs for me to listen to, to
finding new songs.” Like starting all over again in my career.
evaluate… And we listen to them all, actually,’ notes this
‘But,’ the 59-year-old Italian superstar notes with a smile, ‘beautiful music takes time.’ Sì features a set of powerful, emotional songs, some
man for whom music has been a lifelong obsession. ‘Then, it’s not always easy to discover precious jewels in the midst of so many materials that are sent here. It’s hard
featuring interpolations of classical themes (from, for
to believe but a lot of things arrive in terrible condition
example, Bach and Massenet), and all-encompassing a
– people send me a song that has been recorded on their
positive message of the power of love, family and music.
cell phone!’ he laughs.
The album features songs in both Italian and English,
‘It can be really difficult to understand the worth and the
contributions from some of his key writer/composers, and an
value of a song, which sometimes makes it a matter of luck,
emotional homage to his wife, Veronica.
finding a great song in such unpromising circumstances!’
Explaining the lengthy passage of time since his last
Working in his studio in his home on the Tuscan coast,
album of new material (14 years), Bocelli explains: ‘I have
he sifted through a wealth of material. As well as the
always thought that it’s extremely difficult to find songs that
unsolicited submissions, there were also compositions from
are worthy of being sung for the public – and then hoping
writers with whom Bocelli has previously worked.
that the public will have the necessary time to devote to try and understand those songs. So, yes, it took time. ‘Secondly, I was involved in many other things in those
‘We have authors who have always written for me, close collaborators. So, working with them, and also looking further afield, we slowly put together a collection of titles.
years,’ he adds, with no little understatement. ‘I sang and
It’s really important to me to give the public, which means a
gave my interpretation of major songs of the past.’
broad audience of people, songs that are worth singing. It’s
With typical care and thought, Bocelli embraced his new creative challenge. His focus: on finding a collection of songs
quality that counts, not quantity. ‘An album is like a human body,’ he expands, ‘it must be
that would speak to his emotional and intellectual interests,
in unison, as it were, a body of work, where all the organs
fit with his matchless repertoire, and also present the chance
contribute to the whole result.’
to offer something new, musically, to an audience that stretches to every corner of the globe.
78 / Creative Feel / November 2018
For this consummate artist, always passionate about serving both the music and his fans, it wouldn’t be enough to
rely on the fact that he has one of the all-time great voices.
to me, a gift before he left us… And if it becomes a success,
The material had to be equally magical.
then it will be my tribute to him.’
He nods. ‘This is what I have tried to do with this album: something that could be recognised as unique but it has a
There are more personal connections in ‘Vivo’, which was written about Bocelli’s wife.
beginning, middle and an end to it. Something that had all
‘This is a song that really moved me the first time I
those key elements needed in order to distinguish it from
heard it. One day the writer Riccardo Del Turco just came
everything else that’s on the market.’
by and gave me this song – it was a total surprise! And it
‘Ali di libertà’ is a suitably uplifting opening to Sì.
touched me deeply. I immediately understood it was my
‘This is a song I like very much. It’s the most songlike
story with the person who lives with me, who has lived
song on the whole album. It’s a song that is very fresh, very
with me for many years – but it’s a story told with great
topical. It’s an easy tune – but at the same time it’s very
delicacy, passion and friendship. Clearly, the author of
authentic, very genuine. It’s not a constructed song. That
this song knows me, knows us, knows our entire story
is, those things that are constructed at the drawing table
artfully. Riccardo put his soul into the writing of this song,
in order to be superficially pleasing. This is a song of depth
and the result is a song that is genuine and authentic and
and meaning.’
full of love.’
Equally ‘real’ is ‘Miele Impuro’, written by the great Francesco Sartori.
We can say the same about the whole of Sì. With all the vocals recorded at home (‘when you record a song in a pop
“An album is like a human body, it must be in unison, as it were, a body of work, where all the organs contribute to the whole result " ‘Francesco is a real author – an auteur we should
context, it’s extremely important to have the comfort of my
perhaps say. He co-wrote “Con Te Partirò”, and other
own home’), and with production by the legendary Bob Ezrin
fantastic songs that were very important in my career.
(Pink Floyd, Lou Reed), this is an album about heart and
The lyrics are by an Italian poet, I believe a good poem
soul, positivity and family, melody and magic.
must contain a secret. If there is no secret behind a
What do you do after you’ve achieved the myriad
poem, it is worthless. So this text has a secret and that’s
successes of Andrea Bocelli? You go home, you go deep,
why it’s so powerful.
and you go where your love lies. You say yes to life. You
‘But if we listen to it even just knowing the title,’ he continues, ‘you can understand that there must be a secret
make Sì. And as for that simple, powerful title, Bocelli says this:
because miele impuro means “contaminated honey”. It would
‘First of all, let me say, a lot of work went into finding the
be difficult to define honey as contaminated or impure, so
right title!’ he laughs. ‘Everybody made suggestions, but
you must wonder what is wrong with it…’
in the end, my son Amos had the idea. And right away,
Sartori is also the co-author of ‘Qualcosa più dell’Oro’.
it was the perfect title. In this historical period we are
This song is especially meaningful to Bocelli as the other
going through right now, we too often say no. But “yes”
writer is Lucio Quarantotto, the co-writer of ‘Con Te Partirò’,
is the word you say when you have your first kiss, when
who died in 2012.
you agree with somebody, when want to make someone
‘The dramatic death of Lucio…’ begins Bocelli, clearly
feel good. “Sì” is the word you say every time things
still troubled by the loss of his friend and collaborator.
will end well. For a thousand and one reasons, “sì” is
‘The difficulties and controversies, as it were, in his life
the expression of a positive, powerful, human word and
allowed him to write songs with very forceful secrets –
feeling and emotion.
think about the lyrics of “Time to Say Goodbye”. So this song for me especially has a very important meaning.’ But, rather than a tribute to Quarantotto, Bocelli says the opposite is true of this new song. ‘I think of it as a tribute from him to me. More than a tribute: it was a gift
‘And for this album, with these songs and these emotions, that makes Sì the perfect title. Sì?’ Andrea Bocelli concludes with a smile. First published on Universal Music’s Klassik Akzente (www.klassikakzente.de).CF
Creative Feel / November 2018 / 79
COLETTE DIRECTOR: Wash Westmoreland STARRING: Keira Knightley, Dominic West, Denise Gough Colette is a luscious sojourn based on the true story of the celebrated French novelist, Sidonie-Gabrielle Colette (Keira Knightley). After falling in love with and marrying Willy (Dominic West), a Parisian man of letters 14 years her senior, Colette is transplanted from the tranquil environs of rural, 1890s France to the bustling streets and flourishing salons of Paris and is introduced into the fecund world of the artistic demimonde. She quickly adapts to her new life and is absorbed into her husband’s intellectual, literary and artistic world, although she struggles to accept his infidelities. Willy runs an editorial workshop where a gaggle of ghostwriters produce fictions under his nom de plume. Upon discovering Colette’s literature, Willy, ever quick to capitalise on talent, coaxes her into becoming one of his ghostwriters. Shortly after penning a semi-autobiographical novel about a 15-year-old country girl named Claudine, Colette’s first published work becomes a huge bestseller, defining a new archetype of the modern age – the teenager. Willy and Colette become the Belle Époque equivalent of a celebrity couple; their personal lives and their sexually adventurous scandals all fuelling their subsequent novels. Willy’s continued infidelities and refusal to acknowledge his wife’s authorship cause their marriage to internally combust. Feeling alone, Colette explores her growing interest in women and forms a relationship with the non-conforming Marquise de Belbeuf (Denise Gough). Willy resorts to increasingly desperate measures to pay his debts and sabotage his wife’s meteoric rise in the literary world, but Colette is resolute in carving her own path and controlling her own destiny! This cinematic masterpiece releases at selected cinemas from 7 December 2018.
16 LNPS
AT CINEMAS 7 DECEMBER Creative Feel / November 2018 / 81
LITERARY LANDSCAPES |
INDRA WUSSOW
GONG LAUT
An arts festival in Singaraja on Bali explores the boundaries between art and activism
T
he Indonesian province of Bali is a spectacular
Indonesia welcomed 13.7 million overseas tourists in
tropical getaway. But to some locals, it has
2017 – up from around 2.2 million in 1990. Around one in
become almost unrecognisable over the last 30
three of those (4.5 million) visited Bali. Its fate as one of the
years. Lavish holiday resorts are continuously
world’s most adored packaged paradises was secured in 1963.
popping up across the island, while, unseen by tourists,
Its beginnings were humble, and only three hotels existed on
the Balinese are having huge problems with rubbish. It
the island at the time. But many more would follow. In 1970,
has many locals wondering if maybe tourism has gone
with the construction of Ngurah Rai International Airport,
too far.
the floodgates were opened. The list of tourist hubs has
82 / Creative Feel / November 2018
grown substantially, from Sanur to Kuta and Seminyak, and
declared a ‘garbage emergency’ after several of the country’s
now newer developments such as Nusa Dua and Pecatu.
most popular beaches were inundated with a rising tide of plastic
Ubud is considered the cultural hub of the island and
waste. Workers were sent to clean the beaches of Jimbaran, Kuta
was the chosen home of German painter Walter Spies, who
and Seminyak, where up to 100 tonnes of junk was removed each
moved there permanently in 1927. He greatly influenced
day at the peak of the clean-up.
local painters like Anak Agung Gde Sobrat and Anak Agung Gde Meregeg and many others.
With a population of more than 120 000 people, Singaraja (which means ‘lion king’) is Bali’s second-largest
In 1926, German filmmakers documented the Balinese arts. The success of these movies around the world brought
city. Its tree-lined streets, surviving Dutch colonial buildings and the charmingly sleepy waterfront area north of Jl.
many other artists, actors and writers to Bali. Among which were celebrities such as Noël Coward, Charlie Chaplin, Vicki Baum, Miguel Covarrubias and Margaret Mead. Spies worked with Baron Victor von Plessen to create the movie Island of Demons, which had a substantial impact on the way the
“The main constituent of the project is its crossdisciplinary, cross-genre approach and the collaboration between international, national and local artists. The participants will work together and will present an open-air event at Lovina Beach on the north coast of Bali”
world looked at Balinese art and culture. Spies’ biggest legacy is his portrayal of Bali as an island paradise through his paintings, music and films. Many of his works can be seen today at the art museum in Ubud. Today, Ubud is a paradise lost in the middle of the island, where hoards of tourists roam the centre, shopping for cheap souvenirs or enjoying a coffee at Starbucks. Fans of the American writer Elizabeth Gilbert visit to practise yoga and meditation and to get a glimpse of the real Bali that only exists off the beaten track, away from the many tourist centres. This rapid surge in visitors has contributed to the island’s environmental problems. Late last year, Bali
Creative Feel / November 2018 / 83
LITERARY LANDSCAPES |
INDRA WUSSOW
“Nature, environment and social justice will be viewed holistically and as a global challenge” Erlangga are worth a visit, yet the north of the island is not so crowded with tourists. The problems with garbage pollution as well as the heteronomy of its people through business interests, has caused an increased desire for autonomy and has enabled a huge and powerful opposition, especially in this important port city. Historically, Singaraja was one of the most important shipping hubs in Asia. This region stood for cosmopolitanism, trade and exchange. Its ethnic,
status quo to create a better and more self-determined future.
religious and cultural diversity was traditionally seen as
This new cultural event has been initiated and organised
an opportunity and not as a threat. Over the centuries,
by the Indonesian Manik Bumi Foundation and various
an inclusive society developed in Singaraja as a viable,
international partners. In October 2018, an international
sustainable and ground-breaking model. Currently, a large
group of writers, artists and activists will gather on Bali for
coal power station is being built in the north-west of Bali,
workshops and interdisciplinary art projects that will involve
which will add to the devastation of the island’s flora and
local communities and activists. The underlying idea of the
fauna. Furthermore, barely 40 kilometres away, a tourist
festival is that the dilemmas of Bali can only be understood
resort is being planned on the nearby island of Menjangan,
and worked upon on a global level and that in order to
which is one of the holiest places for the Balinese Hindu
successfully initiate change, we need to use design thinking
majority. The island is located in the middle of a marine
and the creativity of the arts to address the issues of mass
sanctuary and the resort’s foreseeable consequences for
tourism, pollution and undamped growth. Together with
the environment, cultural identity and the local economy
scientists and activists, the festival’s artists and curators will
have aroused fears, but have also created a strengthened
mobilise the forces of cohesion, make new kinds of perception
resistance among the Balinese.
possible and unleash the social potential of the arts.
The artivism festival Gong Laut wants to investigate the resistance and explore how the arts can help transform the
84 / Creative Feel / November 2018
The main constituent of the project is its crossdisciplinary, cross-genre approach and the collaboration
Indonesian language, laut means ‘sea’ or ‘ocean’, and thus the space that connects us all and for whose protection we as a global community are responsible. In the island state of Indonesia, with its hundreds of different ethnic groups and languages, it represents both cultural diversity and the ability to converge as a unit and to implement global thinking at a local level. One aspect of the festival that the Sylt Foundation is involved in is the art-sound-word installation Beyond Troubled Water(s), a Burmese/South African collaboration between Di Lu Galay (words), Chris Soal (visual arts), Jaco van Schalkwyk (visual arts), Elizabeth van der Walt (video), Gustaf Tempelhoff (sound) and myself (words). Beneath the waves is a mysterious world that takes up to 95% of the earth’s living space. Only three people have ever reached the bottom of the deepest part of the ocean. The deep is a world without sunlight, of freezing temperatures and immense pressure. It remains largely unexplored and its mysteries are still lurking in its dark as in our fantasies. The deep ocean, the vastness of water, serves as a projection space for wishes and longings, for fears and nightmares alike. A space of ghosts and unknown species, of never traversed submarine mountain ranges and eternal darkness. The appropriation of the sea today tells another story about mankind’s destruction of the earth and the madness of an economic system that produces too much and does not know where to dispose of its waste. Tonnes of plastic islands float in the sea, and stranded whales spit out large car parts. As we still do not fully understand the black holes of the universe, more and more black holes appear in our oceans between international, national and local artists. The
and swallow every life. These new black holes are man-made
participants will work together and will present an open-
and tell of another evil idea of creation. An evil creation
air event at Lovina Beach on the north coast of Bali. In
mankind is responsible for and has to solve urgently if the
the same setting, and in cooperation with local artists and
planet should survive.
street artists, the idea of the traditional bazaar will also
This interdisciplinary art-sound-word installation
be captured. For three days, writers, musicians, dancers,
interrogates our perception of the sea and its implications
theatre people and visual artists from the regional, national
throughout time to the present day.
and international community will meet. The project will enable encounters and brings its artistic approach into the
Read more about our experiences in Bali in next month’s Literary Landscapes. CF
heart of society. An accompanying programme in schools, universities and for young business people to learn about social entrepreneurship is an integral part of the festival. Nature, environment and social justice will be viewed holistically and as a global challenge. The title, ‘Gong Laut’,
Literary Landscapes is a monthly column by
INDRA WUSSOW, a writer, translator and director of the Sylt Foundation.
cuts right to the heart of the project’s intentions: the gong is understood all over the world as a wake-up call; laut is the German word for ‘unmistakably loud/audible’. In the
Creative Feel / November 2018 / 85
Johannesburg: Then & Now JOHANNESBURG THEN AND NOW
archival photographs, dating from the 1880s to the 1940s,
By Marc Latilla and Yeshiel Panchia | Publisher: Struik Travel &
are contrasted with vivid scenes of the modern city,
Heritage | ISBN: 9781775846178
providing a hitherto untold portrait of the Place of Gold.
I
Where possible, the modern-day photographs have
n less than a century, the jumble of shabby tents and
been shot from the same locations as the originals. Detailed
lean-tos that constituted Johannesburg’s first settlement
captions provide fascinating comparisons between the old
has grown into a modern metropolis of towering office
and the new, while also illuminating features that have
buildings, high-rise apartments and sprawling suburbs. Its
remained the same.
rapid development has been in no small measure the result of the fabulous wealth that lay in the gold-rich deposits of the now-famous Witwatersrand basin. Johannesburg Then and Now, a fascinating series of
Johannesburg Then and Now is a superb collection of images and text that will delight both local residents and visitors. Marc Latilla works in the music industry and is the creator of Johannesburg 1912, a blog covering the history
photographic juxtapositions, chronicles the city’s expansion
of the city. His articles have appeared in various print and
from dusty mining camp to economic powerhouse. Rare
online publications and his work has been used in a range of
86 / Creative Feel / November 2018
“Rare archival photographs, dating from the 1880s to the 1940s, are contrasted with vivid scenes of the modern city, providing a hitherto untold portrait of the Place of Gold�
heritage, architectural and history research projects. He lives
Citizen. He is currently a freelance photojournalist,
in Melville, Johannesburg, with his wife and two sons.
focusing on documentary and feature photography.
Yeshiel Panchia is a photojournalist who grew up
His images are syndicated by Associated Press and the
in Johannesburg. He has a post-graduate degree in
European Pressphoto Agency and have been featured in
psychology and worked as a staff photographer on The
newspapers worldwide. CF
Creative Feel / November 2018 / 87
CD REVIEWS |
R E C E N T LY R E L E A S E D
In the right place: Nadine Sierra presents her touching debut album There’s a Place for Us Nadine Sierra’s clever selection of old and new songs from North and South America for her Deutsche Grammophon and Decca Gold debut album, expresses a love of connecting people, no matter their Nadine Sierra © Paola Kudacki
backgrounds or beliefs, reflects on her family history and portrays America’s musical versatility.
N
adine Sierra is one of the top young opera singers of our time. The American soprano, celebrated by critics and audiences alike for her performances
at the world’s largest opera houses, recently won the Beverly Sills Artist Award 2018 for young singers at the Metropolitan Opera. For her debut album with Deutsche Grammophon and Decca, There’s a Place for Us, Sierra worked with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra under the direction of Robert Spano to create a multi-layered album that proves her to be a confident and modern young artist
people’s ears – I wanted to just give people who listen to it a
who not only wants to make an impression musically, but
little bit of hope. I wanted them to know that if they do feel
also wants to stimulate the audience to reflect on the beauty
neglected by certain individuals, or if they feel shunned and
of the music as well as content.
ashamed by certain people who have great responsibilities
When asked about the album in a recent interview, she commented: ‘I always knew that on my first album, I didn’t
and leadership in this world, that they’re not alone. ‘I too understand what it is to be singled out… My
want to just create something that was like, “here are ten
mother is from Lisbon and my father’s side of the family also
arias that I’ve done in my life and here’s a pretty picture of
came from elsewhere. As we all did. My grandfather basically
me on the cover and that’s it!”
swam here from Puerto Rico. So, I just wanted to send out
‘Anything that I do, anything that I produce – if it’s an
a message that no matter what the dilemmas we’re facing
album, a concert or a recital – I have control over... So, I
today are, there will always be, at the end of the day, a place
always wanted the album to be a project that was more about
for everybody.
how being an artist can affect a bigger message. If there’s
‘Leonard Bernstein was an advocate for that as well. He
something that’s happening in another person’s life or in
was actually a person, especially in the 1950s and ‘60s, who
society or the community, I try to address that through art.
was not liked politically. He was a social activist who used
All over the world, music is something that has been used as
pieces of music to talk about those things. He wanted to
a form of protest or as a thing catering to a more powerful
make people actually discuss those issues after listening to
message than just itself alone.
his music and he wasn’t afraid of that. That’s how I want to
‘There’s a Place for Us is an album that I wanted to create
be as an artist. I don’t just want to show a certain kind of
to, yes, show myself as an artist. But with the things that
surface façade. I want to show everything else behind that.
we’ve been presented with in today’s world, especially in this
Because to me, it means something and I’d rather be that
country (America) – with certain messages being sent out into
way than the opposite.’ CF
88 / Creative Feel / November 2018
IL DIVO LISTEN TO THE
©Bartek Barczyk / DG
P E A C E F U L M U S I C P L AY L I S T S O N A P P L E M U S I C
PEACEFUL MUSIC
THEIR STUNNING NEW ALBUM FEATURING THENEW HITS: THE MUCH ANTICIPATED ALBUM FEATURING STELLAR DUET PARTNERS: “HOLA” & “AQUÍ RESPERÁNDOTE” • ED SHEERAN • JOSH GROBAN AVAILABLE NOW • DUA LIPA • AIDA GARIFULLINA https://peacefulmusic.lnk.to/playlist AND HIS SON MATTEO BOCELLI ON ‘FALL ON ME’
ENCORE NADIA VIRASAMY is the CEO/Director of Education at Moving Into Dance (MID). She has co-authored three arts and culture textbooks for Cambridge University Press. In 2015, Virasamy was named among the five finalists in the Standard Bank Rising Star Awards, she was in the top three for the Business Women’s Association’s Regional Awards and, in 2016, she was named one of the Top 100 Difference Makers in South Africa.
Name three artworks that you love and why.
the arts in South Africa do not have enough exposure and
‘Funeral Blues’ by WH Auden – Just beautifully written and
reach. Also longer term funding contracts so that projects
exhibits such a profound depth of emotion.
are sustainable.
To Kill a Mocking Bird by Harper Lee – Such an insightful depiction of society through the eyes of an 8-year-old
What is your most treasured possession?
girl-child who is still learning the ways of the world she
A white sari that was given to me by my gran before she died.
resides in. Dead Poets Society – Still relevant in the continued human
What do you regard as the lowest depth of misery?
struggle to appease and yet be liberated.
A world without creativity and critical thinking.
Name one artist you would love to meet.
What is it that makes you happy?
JRR Tolkien – It fascinates me that one person could have
My crazy niece, Autumn Liv-Hannon. Swimming and reading
such an incredible imagination.
(I know – clichéd).
What are you reading at the moment?
Describe a defining moment in your life.
Soul Mountain by Gao Xingjian.
The day I realised that a lot of the worries and anxieties we carry, we consciously decide to bear those burdens
What is in your car’s CD player?
and can just as easily let them go. This realisation
Darkside by Alan Walker.
came from something my career coach said to me at the end of each session: ‘Be kind to yourself’. I needed
If you could change one thing about yourself, what
to consciously do that, which took learning, and still
would it be?
needs practice.
I would have paid more attention in my accounting classes in school.
What projects will you be busy with during 2018 and into 2019?
How have the arts industries in South Africa changed
We have a three-province series of three weeks of
over the last ten years?
workshops with a production that will culminate in
The industry is more inclined to collaboration and
Johannesburg. We have our Enable Through Dance
partnership in recent times than it has been in the past.
project. We will have a 40th-anniversary exhibition of MID
I think arts entities have realised that they need to find
that will tour, and we will close out our 40th anniversary
means to survive in times of decreased funding, and that
with a production season in August 2019.
collaboration and partnership is the way to go. Name one goal you would like to achieve in the next Name one thing you think would improve the arts and
twelve months.
culture industry in South Africa.
Building financial reserves for MID through more income-
Strategic marketing and targeted audience development –
generating work. CF
90 / Creative Feel / November 2018
Daniel Stompie Selibe: First Movement | 210mm x 297mm | Print on Archival Paper | 2017
EXPONENTS OF CONTEMPORARY ART 11 ALICE LANE | SANDTON | SOUTH AFRICA gallery@bermancontemporary.co.za | 010 880 2580
92 / Creative Feel / November 2018
