Creative Feel Feb/March 2017 by Creative Feel

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Creative Feel / February / March 2017 / 1

AT THE PLAYHOUSE OPERA THEATRE

9TH FEBRUARY 2017, 7:30PM, THE PLAYHOUSE OPERA THEATRE

Making music together. 031 369 9438 • www.kznphil.org.za

WORLD SYMPHONY SERIES SUMMER SEASON 2017 WITH OUTSTANDING SOLOISTS, STAR CONDUCTORS AND CHOIRS, THE KZN PHILHARMONIC WILL PRESENT THE SUMMER SEASON OF ITS RENOWNED WORLD SYMPHONY SERIES FROM 9 FEBRUARY TO 16 MARCH 2017.

Conductor:

Kwamé Ryan

Soloist:

Joanna MacGregor, piano

Beethoven

Overture to The Creatures of Prometheus

Shostakovich

Piano Concerto No. 2

Beethoven

Symphony No. 6 in F major, “Pastoral”

16TH FEBRUARY 2017, 7:30PM, THE PLAYHOUSE OPERA THEATRE Conductor:

Kwamé Ryan

Soloist:

Francesca Dego, violin

Glinka

Overture to Ruslan and Ludmilla

Wolf-Ferrari

Violin Concerto

Dvorák

Symphony No. 8 in G major

23RD FEBRUARY 2017, 7:30PM, THE PLAYHOUSE OPERA THEATRE Conductor:

Daniel Boico

Soloist:

Daniel Ciobanu, piano

Borodin

Overture to Prince Igor

Prokofiev

Piano Concerto No. 3

Tchaikovsky

Symphony No. 6 in B minor, “Pathétique”

2ND MARCH 2017, 7:30PM, THE PLAYHOUSE OPERA THEATRE

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.”

Single tickets priced from R65 – R230 are available at Computicket. All concerts commence at 7:30pm at the Playhouse Opera Theatre. Pre-concert talks are held from 6pm - 6:40pm. The Playhouse precinct, including surrounding parking garages, is patrolled by a dedicated security team.

Conductor:

Daniel Boico

Soloist:

Mariam Batsashvili, piano

Choir:

Crawford College North Coast Choir

Mendelssohn

The Hebrides Overture (Fingal’s Cave)

Rajna

Adonai Ma-Adam Chorus No. 1

Liszt

Piano Concerto No. 1

Brahms

Symphony No. 1 in C minor

9TH MARCH 2017, 7:30PM, THE PLAYHOUSE OPERA THEATRE Conductor:

Yasuo Shinozaki

Soloist:

Andrea Balocco, trombone

Grieg

Holberg Suite

Grøndahl

Trombone Concerto for Orchestra

Beethoven

Symphony No. 7 in A major

16TH MARCH 2017, 7:30PM, THE PLAYHOUSE OPERA THEATRE Conductor:

Yasuo Shinozaki

Soloist:

Andrey Baranov, violin

Berlioz

Overture to Béatrice et Bénédict

Glazunov

Violin Concerto

Tchaikovsky

Symphony No. 2 in C minor “Little Russian”

Joanna MacGregor

Daniel Ciobanu

Andrey Baranov

Andrea Balocco

Mariam Batsashvili

SOME OF THE ARTISTS FEATURED IN

Yasuo Shinozaki

Daniel Boico

THE KWAZULU-NATAL PHILHARMONIC’S SUMMER SEASON 2017

Kwamé Ryan

The KwaZulu-Natal Philharmonic Orchestra

Francesca Dego

Cover image:

BE INSPIRED BY THE ARTS AT ASPIRE Aspire Art Auctions’ exclusive focus on top quality

Pumeza Matshikiza

historic, modern and contemporary art reflects a deep

Decca / © Simon Fowler

commitment to sustaining the existing South African market, as well as expanding and developing new,

cover story 22 PUMEZA – THE FEATURED SOLOIST The soprano, who is part of the outstanding generation of young South African singers

emerging markets within the industry; an exciting variety of upcoming artworks for Aspire’s Inaugural Cape Auction reinforces this engagement with the arts.

JOBURG BALLET LAUNCHES 2017 WITH LA TRAVIATA

who have made a global impact since the end

Joburg Ballet’s first production of 2017 will be the long-

of apartheid, will be ‘coming home’ again for

awaited return of celebrated choreographer Veronica

the Rand Merchant Bank Starlight Classics at

Paeper’s La Traviata – The Ballet to Joburg Theatre for

Vergelegen this March.

ten performances from 31 March to 9 April.

contents arts and culture 26

DANCE UMBRELLA 2017 The 29th edition of Dance Umbrella, which takes place

THE ART OF THINKING

at the Wits Theatre Complex in Braamfontein from

In 2013, Rand Merchant Bank (RMB) launched the

23 February to 5 March, spotlights young artists and

THINK Bench initiative in collaboration with sculptor

features 13 commissioned works, 13 new works and six

Louis Olivier and intern students Allen Laing and

Johannesburg premieres.

Nkhensani Rihlapfu, at the Workhorse Bronze Foundry. The first of these 13-metre, life-size THINK Benches

42 BOOKNESSES

will be unveiled later this year, strategically located

Artists’ books are brought to the fore during March

on the Tukkielaan at the University of Pretoria,

2017. The University of Johannesburg’s Department of

close to the new Javett Arts Centre, currently under

Visual Art, in association with Jack Ginsberg, will be

construction.

presenting some exciting exhibitions, a colloquium and

LOOKING BACK, LOOKING AHEAD Strauss & Co posted a record turnover of R215 million in 2016, the highest combined income achieved by the company in a single year since its inception in 2009.

6 / Creative Feel / February / March 2017

workshops – all centred around artists’ books.

BEST IN SHOW Come May 2017, the Sandton Convention Centre will be the go-to place for design aficionados and those just

Sethembile Msezane is a multidisciplinary artist currently completing her Masters in Fine Art at the

naturally intrigued by leading décor and design.

SETHEMBILE MSEZANE’S PORTAL IN TIME University of Cape Town. Msezane’s performance piece, Excerpts from the Past featured at the

EXCITING DEVELOPMENT FOR THE MARKET THEATRE FOUNDATION

Institute for Creative Art’s (ICA) Live Art Festival.

With the Market Theatre moving into the newly built Market Square along with the Market Photo Workshop and Market Lab, Artist Proof Studio was commissioned to create murals and artworks at the foyer, at the northfacing and west-facing entrance.

ANDREW TSHABANGU: FOOTPRINTS

lifestyle and entertainment 70 68 69

CINEMA NOUVEAU BOOK REVIEWS POLAR MUSIC PRIZE

contents Born in Soweto in 1966, Andrew Tshabangu’s

photography has received critical acclaim across the

globe. A selection of Tshabangu’s photographic

contributors

works have been curated by Thembinkosi Goniwe

and will be exhibited at the Standard Bank Gallery

from 18 February to 29 April 2017.

ARTLOOKS & ARTLINES

Artlooks & Artlines is a monthly column by Ismail Mahomed, CEO of the Market

PAUL EMMANUEL: ARTIST AT WORK

Theatre Foundation.

‘Substance of Shadows is a collection of works

scratched by hand onto delicate carbon ‘paper’ or

LITERARY LANDSCAPES

film that continue to explore my fascination with

Literary Landscapes is a monthly column written

the tenuous nature of memory.’

by Indra Wussow, a writer, translator and director of

the Sylt Foundation.

BUSINESS & ARTS

PROVOCATIVE, ENERVATING & THOUGHT-PROVOKING The Institute for Creative Arts (ICA, formerly

Business & Arts is a monthly column by Michelle

GIPCA) launched its third annual, boundary

Constant, CEO of Business and Arts South Africa

bending Live Art Festival earlier this month.

(BASA).

Creative Feel spoke to ICA Director, Jay Pather. Creative Feel / February / March 2017 / 7

EDITOR’S NOTE

A long, painful labour My hometown, where I was born and grew up, is Hamburg – or officially the Free and Hanseatic City of

Hamburg – in the northern part of Germany. It was originally a member of the medieval Hanseatic League, a free imperial city of the Holy Roman Empire, a city-state, and now one of the 16 states of Germany Hamburg, a city with strong musical traditions. Johannes Brahms, the composer who, together with Johann Sebastian Bach and Ludwig van Beethoven, is referred to as one of the ‘Three Bs’ of music, was born here Hamburg, the city that built the reputation of the Beatles who arrived in Hamburg as amateurs in August 1960 and left two years and five visits later as a fledgling Fab Four. The Beatles have always acknowledged the debt they owe Hamburg. As John Lennon put it: ‘It was Hamburg that did it. We would never have developed so much if we’d stayed at home.’ Its red-light district area was also an eye-opener for the teenagers: ‘I was born in Liverpool, but I grew up in Hamburg,’ Lennon quipped. During Gustav Mahler’s six years in Hamburg, he composed his second Elbphilharmonie

and third symphonies. The second symphony later became known as the Resurrection Symphony and is uniquely connected with Hamburg’s old landmark – the Michel (St. Michael’s Church). Now, the all-new cultural landmark for Hamburg, the severely delayed concert hall, the Elbphilharmonie Hamburg, finally had its gala opening in January 2017. It opened its doors ten years after construction first began. The old Kaiser Speicher, a former warehouse beside Hamburg’s Elbe River that had been used for storing tea, tobacco and cocoa, was converted into the concert hall. The design of the Swiss architects Herzog & de Meuron, creators of Tate Modern and the Beijing Olympic stadium was originally projected to cost just €77 million. According to the Hamburg Senate, the final price when construction officially ended on 31 October 2016, had rocketed to €789 million. In 2007, the construction was scheduled to be finished by 2010 and in November 2008, after the original contract was amended, the costs for the project were estimated at €450 million. In August 2012, the costs were re-estimated to be over €500 million and now covered the increased cost for a strengthened roof – a long, painful labour helped along by some private investors.

The heart of the Elbphilharmonie is the Grand Concert Hall. The 2 100 seats are arranged around a centrally located stage, a staging that is reminiscent of terraced vineyards. No member of the audience is seated more than 30 metres from the conductor. Being so unusually close to the action turns this new acoustic space into a place of unforgettable musical encounters. In order to achieve the optimum acoustics, the architects developed a special wall and roof structure together with internationally renowned acoustician, Yasuhisa. Ten thousand individually shaped gypsum fibre panels cut with millimetre precision ensure targeted sound distribution that reaches every corner. After the spectacular opening, the many music critics present could not stop praising this unique concert hall. Will the Elbphilharmonie experience the Sydney Opera House redemption? That the building will become so loved and such an indispensable part of the Inside the Elbphilharmonie

city’s image and self-image, that its birth pains will be forgotten and forgiven.

Lore

CASTA D IVA 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.

n the northern slopes of the Magaliesberg, you will find the best-kept secret in Gauteng, hidden amongst two hectares of lush sub-tropical gardens: Casta Diva Boutique Hotel.

With 28 elegantly decorated guest rooms, this oasis in

the province offers so much more than just accommodation to her guests. They say February is the month of love because of the 14th, but at Casta Diva, every day is Valentine’s Day. Here you will find several romantic spots to have a

CHARISMA

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.

dinner to celebrate your Valentine’s Day. If you simply want a little break from everyday life during the month of romance, book a room and enjoy the peace and tranquillity offered by the spacious garden and beautiful scenery. With á la carte menus, Casta Diva’s Charisma Restaurant offers a selection of mouth-watering dishes. If you keep an eye on their Facebook page [Casta Diva’s Charisma Restaurant] you might find a night when there will be live entertainment on the grand piano – Casta Diva often hosts Classical Concerts on a Sunday afternoon. This is more than just a restaurant, it is a place to unwind, enjoy good food and spend time with good friends. The intimate theatre/art gallery is mainly focused on the development of arts and culture, artists and their craft. Casta Diva’s Vissi d’Arte has a nice line-up of shows by artists of various disciplines, these events are updated on the Facebook page [Casta Diva’s Vissi d’Arte].

FUNCTIONS | CONFERENCES | CONCERTS RESTAURANT | THEATRE | ART GALLERY

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 their 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, wind down, breathe and simply just… be. 67 Albatros Street, Ninapark, Pretoria Tel: 012 542 4449 | Fax: 012 542 3085 info@castadiva.co.za | www.castadiva.co.za

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AUCTION

Important South African & International Art, Decorative Arts & Jewellery The Vineyard Hotel, Cape Town, 6 March 2017 Preview 3-5 March 10am to 5pm | Walkabout 4 March at 11am Enquiries 021 683 6560 | straussart.co.za Strauss & Co: The global leader in the South African art market

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 Abigail Phiri; abigail@desklink.co.za ADDITIONAL EDITORIAL CONTENT: Ismail Mahomed Michelle Constant Indra Wussow SALES & MARKETING sales@desklink.co.za sales@creativefeel.co.za SALES & MARKETING COORDINATOR Oupa Sibeko; oupa@desklink.co.za

We loved this!

DESIGN Leigh Forrest; leigh@desklink.co.za

This artists’ book illustrated by Sonia

Published by DeskLink™ Media PO Box 3670, Randburg, 2125 Tel: 011 787 0252 Fax: 011 787 8204 www.creativefeel.co.za www.desklink.co.za

Delaunay

features

prominently

the

upcoming Booknesses, a series of exhibitions, colloquia and workshops taking place at the University of Johannesburg this March.

Prose du Transsibérien et de la Petite Jehanne de France. 1913 Sonia Delaunay (illustrated by), Blaise Cendrars (poem by) Editions des Hommes Nouveaux; Paris, France

DISPATCH Khumbulani Dube SUBSCRIPTION & CIRCULATION subs@creativefeel.co.za

PRINTING ColorPress (Pty) Ltd © Copyright DeskLink™ Media The opinions expressed in this publication do not necessarily represent the views of the publisher.

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.

Authorised financial services and registered credit provider (NCRCP15). The Standard Bank of South Africa Limited (Reg. No. 1962/000738/06). Moving Forward is a trademark of The Standard Bank of South Africa Limited. SBSA 255339-1/17

The Importance of arts PR

he South African arts and culture landscape is teeming with extraordinary talent, yet theatre seats are left empty, organisations lack funding, and individual artists struggle to make a name for themselves. Competition from the mainstream entertainment industry, fractional networks and muted media coverage only make it harder for the South African arts

community to receive the attention and support it so rightly deserves. For these reasons, and many more, the role of the dedicated arts public relations professional is vital to the industry at large. ‘It’s a general perception that the arts are fragmented and it would be even more so without dedicated arts PR,’ says Arts & Culture Trust (ACT) CEO, Pieter Jacobs. He says that because the local industry doesn’t have an integrated communications strategy, without the few PR efforts that are being made there would be even less coordination and cooperation within the industry. Jacobs believes that these ground-up PR initiatives do provide some of the integration the industry so sorely needs; ‘when done well, arts PR promotes the arts from a holistic point of view.’ The problem is, publicity is often overlooked. ‘Many arts organisations forget to budget for publicity and find themselves performing to empty spaces,’ says South African Music Rights Organisation (SAMRO) Foundation MD, Andre le Roux. ‘Arts publicists take away the pressure of media and marketing and give producers more time to focus on their product.’ ‘PR in the arts and culture environment is more than just sending our press releases,’ says CEO of the Market Theatre Foundation, Ismail Mahomed. ‘It is about relationship-building and about having a full grasp of the politics surrounding the arts landscape. A dedicated PR is able to position themselves right at the centre of this environment and be the link between producers, performers, funders, media and other stakeholders who are all in search of constantly developing information.’ With over 15 years in the industry, The Famous Idea, a boutique publicity company, has strived to do just this. Headed by 2005 ACT Awards Publicist of the Year, Gilly Hemphill, The Famous Idea has delivered winning PR strategies to some of the industry’s biggest players. With a media database spanning over 900 arts, culture and news journalists, The Famous Idea builds personal ties between the arts and the public. Working closely with clients and sponsors, The Famous Idea have also developed an intrinsic understanding of the sponsorship landscape. ‘Being a small publicity company gives The Famous Idea the power to manage companies and relationships more closely,’ says Hemphill. ‘A “hands on approach” is a defining key to the business model, while passion and relationship-building are core to the work we do.’ The Famous Idea prides itself on being a one-stop-shop for the creative industry, something their clients have come to rely on. With diligence, professionalism and innovative thinking at its roots, The Famous Idea have served clients such as The National Arts Festival, The Standard Bank Gallery, The Royal Concert Gebouw, The Netherlands Embassy, the Venice Biennale, the Gerard Sekoto Foundation, ACT, the SAMRO Foundation, Aspire Art Auctions, the Johannesburg International Mozart Festival, The Spier Summer Arts Festival, The Franschhoek Literary Festival, The Fugard Theatre, GIPCA, Tim Plewman, and Concord Nkabinde amongst many others. And through this work, The Famous Idea has become a trusted name in the arts industry. ‘For the eight years that I have known and worked with The Famous Idea company, I have been impressed by their passion, their personal touch and the caring attitude that they give to everyone with whom their business interacts,’ says Mahomed. These sentiments are echoed by Jacobs; ‘The value the Famous Idea brings to ACT goes beyond PR, it feeds into donor relationships, which is of great importance to the Trust. The company also facilitated valuable media partnerships, which elevated the profile of the organisation’s programmes and events.’

For more information, visit www.thefamousidea.co.za or contact Gilly Hemphill on info@thefamousidea.co.za or 082 820 8584. Alternatively connect with them on social media on @TheFamousIdea

Walter Battiss, Melle (is honey...), c.1975, oil on canvas, 51 x 60 cm

www.aspireart.net

Creative Feel / February / March 2017 / 15

Artlooks & Artlines Artlooks & Artlines is a monthly column written by Ismail Mahomed, CEO of the Market Theatre Foundation.

hen the charismatic orchestra conductor Richard

well-controlled gestures, violins produced gentle and

Cock approached me to participate in Business

soothing melodies, trumpets produced strong and powerful

Arts South Africa’s (BASA) CEO challenge to

tones and cymbals struck loud notes that evoked their own

conduct an orchestra, I agreed more because I was charmed

unique emotions. Each musician had their eyes focused on

by Richard’s gentle persuasion rather than by my lack of

both his hands and at their music scores. It was the kind of

ability at playing any kind of music. I cannot read music and

multitasking that he seemed to have milked out of them

I am tone deaf, but if Richard’s argument that running an

with great ease at every concert. Many times during those

organisation was the same as conducting an orchestra then I

concerts I stood up with the audiences that shouted out

was ready to test that premise.

‘Encore! Encore!’.

Ismail Mahomed conducting the orchestra PHOTOS Johnathan Andrews

During my eight years as the former artistic director

At my virgin attempt at conducting an orchestra, I

of the National Arts Festival, I had watched him in front of

wasn’t expecting the audience at the CEO Concert to shout

an orchestra many times. I had always been fascinated by

out ‘Encore!’. I was terrified. I started sweating hours before

the way in which he led the orchestra and had the audience

the concert. It wasn’t made any easier by the thought that

eating out from the palm of his hand. Under Richard’s

I was the first of the six conductors to take the baton. I had

16 / Creative Feel / February / March 2017

chosen to conduct the orchestra to the Radetzky March by Johann Strauss. As much as Richard Cock assured me that it was quite straightforward, I knew that this one time, I was out of my depth, that I would be dependent on an empathetic orchestra that would have to save the day by not letting me down. The orchestra could only get going when Richard Cock, in his jovial style, reminded me that all I needed to get going was to remember what we did in our thirty-minute rehearsal. Now, no thirty-minute rehearsal in conducting an orchestra is ever the same as a one hour class at an MBA lecture. A thirty-minute rehearsal with an orchestra requires far more attention than listening to an MBA lecturer droning out theory from a business management manual. ‘All you have to do is count one, two and don’t stop,’ Richard Cock said to me as he reminded me about the rehearsal and jokingly summoned me, saying that if I wanted to conduct the orchestra I could start off by getting my hands out of my pocket. I did. Then, with my hands raised in the air, I waited with bated breath for the orchestra to make music. It was a fluffed start because, while I was holding my breath and conducting to save my life and my reputation, I hadn’t given the musicians – particularly those playing the wind instruments – any moment to catch a breath. By my second attempt, the audience was clapping along joyously to the Radetzky March by Johann Strauss. I began to relax a wee bit but by then my arm was sore! This was not easy at all! It was more complex than trying to be a CEO of a company. Conducting an orchestra needed focus but it also needed strong muscles in the arms. While nursing my sore right arm, I still needed to ensure that every instruction I waved with my wand was clearly issued, and every member of the orchestra was going to play the same beat. Conducting an orchestra and running a business both require teamwork. It also requires a genuinely strong rapport between the team and the teamleader. In this scenario, I needed a plan to make it all work. I allowed the orchestra members to be the giants on whose shoulders I was going to stand. That’s the way it also works in corporate organisations. Sometimes, we CEOs are out of our depths but if we have a team on whose shoulders we can stand, we do look tall. Would I do this again? Maybe! Will I recommend the challenge to others CEOs? Most definitely! CF

Get ready for the musical journey of your life! The criticallyacclaimed hit musical, Priscilla Queen of the Desert is a heart-warming and uplifting tale of three drag artist friends who hop aboard a battered old bus aka ‘Priscilla’ and go off on the adventure of a life-time through the Australian Outback, to perform in Alice Springs. On the way they find friendship, love and far more than they ever dreamed of. Artscape Theatre, Cape Town . 26 March – 23 April Teatro Montecasino, Johannesburg . 29 April – 18 June Visit www.creativefeel.co.za to find out how you can stand a Creative Feel / February / March 2017 / 17

chance of winning a set of tickets for this exciting show.

Literary Landscapes Literary Landscapes is a monthly column by Indra Wussow, a writer, translator and director of the Sylt Foundation. The plight of migrants and refugees is a much-discussed topic worldwide at present; not only in the arts, such as in Mike van Graan’s acclaimed new play, When Swallows Cry. While the tensions and clashes inherent in migration are more relevant now than ever, these are not new issues. The psychological and emotional effects of leaving behind a home, and the sense of identity and community linked to it, during desperate times can last for decades. In Chile, Indra Wussow finds people still desperately dealing with the aftermath.

rika was only four years old when her parents

ties with high-ranking politicians and government officials

decided to leave Germany in 1961 to start a new life

in both Germany and Chile. The Chilean ambassador offered

on the other side of the world.

Schäfer and his group a place to stay in a remote forest

The defeat of the German Third Reich had

area in central Chile. This place would become the Colonia

made them homeless before, had led them to become

Dignidad (Colony of Dignity), infamous for its oppression,

refugees in what was later known as West Germany.

slave labour and torture.

Unwanted by its population, they settled in a small town

When Erika, her family and 500 others arrived, they

in Westfalia and found hope in one of the religious splinter

would be helping the local people; building hospitals and

groups that had become popular in those troubled times.

schools. They arrived to nothing but forest, and making the

The group gave support and a sense of belonging in the

land arable meant working at least twelve hours a day, seven

uncertainty of the Cold War conflict. It eased their feelings

days a week. The reality of the coming years would instead

of being unwanted and left alone with their trauma and fear.

tell a sad story of dispossession, abuse and brainwashing.

The sect that Erika’s family had joined would later

One and a half hours from Chile’s capital city of Santiago,

become notorious for torture and oppression. The

my journey comes to a stop in front of a boom gate in the

organisation would come to link former Nazi Germany elites

middle of a huge forest. It looks as if it is taken directly out

and their infamous torture practices with Germany’s lost

of one of Grimm’s fairy tales.

refugees, the Chilean dictatorship and its victims. When Erika’s parents first joined the sect, they were

This is the entrance to the former Colonia Dignidad, now a hotel called Villa Baveria (the Baverian Village). I was

charmed by their infamous leader, Paul Schäfer’s, doctrine of

curious to find out how such an evil place could become a

supporting each other and helping to create a better world.

destination for tourists to relax, enjoy the landscape, and

The 1950s in Germany were difficult years marked by silence

savour some kind of German food and lifestyle.

and a moral bigotry behind which violence and crime could

Behind the boom gate are watchtowers, and barbed wire

flourish. The charismatic Paul Schäfer was a paedophile

still surrounds the huge property at the foot of the mighty

whose wrongdoing had been eclipsed by the boys’ shame

Andes mountains, telling the story of imprisonment. The

and the injustice of the social climate. In 1961, however, it

inhabitants had no chance to escape the system. If they

became clear that Schäfer had to leave Germany, and with

tried, they were caught and tortured with electroshock

him he took the boys that he had raped and his followers,

therapy and sedated with psychiatric drugs. This all runs

unaware of this dark side of the leader they adored.

through my mind as I drive toward the main village, which

It is still not fully known how this low-ranking youth welfare worker and preacher managed to form such close

18 / Creative Feel / February / March 2017

reminds me if the false idyll of Hitler’s Berghof; a beautiful scene that cannot hide its hideousness.

It is a Sunday evening and the only other occupants of

road trying to understand the outside world that she was

the hotel are a Chilean family. The children play outside

made to believe was the land of the devil. The sect abolished

while their parents enjoy the peace of the place. I find

families and children were kept away from their parents –

it shocking to hear that they do not know the history of

some did not even know who their parents were. Women

this place and just happened to choose Villa Baviera for

were ignored, considered to be ‘dirty’ and were used as work

a weekend’s retreat. I wonder how one cannot see the

animals, beaten by the leaders of the sect. They were seen

tragedies that unfolded here.

as the incarnation of evil, bringing temptation to a group

Still stuck in the 1960s, the entire place seems like an anachronism. The inhabitants of the village today are former members of the sect and their offspring. Chile is still haunted by the demons of its Pinochet

of boys and men who should only be attracted to the Tio Permanente, Paul Schäfer. One cannot imagine the extent of the damage that this system caused. Through a small museum on the premises,

years and has been working on the delicate task of

Erika is able to tell her story and show the brutality of a

revisiting its history and leading a divided society toward

system where victims and perpetrators lived together –

a peaceful transformation. The Colonia Dignidad became

and still do in this hotel village that tries to make ends

an epitome of this difficult process. The oppression and

meet after the sect was closed and Paul Schäfer was finally

abuse was not limited to the sect; during the dictatorship,

sent to prison.

which lasted from 1973 to 1990, it became a famous

With all of the pain that Erika has to deal with, it is

torture camp for opponents of the system who were

striking that there is no real understanding for the Chilean

brought there by Pinochet’s secret police. Hundreds

victims of the system. The Chilean government wants to

of Chileans were tortured in the Colonia Dignidad,

transform the property into a memorial for the victims, but

many of them were killed or just disappeared. The few

Erika doesn’t see it as a memorial for her ordeal. She feels

survivors describe the torture methods as highly effective,

that she was evicted from her home, the only home she

techniques which might have come directly from the hell

knows. A home that she helped established through hard

of Nazi concentration camps.

labour. She would rather live with the former perpetrators

Today, Erika is in her late fifties. Due to the slave

in the scene of her tragedy than leave to start a new life

labour, her health is ruined. Traumatised from years of

and the chance to discover another world. Discover love

brainwashing, she has embarked on a long and winding

and freedom. CF

Creative Feel / February / March 2017 / 19

Business & Arts Business & Arts is a monthly column by Michelle Constant, CEO of Business and Arts South Africa (BASA).

he recent conversation at the Market Theatre,

In fact, the author George Sand wrote in 1872 that l’art

titled ‘Art for Art’s Sake, and Science for Science

pour l’art was an empty phrase, an idle sentence. Friedrich

Sake – Must They Always Serve a Purpose?’ was

Nietzsche claimed that there is no art for art’s sake, and

a great introduction into 2017. The event was

contemporary writer Chinua Achebe criticised the slogan as

part of the IFAS Night of Ideas, an event that takes place globally. It’s a thought-provoking topic – at first reading

being a limited, Eurocentric and Western view. Then there is the introduction of photography, and

it seems passé, yet once challenged, it opened doors

the creation of the camera, into the debate, and indeed

to a diversity of exchanges, including decolonisation,

now, technology changing our world at breakneck speed.

technology, purpose in the present, and other notable

One audience member suggested that with the speed

questions of authorship and ownership.

of technology shifting and shaping environments, the

The term ‘art for art’s sake’ is a translation of an early

question of art for art’s sake loses all impetus and value.

19th century French phrase, ‘l’art pour l’art’, credited

As artist Lawrence Lemaoana suggested, the current day

to the author Theophile Gautier. In the research for the

talks to a greater cross sectoral engagement, a porosity of

conversation, which I was facilitating, I returned to some

conversation and learning. He raised the issue of the poverty

of the writings of Oscar Wilde – literature’s great advocate

of imagination – a phrase that has been used by various

for the artist as pure individualist. As he is quoted, ‘But

analysts describing the political landscape, but one that

alone, without any reference to his neighbours, without any

remains as important in a conversation about narrative,

interference, the artist can fashion a beautiful thing; and

story-telling, and the arts and sciences. He spoke further of

if he does not do it solely for his own pleasure, he is not an

the original concept maintaining the status quo, supporting

artist at all’ and ‘The public have always, and in every age,

the White Space Gallery theory.

been badly brought up. They are continually asking Art to be

Conversely, the idea that art or science should serve

popular, to please their want of taste, to flatter their absurd

only a didactic or moral purpose, questions the storyteller’s

vanity, to tell them what they have been told before, to show

agenda. And any agenda highlights the narrative of

them what they ought to be tired of seeing, to amuse them

alternative facts, of untruths, and the role which art and

when they feel heavy after eating too much, and to distract

science may have in these activities. Fundamental to the

their thoughts when they are wearied of their own stupidity.

conversation, we then need to ask who is funding the work

Now Art should never try to be popular. The public should

– is it public or private funds, does it come from individuals,

try to make itself artistic.’

patrons or corporates – what is their agenda, or what is the

No doubt, Wilde was clear as to his purpose, and that of other creatives; and yet, in 2017, we have to ask whose

demand of the spectator? as Wilde would ask. It’s a debate that turns in on itself, raises some powerful

purpose is it, and is it binary? Is it that of the broader public,

messages and images, and forces oneself to question one’s

public good, the individual, the artist, the scientist searching

own position or indeed, positions. As one of the speakers

for intellectual merit? Is it always one or the other? Whose

queried, does beauty have to be in opposition to truth, is this

motivation creates the finished work, and where does that

truly a binary question? I think not, but love the challenge of

sense of resolve, determination and outcome emanate from?

the conversation. CF

20 / Creative Feel / February / March 2017

Johannesburg’s premier event showcasing the leaders in décor and design. From 12 to 14 May, DESIGN JOBURG, featuring Rooms on View, will transform the Sandton Convention Centre into the continent’s most coveted and inspirational design destination. With roomsets and collaborations at the heart of the show, DESIGN JOBURG will provide a three-day platform for visitors and exhibitors to mingle and discover the very latest trends and innovations. ASSOCIATE SPONSORS:

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Creative Feel / February / March 2017 / 23

Pumeza

– the featured soloist

As so often happens in the world of opera in South Africa, Pumeza Matshikiza’s path to local fame has moved through the following steps: well-received international fame first, and with it recordings, high-profile recitals, great stage roles at some of the world’s most prestigious opera houses, and then the return home to an enthusiastic local audience. The soprano, who is part of the outstanding generation of young South African singers who have made a global impact since the end of apartheid, will be ‘coming home’ again for the RMB Starlight Classics at Vergelegen this March.

reative Feel first featured Pumeza Matshikiza on the now-iconic cover of our November 2014 issue. At the time, she had just released her debut album, Pumeza: Voice of Hope, with Decca Classics/Universal and was living in Stuttgart Germany, where she is still part of the permanent ensemble. Voice of Hope and her 2016 release, Arias, both soared to the top of local and

international charts. Pumeza: Voice of Hope was an incredible combination of African songs in Xhosa, Zulu and Swahili and gloriously sung arias by Puccini and Mozart – two of her favourite composers. As Pumeza explained in a recent interview, listeners now expect Africa’s best voices to straddle both kinds of repertoire, without thinking about the burdens that this cross-cultural eclecticism imposes on the voice. ‘It’s a different kind of technique,’ says Pumeza. ‘With the operatic pieces, you use your full voice, your full body… with African music, it’s something between the speaking voice and the crooning voice.’ When rehearsing for a concert that embraces the sounds of two continents, ‘I always have to start with opera and finish with the South African music. It’s difficult to do it the other way around.’ Her extensive touring with Rolando Villazón has been proof of just how much audiences love this blend of classical and South African, with captivated audiences rising for standing ovations – not something very common in Germany unless really deserved. The Europe-wide concert tour took her to London’s Royal Festival Hall, Vienna’s Konzerthaus, the Théâtre des Champs-Elysées in Paris, the Laeiszhalle Hamburg, Gasteig Munich, Kuppelsaal Honevor, Tonhalle Düsseldorf, as well as venues in Moscow and Helsinki. Pumeza’s real crossover acclaim came at the opening ceremony of the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow where she sang Hamish Henderson’s 1960 protest song, ‘Freedom Come-All-Ye’. The reviews of the night, however, highlighted that when a trained voice as rich and expressive as hers reaches a huge

Creative Feel / February / March 2017 / 25

“I think I’ve found the new Maria Callas . . . What initially arrested me, and went on fascinating me, was not only the beauty of her singing, one of the loveliest lightish lyric sopranos I have heard in the flesh, but also her commitment to the role she was performing” The Spectator

Confessions of Zeno for the Handspring Puppet Company (of War Horse fame). Following her graduation form the University of Cape Town in 2004, Volans asked what she had planned for the future. ‘And I answered, if I had the financial means, I was going to Europe to continue to study opera singing.’ Volans commended the Royal College of Music in London, organised a flight ticket for her and arranged for her to take part in the entrance exam. ‘He said when things turn out to be unstable, I should just see it as a holiday.’ She received a full scholarship for three years. ‘I don’t think he thought he was launching someone,’ she recalls. ‘He was just being himself: the kind person he is, one of the kindest men I have ever met. It’s not just me that he’s helped.’ Next, she moved to the Royal Opera House, a beneficiary of the Jette Parker Young Artists programme. On the Covent Garden stage she sang a number of roles, from Mozart to Smetana and Strauss. She also participated in master classes with renowned artists such as Dame Kiri Te Kanawa, Sir

crossover audience via such a gig, those new admirers don’t

Thomas Allen, Renato Scotto, Joan Rogers, Paul Farrington,

always hear its authentic sound. ‘It was more like crooning,’

Philip Langridge and Ileana Cotrubas. She has worked with

she says. ‘They wanted the song not in the full operatic way,

accompanists Malcolm Martineau, Julius Drake, Simon

but like a lullaby’; and it worked! She delivered a spine-

Lepper and James Bailleu.

tingling rendition of the Scottish song that calls for freedom,

Pumeza kicked off the 2016/17 season with a return to

equality and an end to war – and which makes reference to

the Staatsoper Stuttgart, where she has been an ensemble

the township of Nyanga in the Western Cape, where Pumeza

member for the last five years, singing Micaëla in Carmen.

grew up.

On the concert stage, she was heard in solo recitals in Girona

As a child, Pumeza sang in the choir, in the church and

and in Budapest as part of the Budapest Spring Festival. She

in the school: ‘We sang works like Handel’s Messiah, but

also shared the stage with tenor Rolando Villazón in a gala

only by ear, for we had no piano. We had no music lessons,

concert in Schloss Salem.

no idea of harmonies.’ At the age of 15, on radio she heard

She sang solo concerts in Copenhagen, Gothenburg

an operatic voice for the first time: ‘This song sounded

and Krakow and performed for the King and Queen of

different than anything I’d heard or sung before: so soft

Sweden as part of the celebration of the Swedish National

and so velvety, so clear, so detailed, yet so full of emotions.

Holiday in June 2016. In October, she made her debut with

I was hooked!’

the Orchestra dell’Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia

When she finished school, having done very well in

in Rome, singing the world premiere of Luca Francesconi’s

maths and science, her teachers encouraged her to study

Bread, Water and Salt, based on the famous speech by Nelson

at the University of Cape Town. She began a course as a

Mandela. The concerts that opened Santa Cecelia’s season

surveyor. ‘Oh it was terrible,’ she says. ‘I never actually went

were led by Sir Antonio Pappano and were broadcast live

there, but was constantly in front of the department of music

on TV and radio. The piece was repeated as part of Radio

and dreamed of studying singing.’ Talent and desire won

France’s Festival Présence in February 2016 and Mikko

over, and she moved to the College of Music in Cape Town.

Franck conducted the Orchstre Philharmonique de Radio

During her studies, she met the composer Kevin Volans

in France. On the operatic stage, Pumeza sang Mimì, La

and went on tour in Europe with his opera production, The

Bohème, and made her role debut as Micaëla in Carmen,

26 / Creative Feel / February / March 2017

“Dusky, overtone-rich, abundantly sensuous, the timbre has fullness, freshness and purity alloyed to the darker tones of an almostCallas like palette” Opera Magazine

both at the Staatsoper Stuttgart. The soprano could also be heard singing in recitals in London, Amsterdam and Salle Gaveau in Paris. The CD release concert of her album Arias took place in Aarhus in March 2016. She also gave a solo concert at the Festival de la Vézère, France, before closing the season with a recital at the Rheinvokal Festival. Recent engagements also included her debut as Eve in the world premiere of Giorgio Battistelli’s CO2 at Teatro all Scala in Milan; Dido in Dido and Aeneas with the English Concert Orchestra at the Bristol Old Vic as part of the Bristol Proms series; two concerts at the Aarhus Symphony Orchestra in Denmark; and an appearance at the BBC Proms in the Park. 2016 also saw her return to South Africa to join Josh Groban for some spectacular performances on his concert tour last year at the Grand Arena in Cape Town. Now in March, we have Rand Merchant Bank to thank for booking her as featured soloist for this year’s RMB Starlight Classics at Vergelegen in March. CF

Creative Feel / February / March 2017 / 27

THE ART OF THINKING 28 / Creative Feel / February / March 2017

The THINK Bench at 1 Merchant Place. Pictured: Nkhensani Rihlapfu, Louis Olivier and Allen Laing PHOTO Maureen Gleeson

In 2013, Rand Merchant Bank (RMB) launched the THINK Bench initiative in collaboration with sculptor Louis Olivier and intern students Allen Laing and Nkhensani Rihlapfu, at the Workhorse Bronze Foundry. The brief was to conceptualise, create and roll out a limited edition of seven significant outdoor benches, classified as functional public art. The first of these 13-metre, lifesize THINK Benches will be unveiled later this year, strategically located in the vicinity of Tukkielaan and the new Javett Art Centre at the University of Pretoria, currently under construction.

Creative Feel / February / March 2017 / 29

hinking is not generally regarded as a collaborative

The result, the THINK Bench, was about two years

discipline. Yet, arguably in all fields of endeavour,

in development from briefing right through to mould-

more is achieved when two or more people combine

making and is a thematic continuation and expansion of

their mental resources, resulting in a synthesis of

the ‘DIFFERENTLY. THINK.’ bench, RMB’s contribution to

individual ideas – usually more powerful and innovative than

Sandton’s Benchmark Project in 2009. This concrete bench,

the original lone thought.

hosting life-size bronze ‘thinkers’, is prominently located at

An integral part of RMB’s brand identity is ‘innovative thinking’ and central to the bank’s continual search for innovation is its corporate culture of ‘collaboration’, where

the street level entrance to RMB’s Merchant Place campus and has become a recognisable Sandton landmark. With a total length of 13 metres, the THINK Bench

innovative thinkers are encouraged to work together to

consists of five separate pieces, each weighing two

generate multi-disciplinary solutions. Carolynne Waterhouse

tons, which, when viewed from a focal point, make up

in Marketing at RMB, while looking to nurture an art

the word ‘THINK’. Viewed from a different perspective,

project that perfectly embodied RMB’s business philosophy

they show a multiplicity of contemplative figures, all

‘Traditional values. Innovative ideas.’, commissioned

engaging in thoughtful activity. Waterhouse explains:

sculptor Louis Olivier to design and produce a thoughtful

‘This mighty THINK Bench will entice its users to explore

sculptural work that would usefully enhance appropriate

its contemporary figures and shapes inspired by the

public spaces and illustrate the power of collaborative

classic Renaissance artist Raphael’s painting, The School

thinking. Olivier, inspired by RMB’s culture of collaboration,

of Athens, which depicts some of the greatest thinkers and

involved student interns Allen Laing, Nkhensani Rihlapfu

philosophers of ancient Greek civilisation. The painting

and George Holloway in the design and technical aspects of

praises the virtues of learning, curiosity and innovation –

the project.

the ideal fit for RMB’s brand personality.’

30 / Creative Feel / February / March 2017

Rendering of the Javett Art Centre at the University of Pretoria SOURCE Matthews and Associates Architects

RMB’s current corporate communication platform ‘Thinking. Pulling. Together’ both reinforces the bank’s collaborative culture and is a call for all to work together towards a better, shared future. Institutions of higher learning across the country are thinking and innovation hubs for future leaders and, therefore, present ideal locations for THINK Bench placement. The University of Pretoria (UP) will soon become the first educational institution to receive a THINK Bench. The installation coincides with a much larger project, currently underway at the university, to augment its Hatfield and South campuses with the new Javett Art Centre at UP, or the JavettUP as the facility will be known, and adjoining public spaces. The Javett-UP project is a result of collaborative thinking and innovation, with several individuals and organisations making a contribution to what promises to be a major development for the arts and culture sector in the city of Tshwane – and the country as a whole. It began when Stephan Welz (of auction house Strauss & Co), acting on behalf of the Javett Foundation, proposed to the university the establishment of an arts centre on campus, which was

Creative Feel / February / March 2017 / 31

Construction of the THINK Bench. PHOTOS Rina Noto

approved in principle by the university Council in 2013. The foundation was searching for a facility that would house its large collection of 20th century South African art, making it available for public appreciation. The foundation has since enabled the construction of the centre through a considerable financial donation, which will also cover the cost of the first ten years of operations. According to Prof. Annél van Aswegen, manager in the office of the Vice-Chancellor and Principal of UP, Prof Cheryl de la Rey, the donation by the Javett Foundation, including the value of the Javett collection, amounts to the largest private gift in the university’s history. Considering the current economic climate, the university could never contemplate such a project on its own. The Javett-UP, will house the Javett Foundation’s extensive art collection together with the University’s existing collections of artworks and archaeological artefacts. Among the collection are paintings by South African masters such as Alexis Preller, Gerard Sekoto, Walter Batiss and George Pemba, as well as South African sculptures by Edoardo Villa, Angus Taylor and others. The archaeological collection includes historically significant embodiments of South Africa’s ancient past, unearthed at the Mapungubwe and K2 archaeological sites, including the now iconic gold rhinoceros. The Javett-UP will be run by an independent trust, the Arts Centre Foundation (ACF), whose members include university staff, a trustee nominated by the Javett Foundation and various experts and role players from the art world. Acting on behalf of the ACF to direct the activities of the centre is Christopher Till, currently also the director of Johannesburg’s Apartheid Museum. The centre will serve the dual purpose of supporting and enhancing UP’s academic programmes pertaining to arts, culture and heritage studies and of making the arts accessible, not only to the university community, but also to arts communities across Africa. Pretoria-based Matthews and Associates Architects were commissioned to design the new facility. The architect’s statement explains that the centre, ambitious in scope and intent, will be an interconnected series of structures and spaces that will make up a new arts and culture hub for the university and its home city. The centre will join together the Hatfield Campus and the South Campus, which are separated by Lynnwood Road. Alongside a major public space to be known as Art Square, a student gallery will stand on the Hatfield side, between and joining together the Visual Arts and Building Sciences buildings. On the south side, the main art gallery,

32 / Creative Feel / February / March 2017

incorporating the Mapungubwe Mountain, housing the archaeological artefacts and flanked by another new public space - Museum Square - will stand in the currently vacant eastern portion of South Campus. These two buildings will be joined by a bridge gallery running across Lynnwood Road. So where does the THINK Bench fit in? ‘RMB approached us with an offer to donate a THINK Bench to the university, for which we are very thankful as it will make a fine addition to our extensive South African sculpture collection,’ van Aswegen explains. ‘This offer is independent of the Javett-UP project, as is our decision of where exactly the bench will be installed. One possibility is to place it somewhere in conjunction with the art centre but that may not necessarily be the final decision.’ According to van Aswegen, whether or not the THINK Bench becomes a part of the Javett-UP art complex directly, it will certainly form part of the broader arts precinct, comprising museums and theatres situated around the historic Tukkielaan, of which the Javett-UP will be the hub. ‘We did a walkthrough in the area around the arts centre and the ideal spot that we identified is the grass seating area near the engineering faculty buildings and the cafeteria,’ Olivier says. ‘That is the start of the walkway that will run through the arts precinct. There is an aspect of functionality to the bench that means that it is best installed in a space where it can be of maximum utility. It’s all very well to put it in a place where people can see it but what we always wanted was to place it where students would actually gather. That, for me, was the ideal spot for this dual purpose. For one thing, it offers a nice perspective, where the work can be seen from a distance and the word “THINK” stands out clearly. On the other hand, it would be where students can congregate and great ideas can be born.’ The development of UP’s new arts precinct is the culmination of the collective work and thought of numerous individuals and organisations. Naturally, its future running and ongoing development will also involve continuous collaboration. A focused communication and fund-raising campaign to introduce the Javett-UP to the public, and to involve further corporate and private donors and sponsors, is being rolled out. Taken as a whole, the collective contributions of the university and its various donors are creating a place where the cognitive and creative powers of art, business and education converge to bring about innovative solutions for the preservation of our country’s artistic and archaeological heritage, as well as nurturing our future artists, educators and businesspeople. CF

Creative Feel / February / March 2017 / 33

LOOKING BACK, LOOKING AHEAD: Strauss & Co’s bumper harvest

Jean Max Friedrich Welz Still Life with a Bowl of Figs R 300 000 - 500 000

Irma Stern Still Life with Figs R 1 800 000 - 2 400 000

Strauss & Co posted a record turnover of R215 million in 2016, the highest combined income achieved by the company in a single year since its inception in 2009.

hile the narrative around individual sales

immense complexity,’ Adam was for many years thought lost

matters, it was Strauss & Co’s capacity to

after it was acquired by New York collectors Ruth and Jerome

achieve a sell-through rate of over 80% at its

Siegel in 1969 and shipped to New York.

four live auctions in Johannesburg and Cape

‘Repatriating Adam from New York was incredibly exciting,’

Town that contributed to its resounding performance. The

says Alastair Meredith, who heads up Strauss & Co’s art

outstanding result is a testament to Strauss & Co’s capacity

department in Johannesburg. The work sold for R6 820 800,

to bring quality work to the market, an aptitude that is

within its pre-sale estimate.

also evident in the strong suite of work – by, among others,

Another factor underwriting the company’s stellar

Irma Stern, JH Pierneef, Peter Clarke and Mikhael Subotzky

achievement was its ability to secure works from important

– assembled for the company’s 6 March 2017 sale at the

private collections, including Liselotte Hardebeck and Chris

Vineyard Hotel in Cape Town.

‘Tos’ Du Toit, as well as historic furniture pieces linked to the

Reviewing the company’s 2016 activities, the November

Vergelegen Estate in Somerset West. Preller’s rare portrait

sale of rarely seen works by Alexis Preller ranks among the

Woman with Red Hair / Ophelia (1944), from the Hardebeck

year’s highlights. There was particular excitement around

Collection, sold for R2 273 600, a ten-fold improvement over

Preller’s life-size rendition of the biblical first man, Adam, a

its median estimate.

rare intaglio and oil on fibreglass work. Described by artist and historian Karel Nel as a ‘powerful, enigmatic work of

34 / Creative Feel / February / March 2017

Painting, as is clear, remains the benchmark collectable for South African buyers. Stern, one of the ten most expensive

Monday 6 March, 2017 Venue | The Vineyard Hotel, Newlands, Cape Town Preview | Friday 3 to Sunday 5 March, 10:00 to 17:00 Walkabout | Saturday 4 March at 11:00 Enquiries and Catalogues 021 683 6560 078 044 8185 www.straussart.co.za Rose was robust at the company’s November 2016 sale in Johannesburg, selling for R704 816, double its high estimate. Strauss & Co’s pending March sale includes a noteworthy late Pierneef, a 1956 Bushveld landscape featuring his beloved acacias as central subject with dramatic clouds on the horizon (estimate R1.5 –R2 million) as well as a distinctive Cape landscape, of McGregor (estimate R1– R1.5 million). Other notable works include The Mountain Behind Groote Schuur (estimate R800 000 – R1.2 million), a large oil by pioneer impressionist Hugo Naudé, which portrays the estate founded by the Dutch East India Company. Maggie Laubser, another pioneer modernist on Strauss & Co’s March sale, is well known for her depictions of Cape labourers and birdlife. Strauss & Co’s March sale includes Laubser’s Shepherd Seated with His Flock (estimate R2 000 000 – R2 500 000), a brilliant synthesis of religious portrait with pastoral landscape. Also on offer is Laubser’s symbolist composition of a lone black swan Robert Griffiths Hodgins Naked in Solitary R 500 000 - 700 000

with prominent white flower (estimate R700 000 – R900 000). Two post-war painters from Cape Town, Peter Clarke and Erik Laubscher, have continued to perform well at auction. Cock Stand, a 1975 Clarke gouache, achieved R682 080 in

women artists sold at auction globally between 2005 and

the company’s October 2016 sale in Cape Town. The March

2015, remains the gold standard. Strauss & Co’s October 2016

sale includes two fine Clarke works, The Fence (estimate

auction saw fierce bidding for Stern’s 1947 Still Life with Lilies,

R600 000–R800 000) and Morning at Bo Plaas, Teslaarsdal,

a colour-drenched study of orange tiger lilies and a Buddha

Caledon District, C.P. (estimate R700 000 – 900 000), as well

figure. With presale estimates of R5 000 000 – 7 000 000, it

as Laubscher’s important late work, Drought, Namibia 1989

finally sold for R10 572 000. This was the highest price paid

(estimate R500 000 – 700 000), part of a series depicting arid

locally for a single work of art at auction in 2016.

geological landscapes.

Strauss & Co’s forthcoming 6 March sale in Cape Town

In the contemporary category, Strauss & Co continues

includes another exceptional Stern botanical work, Flowers

to achieve notable results for a range of established living

and Fruit (estimate R5–R7 million). Produced in 1937,

artists, including Norman Catherine and William Kentridge,

this lavish oil has been described by art historian Marion

who are both represented on the March sale. Photography

Arnold, a noted Stern expert, as a particularly fine example

collectors will be able to acquire an important early work

of the artist’s use of the ‘expressive power of colour and

by Mikhael Subotzky, a panoramic study of a Sunday church

her knowledge of its inherent optical capacity to create the

service in an outlying Cape prison (estimate R80 000–R120

illusion of space on a flat surface’. The sale highlight is Stern’s

000). Also on offer is a 2012 charcoal drawing by acclaimed

outstanding portrait of Young Arab (estimate R12 000 000 – 16

sculptor Wim Botha depicting two lion heads in profile

000 000) . Also included by Stern is a luscious Still Life With

(estimate R50 000–R70 000).

Figs (estimate R1 800 000 – 2 400 000) and A small Canal, Venice (estimate R1 000 000 – 2 000 000). Like Stern, JH Pierneef is a blue-chip artist at auction. Bidding for his Extensive Landscape in Pink, Orange and

All the works mentioned will be on view the weekend before the sale at the Vineyard Hotel in Newlands. ‘Strauss & Co’s sales are not just auctions but much anticipated social and artistic events,’ says veteran British auctioneer Dendy Easton. CF

Creative Feel / February / March 2017 / 35

Norman Catherine | Negotiator | 1990 | oil on canvas | 89.5 x 149 cm Courtesy of Nina Lieska, Repro Pictures

BE INSPIRED BY THE ARTS AT ASPIRE

ollowing the successes of 2016, where Aspire achieved the highest price for Alexis Preller and JH Pierneef, the highest sales price for a gouache painting by Irma Stern, and the highest price for a work in steel

by Edoardo Villa, Aspire are delighted to be presenting more significant works of the 20th century. Led by a major JH Pierneef painting, A View across Fisherman’s Cove, Seychelles, produced while on a four-month holiday on the island, and a cloudy landscape entitled Vrystaat Reën, a dreamy respite in these waterless times. A seminal Edoardo Villa sculpture produced in the run up to one of his most famous sculptures, Africa, 1959, largely considered one of the most important sculptures in the

Aspire Art Auctions’ exclusive focus on top quality historic, modern and contemporary art reflects a deep commitment to sustaining the existing South African

country; Vertical composition, 1958, is as significant for his late ‘50s period as Homage to Maillol was for the ‘60s. An evening sky in Newlands by Pieter Wenning, with an impressive exhibition pedigree, adds to the momentous historic section of this diverse and top-quality collection. Depicting moments both provisional and cinematic,

market, as well as expanding and

two early and rarely before seen, large-scale drawings by

developing new, emerging markets

Service (1986), the distinctive eyes of the artist’s alter ego,

within the industry; an exciting variety of upcoming artworks for Aspire’s Inaugural Cape Auction reinforces this engagement with the arts.

36 / Creative Feel / February / March 2017

William Kentridge are sure highlights of the sale. In Room Felix Teitelbaum, stare back at the viewer through a car’s rear view mirror. Ahead, a gold-detailed tryst unfolds amidst a merging of a private interior and public exterior. Grande Jeté (1987), purchased by the current owner from Kentridge’s 1987 Standard Bank Young Artist Award exhibition, focuses on the impressive leap of a ballerina, forever suspended mid-air. As

www.aspireart.net

arts writer, Alexandra Dodd, states, set against a crowded and

artist’s ‘vast visual repertoire’ is ‘…awash with subtleties and

chaotic colosseum, ‘the dancer has used her body, her art, her

subtexts, referencing mythology, psychology and the history

imagination, to transcend the tawdry spectacle about her, and

of art.’ Battling the conventions of the early 20th century,

in so doing, to dramatically transform it.’

and working with a host of ‘new’ media, Eleanor Esmonde-

A rare, early black and white photograph by David

White established the Department of Design at the Michaelis

Goldblatt, The Simon’s Old House in Magpie Str, Kensington from

School of Fine Art, University of Cape Town. Nudes is a prime

1974, documents the home of the South African illustrator,

example of her select palette, her focus on women and the

playwright, author and co-founder of Johannesburg’s Market

feeling of warmth with which she imbued her work.

Theatre, Barney Simon, for whose book this photograph was also the cover illustration, Joburg, Sis!. In See-Line Woman dressed in Red, Makes her Man lose his

Athi-Patra Ruga’s irreverent tapestry, Castrato as [the] Revolution (2010), ‘riffs off older traditions of portraiture – specifically the lush exoticism of Irma Stern’s paintings –

Head (2012), Deborah Bell takes inspiration from the music

but affords this ancestry a camp, more contemporary spin,’

she listens to whilst working in the studio, reimagining

according to arts writer, Anna Stielau. Chandelier captures

the woman from Nina Simone’s famous 1964 recording of

a moment of Steven Cohen’s key performance, in which he

the 19th century folk song, ‘See-Line Woman’. A musician

teetered through the streets of Newtown, as it was dismantled

himself, playing both the pennywhistle and the saxophone,

by the ‘red ants’, in a lit chandelier and vertiginous heels.

Ephraim Ngatane’s exuberant Musicians is typical of his

Mohau Modisakeng, one of two artists to represent

focus on the moments of everyday life around him. A

South Africa in the 57th Venice Biennale in 2017, performs

number of artworks will be on offer by Cecil Skotnes, a

stillness against a rich, jade green in the dramatic

mentor of Ngatane at the famous Polly Street Art Centre in

photograph, Diatola XV. Replete with a red cape, and the

the 1950s. As Dodd states of Skotnes’ Ravine Wall (1997),

restructured cow-hide for which she is so well known, two

‘landscape and mindscape intertwine’ in this carved, incised,

different photographic works of Nandipha Mntambo’s

and painted wood panel in rich earth tones.

imagined bullfight in an abandoned arena will be available,

Enchanted by theatre from a young age, the experimental

one of which was donated to help raise funds for the Zeitz

Modernist, Christo Coetzee used abstract forms and an

Museum of Contemporary Art, Cape Town, set to open later

interplay of brilliant, primary colours in Prototype: Fire

this year.

Curtain – a commission to design the fire curtain of the newly

The recently released auction catalogue - with exceptional

built state theatre in Pretoria in 1980. Writing on Norman

reproductions of each work and featuring enlightening texts by

Catherine’s electric Negotiator (1990), Hazel Friedman

some of South Africa’s most esteemed academics, critics, and

states that this powerful painting which so encompasses the

arts writers – further heightens the anticipation of the sale. CF

Creative Feel / February / March 2017 / 37

Joburg Ballet’s first production of 2017 will be the longawaited return of celebrated choreographer Veronica Paeper’s La Traviata – The Ballet to Joburg Theatre for ten performances from 31 March to 9 April. The ballet was last performed in Johannesburg to public and critical acclaim in 2008.

Joburg Ballet launches 2017 with

eronica Paeper is South Africa’s leading choreographer working in the classical style and has created an extensive repertoire of ballets. She is particularly admired for her full-length story ballets,

among which La Traviata – The Ballet is one of her most popular works. It has been performed by various companies (CAPAB and subsequently the Cape Town City Ballet, before SABT and England’s Northern Ballet Theatre added it to their respective repertoires) at intervals since its creation in 1990. The plot La Traviata – The Ballet, of course, is based on one of the world’s greatest love stories, Alexandre Dumas’s 19th century novel The Lady of the Camelias, which has inspired countless playwrights, composers, filmmakers and choreographers. A deeply moving portrait of a woman who sacrifices all for the man she loves, the ballet tells the evergreen love story of Marguerite, a courtesan, who falls in love with the young Armand Duval. Through the interference of Armand’s father, their relationship is doomed. The ballet is set to the unforgettable music of Verdi’s opera La Traviata, arranged and adapted for the ballet by conductor Allan Stephenson. In addition to performances in South Africa, La Traviata – The Ballet has also been presented in the UK where critics admired it as ‘graceful, passionate and ravishingly romantic’, ‘an utterly compelling production’ and ‘outstanding throughout’.

38 / Creative Feel / February / March 2017

Shannon Glover and Juan Carlos Osma in La Traviata PHOTO Lauge Sorensen

The company has also announced several new appointments for 2017: after leaving Joburg Ballet for the last four months of 2016 to take part in a Cape Town production of Spartacus, Juan Carlos Osma and Dayana Acuna have rejoined the company; Spanish dancer Sergi Castello has joined as a soloist; Jessica Hurwitz and Savannah Ireland from the Joburg Ballet Academy have joined as members of the junior corps de ballet; and Shayne Greene, Luisa Higgo and Sibusiso Mtsweni have joined the company’s aspirant programme for 2017. Promotions announced by Joburg Ballet for 2017 are Dayana Acuna and Kirstel Jensen to senior soloist, Shana Dewey to soloist, Ruan Galdino and Thabang Mabaso to senior corps de ballet, Alice le Roux to corps de ballet, and Kyle Baird and Mahlatse Sachane to junior corps de ballet. Krystn Janicek and Jessica Lombard, who were in the aspirant programme in 2016, have been named as ad hoc dancers for 2017. CF Booking for La Traviata – The Ballet is now open via Joburg Theatre – 0861 670 670 and online at www.joburgtheatre.com.

Juan Carlos Osma and Dayana Acuna in La Traviata PHOTO Lauge Sorensen

Umbrella 2017

40 / Creative Feel / February / March 2017

ince Dance Umbrella was first launched in 1989, it has seen exceptional growth and is now widely acknowledged as the premier contemporary dance festival in Africa; a showcase of exceptional South

African and international dance and performing art. Artistic Director, Georgina Thomson says that this growth can clearly be seen in this year’s programme. ‘At the first Dance Umbrella, only 16 choreographers presented works. At this year’s festival more than 50 new works will be presented and, with our focus on predominantly young artists, Dance Umbrella 2017 is proud to present the rich, home-grown talents of these young choreographers.’ The festival opens with Nhlanhla Mahlangu’s The Workers CHANT at the Workers Museum, Newtown on 23 and 24 February at 19:00, followed by Moeketsi Koena and Gaby

The 29th edition of Dance Umbrella, which takes place

Saranouffi’s Corps at the Wits Downstairs Theatre on 24 and 25 February at 19:00 and Jazzart Dance Theatre’s new work Space by the artistic director Sifiso Kweyama, at The Wits Theatre on

at the Wits Theatre Complex

24 and 25 February at 20:00.

in Braamfontein from

with the struggles of South Africa as a nation without dwelling

23 February to 5 March, spotlights young artists and

Mamela Nyamza’s De-Apart-Hate, a discourse that starts on race and ideology, at the Wits Amphitheatre on 24 and 25 February at 21:00. The Fringe Programme on 26 February at 10:00 at the

features 13 commissioned

Wits Theatre will feature nearly 30 new works from young

works, 13 new works and six

choreographers. The programme includes Julia Burnham (Vuyani

Johannesburg premieres.

Dance Company), Thembinkosi Puwane (Eastern Cape), Qiniso Zungu and Teresa Mojela and promises to be a discovery of new and exciting contemporary dance and performance. On 28 Feburary and 1 March at the Wits Theatre at 19:00, a triple bill will feature new works by Oscar Buthelezi and Sonny Boy Motau (both of MIDM): Stuck Souls (Buthelezi) reflects on the world today as it becomes lost in waste and asks ‘How do we stop this?’ and I am NoT… (Motau) speaks to self-discovery and venturing into new and unknown spaces within ourselves: both body and mind, and Vuyani Dance Theatre’s Lulu Mlangeni with the solo Page 27. Also on 28 February and 1 March, at the Wits Downstairs Theatre at 20:00, Songezo Mcilizeli will premiere Perspective. Perspective addresses prejudice, stereotypes and politics, says Mcilizeli. ‘The idea of the work is to offer imagery and communicate in the medium of dance. These images are depicted from various occurrences and inspired by people, past, passive and personal experiences including the media as source, in order to interrogate present and future coherency.’ As an upcoming choreographer who has worked with the likes Dada Masilo, PJ Sabbagha and Adele Blank, Mcilizeli finds the inclusion of younger artists on the Dance Umbrella programme encouraging. ‘“Younger voices” may contribute or could provide fresh approach and ideas in maximizing resources also

Lady Lady PHOTO Val Adamson

increasing human/artiste capital in our industry and existing programs. Change is constant and constancy provides hope.

Creative Feel / February / March 2017 / 41

That, in its entirety, should be exciting for the dance scene as the voices will become the future.’ Fana Tshabalala collaborates with Constanza Macras/Dorky Park from Berlin, Germany with In The Heart of the Country at the Wits Amphitheatre on 2 and 3 March at 19:00. It is a physical exploration inspired by the ‘impossible dialogue’ between blacks and whites, in J. M. Coetzee’s literature and Njabulo Ndebele’s book, Rediscovery of the Ordinary. LADY, LADY by Gaby Saranouffi, Desiré Davids and Edna Jaime at the Wits Theatre, 2 and 3 March at 20:00, presents an experience into a female universe, built up by the personal journeys of three female artists from different countries within the Southern Africa region (South Africa, Mozambique and Madagascar). They share, search, explore and exchange their realities in order to give voice to various commonalities, challenges and images. Also on 2 and 3 March, at The Nunnery at 21:00, is Down to Earth by Kieron Jina and Marc Philipp Gabriel – this dance duet deals with constructed identities that are shaped by more and more complex constellations, than by merely geographical origins and social upbringing. Detritus for One by Alan Parker, a physical theatre solo work with design by Gavin Krastin, is at the Wits Downstairs Theatre on 3 and 4 March at 18:00. The work explores the notion of ‘performing the archive’ and the potential ways in which performance can be used to archive past dance works for an audience in the present. Detritus for One draws together dance, spoken word, puppetry and visual image. Cape Town choreographer Kirvan Fortuin, who has also worked in the Netherlands, will present When they Leave, a triple bill of works at The Wits Theatre on 4 March at 19:00 and Sunday, March 5 at 14:30. When they Leave, which is technical, high-pitched and creative in unusual ways, will take the audience on an entertaining and interactive journey through the world of the performers. Tutu by Tamara Osso at The Nunnery on Saturday, March 4 at 21:00 and Sunday March 5 at 15:30 explores the choreographer’s white identity in relation to other identities or constructs (be they apparent or ephemeral). Starting as a ballet dancer, the artist learnt that within structure there is freedom. Collaborators: Osso, Laura Cameron, Counterspace, Rabbit Productions and Visual Frontier. Closing the festival on Sunday, March 5 is the Young Artists Programme where six young choreographers will present new works: Thami Tshabalala (K-Mad Dance Company); Douglas Sekete (Koketso Dance Project) and Khaya Ndlovu from 10:00 at the Wits Downstairs Theatre and Phumlani Nyanga (Vuyani Dance Theatre); Seodigeng Keaoleboga; Ashleigh Joubert, Bonwa Mbontsi

42 / Creative Feel / February / March 2017

De-Apart-Hate PHOTO Oscar O’Ryan

Corps PHOTO Denis Rion

and Tegan Peacock (ReRouted Dance Theatre) from 11:15

adventurously pursuing their individual choreographic and

at the Wits Amphitheatre.

artist voice that would be really amazing and important for

Khaya Ndlovu’s ‘Silent Prints is a theatrical dance production expressed by two hands and feet, held together

the future of South African contemporary dance.’ That this year’s Dance Umbrella is showing even more

by an energised elastic body and accompanied by voice,

works by young dancers and choreographers hopefully

they embark on a powerful exploration of African women’s

heralds positive changes for contemporary dance in South

identities. It addresses social and economical issues we

Africa; that new voices will be heard, new perspectives seen

face as women, however, there isn’t a clear understanding

and, hopefully, more opportunities made available.

of the worth and what it took to be a woman of this new

‘In addition to the jam-packed programme, the festival

age. I truly believe this work is timeless and also talks to

will also host, between February 27 and March 4, a series

different ethnic cultures and genders by threading it with

of Master Classes at the Hillbrow Theatre Dance Studio

the intellectual strength and endurance of a woman. Basing

which will be facilitated by selected choreographers and

it on unknown fighters of our country, I compared the past

there’ll also be the popular Face to Face conversations with

to the present day examples using Lilian Ngoyi’s history

choreographers,’ says Thomson. CF

and to the women we have produced now. So it’s a work where all ages can learn and take home to think about.’ And

Tickets from R20 to R120 are available from Computicket 083

what does she think of the state and place of young dancers

915 8000 or www.computicket.com or call 011 492 2033 to

and choreographers in South Africa? ‘To be truly honest, it

reserve tickets.

saddens me that the dance scene hasn’t been as open to the new and upcoming talents in the industry. Because being a

For the Dance Umbrella 2017 programme, updates on the

young, upcoming artist I have learned that if more dancers

Master Classes and Face to Face interviews please visit

started trusting their own creative intuition and started

www.danceforumsouthafrica.co.za

Creative Feel / February / March 2017 / 43

Kara Walker. Freedom, a Fable. A Curious Interpretation of the Wit of a Negress in Troubled Times. 1997. Peter Norton. © Kara Walker, courtesy of Sikkema Jenkins & Co., New York.

BOOKNESSES: Taking Stock of the Book Arts in South Africa Artists’ books are brought to the fore during March 2017. The University of Johannesburg’s Department of Visual Art, in association with Jack Ginsberg, will be presenting some exciting exhibitions, a colloquium and workshops – all centred around artists’ books.

hese events will be showcasing a selection of artists’ books from Jack Ginsberg’s extensive collection and adding – through the publication of comprehensive catalogue of the exhibition – to the discourse on

the book arts in South Africa. Two exhibitions will showcase a diverse range of recent book arts and book-objects from international and South African artists, designers and students, encompassing traditional, experimental and digital responses to the book as an artwork. The broad book arts community in South Africa will share and discuss diverse topics relating to the book arts,

44 / Creative Feel / February / March 2017

Doc / Undoc. Documentado / Undocumented. Ars Shamánica Performática. 2014. Moving Parts Press; Santa Cruz, CA, USA. ©The artists. Reproduced with permission.

sharing their skills, knowledge and experiences of making, collecting and theorising the artist’s book in South Africa. South African artists, designers and students will be introduced to international experts and keynote speakers in the field, creating meaningful global connections. The exhibition Booknesses: Artists’ Books from the Jack Ginsberg Collection is curated by David Paton, assisted by Annali Dempsey, Rosalind Cleaver and Jack Ginsberg. The exhibition, which is one of the largest and most comprehensive exhibitions of artists’ books ever to be held worldwide, features 258 historical and contemporary book objects created by both South African and international artists. The accompanying, full-colour, extensive catalogue contains essays by artists’ books authorities such as David Paton, Keith Dietrich, Pippa Skotnes, Robbin Ami Silverberg and Kim Berman in conversation with Jack Ginsberg. Edited by Robyn Sassen, the catalogue will add extensive knowledge to the book arts in South Africa. This much anticipated exhibition and catalogue showcase a small aspect of the remarkable Jack Ginsberg Collection of Artist’s Books, an internationally acknowledged and respected collection that is unique on the African continent. The exhibition takes Prose du Transsibérien et de la Petite Jehanne de France. 1913 Sonia Delaunay (illustrated by), Blaise Cendrars (poem by) Editions des Hommes Nouveaux; Paris, France.

Creative Feel / February / March 2017 / 45

William Kentridge. Portage. 2006. The Artists’ Press; Johannesburg. © The artist. Reproduced with permission. The international colloquium, entitled Booknesses: Taking Stock of the Book Arts in South Africa, will include presentations in the form of practical demonstrations of work and papers presented by local and international book artists and those working with the book as an artwork. place at the UJ Art Gallery at the University of Johannesburg

Papers and round-table discussions will be presented within

Kingsway Campus from Saturday 25 March until 5 May 2017.

a number of fields of the book arts, including conceiving;

The second exhibition, Booknesses: South African Artists’

designing/making (from a designer/artist’s perspective);

Books, features over 100 works and will be accompanied by

papers; screens; printing and binding (from an Associated

an online catalogue. Curated by David Paton, Eugene Hon,

Arts perspective); collecting; bibliography; curating and

Gordon Froud and Rosalind Cleaver, this exhibition takes

display (from a collecting and exhibitions perspective);

place at the FADA Gallery, University of Johannesburg Bunting

teaching; theorising and writing (from an academic and

Road Campus from Friday 24 March until 5 May 2017.

educational perspective).

A series of workshops, held at important spaces such as

The keynote speakers include two international, leading

Phumani Paper and Artist Proof Studio (APS), will be held

voices in the field. Sarah Bodman is a Senior Research

prior to the international colloquium. These pre-colloquium

Fellow for Artists’ Books at the Centre for Fine Print

workshops will include the launch of the Project Space at

Research (CFPR), University of the West of England (UWE),

Phumani Paper, as well as papermaking demonstrations and

Bristol, UK. At the CFPR, she runs projects investigating

practical papermaking workshops held by the organisation.

and promoting contemporary book arts. She is also

Stephan Erasmus will present a paper engineering and

Programme Leader for MA Multidisciplinary Printmaking at

structures workshop.

the Bower Campus of the UWE.

Also included is a visit to APS for cocktails and

Robbin Ami Silverberg is an artist and founding director

demonstrations on the printing and making of William

of Dobbin Mill, a hand-papermaking studio, and Dobbin

Kentridge’s bookwork Triumphs & Laments. Bookbinding

Books, a collaborative artist book studio in New York. Her

demonstrations and practical workshops will be held by Heléne

artwork is divided between artists’ books and installations.

van Aswegen of Stellenbosch University. Theses workshops

She has a long association with the Department of Visual Art

take place from Tuesday 21 March to Thursday 23 March.

at UJ.

46 / Creative Feel / February / March 2017

The international colloquium will be held at the Faculty of Art, Design & Architecture (FADA), University of Johannesburg Bunting Road Campus from Friday 24 March to Sunday 26 March 2017. The colloquium will be brought to a close on the Sunday evening with a public conversation between Jack Ginsberg and William Kentridge, introduced and moderated by Professor Jane Taylor. CF For more information, visit www.theartistsbook.org.za

Claudia Cohen and Barbara Hodgson. The Temperamental Rose and Other Ways of Seeing Colour. 2007. Heavenly Monkey Editions; Vancouver, Canada. ÂŠ the artists. Reproduced with permission.

Muuto at Crema

Come May 2017, the Sandton Convention Centre will be the go-to place for design aficionados and those just naturally intrigued by leading décor and design.

BEST IN SHOW T he inaugural Design Joburg, which takes place

Hesse of Anatomy Design and HK Studio. ‘We want to break

from 12 to 14 May, will showcase the best local

the mould of a traditional expo and create a live Pinterest

and international design brands in a fresh and

board,’ says Andrea Kleinloog.

unique way that aims to fire up enthusiasm

and conversation.

For three days, the trade and public will have the opportunity to browse and be inspired by hundreds of brands and products for the home, ranging from furniture and lighting, to kitchen and bath lines, materials, craft and objets d’art. But don’t expect your regular expo-style show. Design Joburg sees the return of South Africa’s benchmark

The design duo aim to do this by pairing up architects

and interior designers with prominent design brands to

create exhibits and features that are unique, alluring and offer the visitor real take-home inspiration. This creative method of showcasing will ensure a curated blend of quality and diversity, and will bring to the spotlight both seasoned designers and upcoming talents. The stellar line-up will include stalwarts such as

decorating show, Rooms on View, as a show-within-a-show.

GASS Architecture Studios, Robert Sherwood and Michele

As one of the most popular events in the industry’s history,

Throssell, while new-to-the-scene talent will include the

Rooms on View will return reinvigorated to present the

likes of Kelly Adami and Thabisa Mjo. Design Joburg will

latest in trending décor.

provide a three-day platform for visitors and exhibitors

Inspired by Rooms on View’s novel method of

to mingle, converse, admire and discover. With its

showcasing product via roomsets, Design Joburg will

collaborative and creative approach, the inaugural Design

intensify this offering by featuring collaboration as an

Joburg promises to be an energising and social event,

integral part of the show.

conceptualised in the spirit of design being by people, for

Progressive products will come together in creative

people and about people. CF

displays, thanks to the efforts of a wide group of pioneering designers. This process will be curated by two of South Africa’s leading design luminaries, Andrea Kleinloog and Megan

48 / Creative Feel / February / March 2017

DESIGN JOBURG, featuring Rooms on View, runs from 12 to 14 May 2017. Visit www.designjoburg.com for more details and to purchase tickets.

Five minutes with… Three leading local designers share their thoughts on design and their involvement in DESIGN JOBURG.

Thabisa Mjo WHAT’S YOUR NAME AND WHAT DO YOU DO? Thabisa Mjo, the founder of Mash.T Design Studio, an interior and product design firm. HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOUR PRODUCT/STYLE? Contemporary African-influenced design. Re-imagining the African aesthetic as we know it and presenting it in a cool, fresh new way. WHAT CAN VISITORS EXPECT FROM YOU AT DESIGN JOBURG? Fun design that doesn’t take itself too seriously. I’m launching four new products; think scale, think geometric shapes and a bit of whimsy. WHAT ARE THE TOP TRENDS FOR 2017 THAT YOU’LL BE EMBRACING? One word: iridescent. It’s coming back in a major way and I am loving it. WHAT CAN’T YOU LIVE WITHOUT RIGHT NOW? Reliable and fast internet connection.

Creative Feel / February / March 2017 / 49

Five minutes with… David Krynauw Three leading local designers share their

thoughts on design and their involvement in DESIGN JOBURG.

David Krynauw WHAT’S YOUR NAME AND WHAT DO YOU DO? David Krynauw, I am the owner and director of a furniture design and manufacturing company. We specialise in the production of high quality, solid wood furniture and modular wooden structures. WHAT DO YOU LOVE MOST ABOUT LOCAL DESIGN? The fact that we have a strong voice as a direct result of our own unique experience. HOW DOES SA DESIGN DIFFER FROM THE GLOBAL SCENE? In SA most designers become makers in order to design. This gives us a greater understanding of our chosen medium and I see this as a big advantage over our global counterparts. WHAT CAN’T YOU LIVE WITHOUT RIGHT NOW? A kale and ginger smoothie, my Moleskine notebook and my CNC machine.

50 / Creative Feel / February / March 2017

Five minutes with… Three leading local designers share their thoughts on design and their involvement in DESIGN JOBURG.

Mpho Vackier WHAT’S YOUR NAME AND WHAT DO YOU DO? I am Mpho Vackier, founder and interior designer at The Urbanative.

The Urbanative Stool 3 Yellow

HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOUR PRODUCT/STYLE? We’re all about the celebration of culture and design… think Esther Mahlangu meets mid-century meets contemporary living! CAN YOU TELL US MORE ABOUT ANY NEW DESIGNS THAT YOU MAY BE LAUNCHING AT THE SHOW? We’re exploring multi-functionality, without compromising on the true essence of the piece. WHAT DO YOU LOVE MOST ABOUT LOCAL DESIGN? The stories and energy behind locally designed products. There’s a vibrancy and authenticity to the way South African designers approach their creative process. WHAT CAN’T YOU LIVE WITHOUT RIGHT NOW? My sketch book and my support structure (family and friends), sleep, my phone and my portable charging block. Theurbanative_Stool 3 Yellow.png

Creative Feel / February / March 2017 / 51

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EXCITING DEVELOPMENT FOR THE MARKET THEATRE FOUNDATION With the Market Theatre moving into the newly built Market Square along with the Market Photo Workshop and Market Lab, Artist Proof Studio was commissioned to create murals and artworks at the foyer, at the northfacing and west-facing entrance.

Creative Feel / February / March 2017 / 53

Artwork installations at the Market Square SOURCE Artist Proof Studio

he artwork brief for this site required for three elements that cohesively work together as one artwork. With the simplified brief requiring the 40 year long story of The Market Theatre Foundation

told in a both historical and contemporary mural artwork design. As well as acknowledging the many productions, performers, audience members and the various support activities that make up the multifaceted organisation. Keeping to the artwork brief the mural design team was able to create a mural artwork that merges the old theatre facet with the new facet in a simplified geometric style that complements the curvature of the wall. Fusing the legacy and rich history of The Market Theatre, whilst looking forward to a great future. The combination of the old and new facets are a tribute to many performances that have taken place in the old theatre, the new symbolises the many performances that theatre lovers will witness in the new

54 / Creative Feel / February / March 2017

space. The mural artwork design is laid out in such a way

Scattered throughout the mural are motifs specific to the

that where the two buildings meet, there is a double door

theatre industry. The ‘old school’ bullhorn acknowledging

which serves as an entrance into the new theatre.

directors, the iconic red folding representing the thousands

The multi-coloured shapes in the artwork represent the thousands of audience members that visit the theatre. Also, the shapes symbolise the many performances that have

of audience members who have and will continue visiting the theatre. As the artwork is meant to also represent the future,

taken place at The Market Theatre. To signify the 40 years of

Artist Proof Studio has kept it as a composition that allows

existence, the artists included 40 of these shapes.

for more elements to be added in future. To signify the

The actors are represented in the ‘photographs’ that float freely in the composition. These have been carved and painted for installation on the mural as pieces that float off

growth of the organisation as they look forward to another 40 years of storytelling. ‘Artist Proof Studio is privileged to have been part of

the wall. Four students from Artist Proof Studio, selected

this wonderful creative journey with The Market Theatre

for their advanced wood carving skills, participated in the

and Zethu Arts. Photographic elements from photographs

production of the floating panels. The design also includes

captured by Ruphin Coudyzer, Patrick Sudi, Lungelo

scenes from various other significant plays from The Market

Mbulwana and Goolam Chavoos have contributed to an

Theatre, paying tribute to the many writers who contribute

artwork we hope truly represents the living legacy of The

to the industry.

Market Theatre.’ CF

Creative Feel / February / March 2017 / 55

Andrew Tshabangu:

FOOTPRINTS

Born in Soweto in 1966, Andrew Tshabanguâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s photography has received critical acclaim across the globe. His work has been exhibited internationally and is renowned for documenting the daily rituals of black communities in urban Africa. A selection of Tshabanguâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s photographic works have been curated by Thembinkosi Goniwe and will be exhibited at the Standard Bank Gallery from 18 February to 29 April 2017.

56 / Creative Feel / February / March 2017

Joubert Park 2004 Archival Pigment Print Edition of 10

ndrew Tshabangu: Footprints is an exhibition that assembles a selected body of Andrew Tshabangu’s photographs spanning more than 20 years. As an attentive observer,

Washing Clothes 2003 Archival Pigment Print Edition of 10

Tshabangu is drawn to ordinary subjects and their nuanced intricacies. His photographs are saturated with a sense of quietness that captures the human spirit – a spirit of hope, courage and determination. Andrew Tshabangu: Footprints narrates a series of impressions that Tshabangu has thus far generated during

Creative Feel / February / March 2017 / 57

Venda Traditional Dance 2001 Archival Pigment Print Edition of 10

In Andrew Tshabangu: Footprints, an exhibition comprised of photographic series, Tshabangu invites viewers to embark on a visual journey to various locations and moments, where he explores and documents activities of everyday life, transitions and metamorphoses of the townships, the metropolitan city and rural areas. Offered

his daily excursions as well as through his photographs.

are meditative depictions of black people, the homey

These are footprints in the photographic depictions of

places they inhabit and those spaces they navigate in their

township scenes, street vendors and taxi commuters found

daily rituals and mission to make ends meet. An emphasis

in the city, as well as spiritual and religious worshippers

is on the sensibilities of their ordinariness, executed

in different sacred sites. There are also family spaces and

in ways in which Tshabangu makes them the center of

hostels of migrant workers, moments in rural dwellings,

representation, endows them with a value such that we

occasions of fishing and leisure time at the seaside. They

could see and discover their humanness. These depictions

are Tshabangu’s encounters in Soweto, Joburg, Ngome,

are sensitive in mode, photographed in Tshabangu’s

Durban, Maputo, Malawi, Kenya, Ethiopia, Guyana, Réunion

black and white signature, at once a social documentary

Island, London, Berlin and New York.

genre but also poetic and expressive in its magic realism,

58 / Creative Feel / February / March 2017

particularly as visual representations concerned with the broader realm of life experience and human desire. As an attentive observer, Tshabangu is drawn into

Reflections, Alexander Township 1994 Archival Pigment Print Edition of 10

ordinary subjects and their nuanced intricacies. Thus his photographs are saturated with a sense of quietness which is somewhat penetrating and absorbing in the manner in which the complexities of the ordinary people and

Andrew Tshabangu: Footprints curates Tshabangu’s

everyday rituals are framed and captured. The potency of

photographs whose significance is not just about witnessing

Tshabangu’s photographs lies in his decisive search for

but also analysis and vision, not about denouncing but

and discovery of how to make present the human spirit

revealing and empowering. It is the meaning and value

in pictorial representation. For he has managed, without

of black people, their courage and determination that

eliding their vulnerability, to capture their spirit of hope

Tshabangu translates and interprets. The exhibition is a

through an aesthetic resolve in whose subtlety signals the

narrative of Tshabangu’s photographic trajectory whose

steady spiritual fortitude of black people who daily confront

focus is not on despondency or pessimism but faith, hope

socio-economic challenges in a society wrestling with

and endurance all speaking to the bearable lightness of being

transformation, freedom and equality.

black in the world. CF

Creative Feel / February / March 2017 / 59

Paul Emmanuel “

The only thing we can be certain of is change. We try to hold onto memories in the hope of maintaining some coherence and continuity, but our memories are largely inventions, and they too change over time. We commemorate our invented pasts in an attempt to fix them in the present. We even impose them on the generations that come after us, linking them to the past through anniversaries, memorials, pilgrimages and rites of passage, in an attempt to bind their lives to ours. Ultimately, we know more about the grand narratives we create about the past than the past itself. We cannot hold onto the substance of the past. It has been recycled and re-purposed into new forms. Our memories are poor, distorted, sentimental and superstitious copies. This proposed exhibition, Substance of Shadows, is a collection of works scratched by hand onto delicate carbon ‘paper’ or film that continue to explore my fascination with the tenuous nature of memory. These carbon ‘shadows’ are all metaphors for carbon copies and products of one of life’s greatest narratives – the CARBON CYCLE.

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”

Untitled (Detail) 2016 Original drawing, hand-incised black carbon film, black carbon residue 110 x 63 mm

Creative Feel / February / March 2017 / 61

‘In 2014, I pursued a deep interest, researching the shadows of people that had been etched onto city ruins by the heat and light of the atomic blasts on Hiroshima and Nagasaki that ended World War Two,’ says Paul Emmanuel. ‘Here were carbon shadows, ghosts of the past, fixed onto

the only remaining manufacturer of carbon film in South

ruins in the present. This research led me to the Pelindaba

Africa and obtained the last roll of black film ever produced

Atomic Research Facility north of Johannesburg, South Africa.

in this country, as limited demand for this product remains.

There are rumours that the enriched uranium used for these

I conducted an experiment to see if the technique of

bombs originated there. These rumours enhanced my sense

gently scratching an image into the carbon layer worked,

of connection between South Africa, as a South African artist,

practically, creatively and conceptually. The carbon film was

and Hiroshima. I later had a dream, perhaps linked to this,

left unrecognisable, looking as if the image of a saint had

in which I saw myself peeled from my own skin, as if I was

been imprinted on a delicate shroud. This resonated with me

discarding a burnt, blackened outer covering. This stimulated

and my Catholic background and it felt as if I had conjured

my ideas of scratching away a thin black layer from a piece of

my own carbon Hiroshima shadow.

diaphanous, skin-like carbon “paper” or film. ‘Carbon film’s obsolescence speaks to me of a generation

‘Some of the Hiroshima shadows borne on the bodies of survivors, were the patterns on the clothing they were

that is perceived to have little remaining validity and yet

wearing, burnt onto their skin. Unlike the decorations a

continues to influence our present digital age with their

soldier might wear on his or her body to commemorate heroic

carbon copies and their part in the carbon cycle. I found

performance, these were un-asked-for “decorations”. ‘ CF

62 / Creative Feel / February / March 2017

Title: remnant 3 Date: 2014 Dimensions: 5 meters x 5 meters Medium: Photograph printed with archival pigment inks on pure silk organdie “point-du-jour”. Photographed by Charl Fraser, Johannesburg, South Africa. Printed and produced by Brochier Soieries, Lyon, France. Condition: Distressed silk textile, as received from Thiepval, France, after exposure to Somme elements. These distressed fabric qualities are considered, unrepeatable.

ex unitate vires Original drawing, hand-incised black carbon film, black carbon residue. Motif created from ex unitate vires heraldry. The image is created by projecting a negative-image ‘shadow’ of this motif onto my own body.

Creative Feel / February / March 2017 / 63

PROVOCATIVE, enervating & thoughtGavin Krastin Pig Headed. PHOTO by Alan Parker (2015)

PROVOKING The Institute for Creative Arts (ICA, formerly GIPCA) launched its third annual, boundary bending Live Art Festival earlier this month. To find out more about this anticipated festival and the recent changes at the Institute, Creative Feel spoke to ICA Director, Jay Pather.

he transition from the Gordon Institute for Performing and Creative Arts (GIPCA) to the Institute for Creative Arts (ICA) was made official on 5 April 2016. Why the change? ‘GIPCA was

originally founded to develop interdisciplinary collaboration amongst the creative arts and other disciplines as well as to promote the various performing and creative art disciplines at the University of Cape Town,’ says Jay Pather. ‘The ICA evolved from GIPCA and takes this work further. With support from the Mellon Foundation, the ICA takes this work into public spheres and has developed a more comprehensive platform for postgraduate study in innovative, interdisciplinary practice. Hence, the Institute creates programmes that encourage public and performance art. While interdisciplinarity, innovation and experimentation remain key, there is a particular focus on the several complex themes around decolonisation and addressing such issues as class, race, gender and sexuality via the performing and creative arts.’ Other developments at the Institute ‘have been the formation of a Postgraduate Cohort specialising in the area

64 / Creative Feel / February / March 2017

Jay Pather Sethembile Msezane in Excerpts form the Past PHOTO Lerato Maduna

of live art, public art and interdisciplinarity; 16 fellowships that encourage artists and scholars to take this research further through short, financially supported residencies; and several scholarships that are made available for MA and PhD study in these areas,’ says Pather. ‘The various events have also seen a more integrated approach amongst the general public, artists and students. Key projects started during GIPCA’s existence have continued such as the very successful Great Texts Big Question series, the Live Art Festival of course and the Music in the City Series.’ The Live Art Festival has established itself as a unique platform for cutting-

Creative Feel / February / March 2017 / 65

Kivithra Naiker in Karuvil (In the Womb), 2016

edge interdisciplinary art, but what is the history behind it? ‘The Live Art Festival started as a way of encouraging the development of what was known as performance art. This area of the arts was more vigorously championed by visual artists who developed a performative element as opposed to the static art work. This began to foreground issues of immediacy and urgency and the experimentation, together with the fact that these art interventions were not commercially driven, tended to be anarchic and extremely political. Historically, movements such as Dadaism and Futurism epitomised this. Over the years, the term “live art” was introduced to include performance art but also to embrace growing technology which simply means that for a work to be “live”, there does not have to be a performing body. ‘This whole field starts to make us question art forms such as straight theatre and dance, and the static visual art form and the archaic musical traditions that linked, for example, melody with music. Artists question these narrow categories and open new areas and new ways of looking. This is enormously exciting if one goes along with it fearlessly, unafraid to leave

66 / Creative Feel / February / March 2017

Nora Chipaumire PHOTO Gennadi Novash

one’s assumptions about art at the door. Artists who do this kind of work are very often non-commercial. The experience is momentary, it is not always wildly popular and they, as a result, put themselves at great commercial and artistic risk. The point is ultimately that these new images, sounds and forms that arise are often taken up by the mainstream quite quickly because they are rich and provocative. The new work of integrity must of necessity have space, to give voice to the ever-increasing complexity of our contemporary lives. Let’s consider, for example, how at this moment and globally, freedom has become fragile and we cannot take human rights for granted. These vigilant artists find the complexity of this through a search for forms that may probe this and bring it to us, not just intellectually but emotively, in visually and aurally striking images. ‘So the ICA Live Art Festival provides audiences with an expansive (three-week long!) window on what artists who are not afraid to take a risk are doing and thinking. In South Africa, of course, the idea of interdisciplinary performance is very old when one considers classical African theatre and dance. Performance artist Albert Khoza reveals this connectivity between ritual, tradition and contemporary performance in a disarming way. In bringing together issues of the queer body and traditional ritual, he epitomises the fearless integrity I spoke of before. Other African artists featured at the Live Art Festival, such as Jelili Atiku (Nigeria), Nora Chipaumire (Zimbabwe, now based in New York), Panaibra Canda (Mozambique) and Larry Achiampong (Ghana, now based in London), further reveal the continuity between the ancient performances of the African continent and the contemporary global moment. ‘In this festival as well we are also looking at range – so we are presenting such veterans as Atiku, Steven Cohen and Mamela Nyamza to people such as Buhlebezwe Siwani and Sethembile Msezane. There are dance artists such as Foofwa d’Imobilité (Switzerland) and Canda, to visual artists such as Gabrielle Goliath, and those working with image and sound such as Samson Kambalu and Achiampong. And besides the range of African artists we are featuring the work of some of South Africa’s leading exponents in the field such as Donna Kukama, Alan Parker, Anthea Moys, Khanyisile Mbongwa, Gavin Krastin and Dean Hutton. ‘In the last few years, the calls for decolonisation have increased. Artists have searched for forms that get to the complexity of, for example, systemic violence and many have found that this hybrid form, that seems to have no boundaries, is the way. As such, the Festival has no real

Creative Feel / February / March 2017 / 67

Buhle Those Ghels - courtesy of the ITC festival, Africa Center, 2016, 2nd session theme, though resonances amongst the works will no doubt be felt. But we should be prepared for some of the most provocative, enervating and thought-provoking work by artists who pull no political or artistic punches.’ Interestingly, linked to the Live Art Festival is the ICA’s Live Art Fellowship, which forms part of the series of Fellowships offered by the ICA. ‘The idea here is to afford artists and scholars an opportunity to take the time to develop an idea,

Steven Cohen PHOTO Marc Domage

write about it, research it further, present the research and then develop and present the work at the Festival. This is a means which we are instituting to give artists the opportunity to not just present their work as in any other festival but within the

a new line up of speakers as do the Medical Humanities

University and an Institute, to spend the time researching and

Lecture Series. We will host a programme of interdisciplinary

working on it and then getting feedback from a range of artists

work from our graduating Masters students. This includes

and scholars before presenting at the Festival.’

work by Dean Hutton, Khanyisile Mbongwa, Juliet Jenkin

The Live Art Festival sets a thought-provoking precedent

and Lesiba Mabitsela. We are launching Infecting the

for what appears to be a very busy year for the ICA. Their

City in collaboration with the Africa Centre and are also

many projects include ‘a book on live art by a range of

collaborating with the Spielart Festival in Germany on a

provocative writers such as Khwezi Gule, Sarah Nuttall,

programme of Live Art from South Africa. And, of course, the

Nondumiso Msimanga, Bettina Malcomess, Mwenya Kabwe

range of Fellowships and Fellows Presentations.’ CF

and Nomusa Makhubu. The Third Space Symposium will be the second in a series of three that combine artistic works

For regular updates on upcoming events, join the ICA

with conference presentations around decolonizing the

mailing list by visiting www.ica.uct.ac.za or like the ICA

arts curricula. The Great Texts Big Question Series features

Facebook page.

68 / Creative Feel / February / March 2017

Sethembile Msezane’s

PORTAL IN TIME Sethembile Msezane is a multidisciplinary artist currently completing her Masters in Fine Art at the University of Cape Town. Msezane is the TAF & Sylt Emerging Artist Residency Award winner (TASA) 2016, the first recipient of the Rising Light award at the fifth edition of the Mbokodo Awards, a Barclays L’Atelier Top 10 Finalist (2016) and a Sasol New Signatures Merit Award winner (2015). Her work has featured in exhibitions and festivals world. Msezane’s performance piece, Excerpts from the Past featured at the Institute for Creative Art’s (ICA) Live Art Festival. Creative Feel: Please tell us a bit more about your work,

and place it onto the figure I’m embodying within that

Excerpts from the Past, which you will be performing at

performance. It is also a way in which women who encounter

the ICA’s Live Art Festival?

these performances can identify with the figure personally

Sethembile Msezane: This work is a kind of portal in time

or through other women they may know. In doing so these

from the colonial era to the present. In this performance

women can begin to consciously claim the spaces in which

associations of belonging, dislocation, displacement and

they exist.

contested claims to (African) land are narrated through various sound clips collated from the colonial and/or

CF: Your work, particularly that which addresses the

apartheid era to present. While men have historically

representation (and lack thereof) of the black female

dominated these conversations, women have had some

body in public spaces, is garnering positive attention

influence and involvement within these tensions. Looking

in the media. Have you felt the same positivity from

back into the past this performance will bring together these

the public interacting with/witnessing your works or is

dichotomies in the present.

there a sense of resistance? SM: People react in different ways when they are confronted

CF: What message/thought do you hope audience

by my public performances. The emotions I’ve witnessed

members will take from your piece?

range from confusion or surprise to intrigue or even anger.

SM: This performance is quite provocative and asks the

In a piece titled Love in the Time of Afrophobia (2015), I

viewer to engage with issues that might cause discomfort. I

stood statuesque with my arms outstretched, wearing a skirt

would like for viewers to either be able to identify with the

with African flags and stood on a plinth with the message ‘I

work or question their discomfort.

breathe like you. I bleed like you. Hug a fellow African’. People read the message and took the brave decision to hug me even

CF: In this work and many of your others, you wear a

though they could not see my face or hear my voice. One of

beaded veil, what is the symbolism of this?

the people whilst hugging me sobbed a little and whispered

SM: The beaded veil is motif I use largely in my public

‘thank you for supporting us’. That moment is still one of the

performances as living sculpture and some of my other

most memorable to date. This performance was in response to

performances. I use the veil as a way to shift the attention

the spurt of violence against African nationals that the media

away from me as an individual with my own identity,

labelled as ‘xenophobic attacks’ in April of 2015. CF

Creative Feel / February / March 2017 / 69

Book Reviews Recently published

Get a Life! The Diaries of Vivienne Westwood | Publisher: Profile Books | ISBN: 9781781254981 Vivienne Westwood began Get A Life, her online diary, in 2010 with an impassioned post about Native American activist Leonard Peltier. Since then, she has written two or three entries each month, discussing her life in fashion and her involvement with art, politics and the environment. Reading Vivienne’s thoughts, in her own words, is as fascinating and provocative as you would expect from Britain’s punk dame – a woman who always says exactly what she believes. And what a life! One week, you might find Vivienne up the Amazon, highlighting tribal communities’ struggles to maintain the rainforest; another might see her visiting Julian Assange in the Ecuadorian Embassy, or driving up to David Cameron’s house in the Cotswolds in a full-on tank. Then again, Vivienne might be hanging out with her friend Pamela Anderson, or in India for Naomi Campbell’s birthday party, or watching Black Sabbath in Hyde Park with Sharon Osbourne. The beauty of Vivienne Westwood’s diary is that it is so fresh and unpredictable. In book form, generously illustrated with her own selection of images, it is irresistible.

Tasty Wastenots | Sally-Ann Creed

The Life Tree | Frances Hardinge | Publisher:

On Your Bike | Chris & Tim Whitfield

& Jason Whitehead | Publisher:

Macmillan Children’s Books | ISBN:

| Publisher: Tafelberg | ISBN:

Human & Rousseau | ISBN:

9781509837557

9780624077749

9780798171267

Winner of the Costa Book of the Year 2015,

Keen to get out there and get fit on

Tasty Wastenots introduces a

The Lie Tree is a dark and powerful novel

your mountain bike but you lack

new era where nothing is wasted.

from universally acclaimed author, Frances

the time or motivation?

This collection of delicious

Hardinge, and illustrated by Children’s

Seasoned journalists and mountain

recipes includes everything –

Laureate, Chris Riddell.

bike riders Chris and Tim Whitfield

from breakfast, starters, soups &

Faith has a thirst for science and secrets

will help you turn your weekend-

salads and main dishes to snacks,

that the rigid confines of her class cannot

warrior dreams into reality

smoothies and desserts. Included

supress. And so it is that she discovers

with tips on cool trails, events

with almost every recipe are useful

her disgraced father’s journals, filled with

and advice on everything from

nutritional facts – which makes

the scribbled notes and theories of a man

equipment and safety to MTB lingo

this an interesting read. Join this

driven close to madness. Tales of a strange

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This fun handbook – packed

organic wine, growing your own

truth: the greater the lie, the greater the

with maps and tips – is your

veggies, and looking after your

truth revealed to the liar. Faith’s search for

indispensable guide to getting out

pet’s diet. All while making your

the tree leads her into great danger – for

into the fresh air and to get ON

contribution to the planet.

where lies seduce, truths shatter . . .

YOUR BIKE …

70 / Creative Feel / February / March 2017

The 2017 Laureates of The Polar Music Prize

ting, the internationally renowned singer-

In their award citations, The Polar Music Award

songwriter and composer, and Wayne Shorter,

Committee said, ‘Sting has never sat back and rested on

the globally revered saxophonist and composer,

his laurels, he has put down his anchor in more musical

have been announced today as the 2017 Polar

harbours than perhaps any other artist of his generation. As

Music Prize Laureates. Both Sting and Shorter will accept

a composer Sting has combined classical pop with virtuoso

their prizes from His Majesty King Carl XVI Gustaf of

musicianship and an openness to all genres and sounds from

Sweden at a gala ceremony at the Stockholm Concert Hall

around the world. Sting is a true citizen of the world, who

on 15 June.

has also been indefatigable in using his position as an arena-

Talking about his win, Sting said, ‘I am honoured to receive the Polar Music Prize and to join past recipients

filling artist to promote human rights. ‘Wayne Shorter has aptly described his work as “drilling

who I have long admired and respected. I still maintain a

for wisdom”. With his soprano and tenor saxophones he is

childlike curiosity about music, along with a sense that I

an explorer. Over the course of an extraordinary career he

constantly need to work at it. So to be recognised in this

has constantly sought out untravelled paths. Wayne Shorter

way is truly meaningful. I am looking forward to coming to

has worked in epochmaking groups such as Art Blakey’s

Sweden in June for this special evening.’

Jazz Messengers, Miles Davis’s Second Great Quintet and

Wayne Shorter said, ‘I am deeply honoured to be awarded the 2017 Polar Music Prize and I’m looking forward to

Weather Report.’ The Polar Music Prize, now in its 26th year, is considered

accepting it in Sweden, a country that has produced some

the most prestigious accolade in music, recognising two

great musicians and composers who have inspired the world.

Laureates from different music genres. Such is the honour

It’s another great adventure for me, during a life where I’ve

that artists feel when being awarded the prize that even

always chosen the trail less travelled because it always takes

Bob Dylan, the 2000 Laureate, attended the ceremony to

you to more interesting discoveries.’

received his prize from the King. The List of Polar Music

‘In Sting and Wayne Shorter we have two Laureates

Prize Laureates reads like the ultimate musicians hall of

whose music continues to move, enthrall and influence

fame, which is what Stig Anderson, its founder, intended.

millions of music fans around the world. Both are true

They include: Paul McCartney, Dizzy Gillespie, Ray Charles,

music legends and embody the spirit of the Polar Music

Burt Bacharach, Joni Mitchell, Elton John, Bruce Springsteen,

Prize. We are delighted that Sting and Wayne Shorter are

Stevie Wonder, Cecilia Bartoli, Youssou N’Dour, B.B. King,

our 2017 Laureates and we look forward to welcoming them

Mstislav Rostropovich and Renée Fleming.

to Stockholm for the ceremony in June,’ said Marie Ledin, managing director of the Polar Music Prize

Look out for more incredible music by these talented musicians later in 2017. CF

Creative Feel / February / March 2017 / 71

JACKIE DIRECTOR: Pablo Larraín STARRING: Natalie Portman, Peter Sarsgaard, Greta Gerwig, Richard E. Grant, Caspar Phillipson, John Carroll Lynch, Beth Grant, Max Casella with Billy Crudup and John Hurt Jackie is a searing and intimate portrait of one of the most important and tragic moments in American history, seen through the eyes of the iconic First Lady, then Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy (Natalie Portman). Jackie places us in her world during the days immediately following her husband’s assassination. Known for her extraordinary dignity and poise, here we see a psychological portrait of the First Lady as she struggles to establish her husband’s legacy and the world of ‘Camelot’ that she created and loved so well.

encore Unathi Malunga practises as an Entertainment Law consultant and is a qualified

Entertainment Lawyer. Unlike many such lawyers, her work spans the whole gambit of

the creative and content industries: film, television, music, visual arts, publishing, theatre, dance, live events, sport etc. In addition to the specialised transaction support she does in these fields, Malunga runs development initiatives by providing entertainment law information sessions to industry players, and also involves her clients in Legacy Programmes, whereby she brings in the disadvantaged or marginalised, and structures training and learning programmes for that specific project.

Name three artworks that you love and why.

your team of advisors around you but you still need to know enough -

The lithograph Drawing Hands by Escher. Drawing is a hobby of mine and

enough to monitor your accountant; to be accountable to your donors

I’ve always loved this drawing. I think it’s such a simple yet spectacular

or sponsors; to manage your finances correctly; to take the business

and highly original piece of work.

decision based on advice your attorney has given you etc. I feel there is

My best read by a South African is In a Different Time: The Inside Story of

still a lot of room for improvement in this area. Access also remains a

the Delmas Four by Peter Harris. The story is beautifully written and truly

problem – access to information on what is available, on the work and

gripping. What I found significant about it is that we hardly ever hear

offerings of the arts institutions, to funding. We take internet access

stories coming from the point of view of the foot soldiers of our struggle.

for-granted and predominantly rely on it to disseminate information.

We only celebrate those whom we have termed ‘the Heroes’ but this is a

But there are plenty of people who still don’t have the access, and there

remarkable story which deserved to be told as much as any other.

are those who live in rural or semi-urban areas. We also forget how the

Music: Now I’m really in trouble! There is simply so much to choose

internet works – you put up a page and think people will flock to it.

from! How about Elgar’s Cello Concerto, performed by Jacqueline du Pré.

Really? How will they know about it? How will I know to search for your

don’t think that needs further explanation does it?

organisation? It’s there as a support tool actually – not the main tool. There still needs to be work done to drive people there!

Name one artist you would love to meet. It has only ever been Quincy Jones and I met him more than a decade

What is it that makes you happy?

ago. If I had to choose it would most likely be the extraordinary

Free time! Nothing makes me happier than spending my time on

musician, Kenneth ‘Babyface’ Edmonds (who needs no introduction)

things I like to do. Growing up, I used to collect watches. As a practising

or Carol Cymbala, the director of the Brooklyn Tabernacle choir – for

lawyer, I used to sell time. So I really value and appreciate time. It’s the

someone who has had no formal musical training, what she has done

most precious commodity we have and we take it so for-granted.

with that choir is nothing short of astounding. Describe a defining moment in your life. If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be?

The moment I realised I needed to return to music and that it

Bigger hands so I can play Rachmaninov’s piano works! On a serious

was my purpose in life. That was definitely a complete paradigm

note, I’m a perfectionist so I wish I was able to let go a little more.

shift. As an entertainment lawyer, I enjoyed doing the work in the background. I have never been one of those entertainment lawyers

How have the arts industries in South Africa changed over the

who attend parties and networking shindigs to be seen etc. But

last ten years?

conducting is a performance career – it is a very different role.

I think there are areas where there have been considerable strides made but we have a problem with continuity, particularly in our arts

What projects will you be busy with during 2016 and into 2017?

institutions. With every change of guard, my observation is we basically

Wearing my legal hat: I’m currently working on production legals for a

start from scratch. We are still discussing the same matters, for the most

documentary. I am also working on a writing project, which I will finish in

part, that we were discussing in the early 2000s. We do not deal with

2017. On the music front, 2017 has much in store in terms of conducting

things conclusively – it’s all stop and go attempts…extremely frustrating.

opportunities and experiences, including a few engagements overseas.

Name one thing you think would improve the arts and culture

Name one goal you would like to achieve in the next twelve

industry in South Africa.

months.

I wish people would take the time to learn more about the business of the

2017 will be the first year I ‘officially’ run both of my careers

arts. That’s what my legal work has always been about. Even if you have

concurrently so I am hoping to achieve a workable balance. CF

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76 / Creative Feel / February / March 2017