Creative Feel September 2015

REBELLION & JOHANNESBURG Dancing the new city culture

Star-struck

9 771607 519004

09015

SA R36,90 (incl. VAT) - September 2015

Joshua Bell & Pretty Yende at Starlight Classics

Functional Art: RMB’s THINK Bench

thursday 27 august 2015 conductor: rossen milanov soloist: Philippe Quint (violin) Berlioz Roman Carnival tchaikovsky Violin concerto Brahms Symphony no. 1

Making music together.

With star soloists, conductors and outstanding choirs, the KZn Philharmonic orchestra Will Present the sPring season of its renoWned World symPhony series from 27 august to 22 october.

subscribers enJoy a 25% discount and there are further discounts for Pensioners and students

thursday 3 sePtember 2015 conductor: rossen milanov soloist: Junnan sun (clarinet) Schubert Rosamunde: overture, d. 644 mozart clarinet concerto, a major Schoenberg Kammersinfonie no. 1 Strauss Kaiserwaltzer

thursday 10 sePtember 2015 conductor: daniel boico soloist: hrachya avanesyan (violin) liszt hungarian rhapsody no. 2, d minor Paganini Violin concerto, no. 1 tchaikovsky Symphony no. 4

thursday 17 sePtember 2015 national youth concerto festival conductor: lyk temmingh soloists: various students from around the country

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.”

thursday 24 sePtember 2015: heritage day concert conductor: arjan tien soloist: sandeep das (tablas) márquez danzón no. 2 dinuk wijaratne concerto for tablas and orchestra mozart Symphony no. 25 in G minor Sibisi excerpts from Uqomisa Iliba (world première)

thursday 1 october 2015 conductor: daniel boico soloist: bryan Wallick (piano) Brahms Tragic Overture Prokofiev Piano Concerto No. 2 Kalinnikov Symphony no. 1

thursday 8 october 2015 conductor: Justus frantz soloist: vitaliy Pisarenko (piano) mozart Symphony no. 32 in G major Tchaikovsky Piano Concerto No. 1 in B-flat minor Beethoven Symphony No. 3 in E-flat major, ‘Eroica’ tickets priced from r55 – r220 are available at computicket. all concerts commence at 7:30pm in the durban city hall. Pre-concert talks are held in the durban city hall at 6:15pm. the city hall precinct, including surrounding parking garages, is patrolled by a dedicated security team.

thursday 22 october 2015 conductor: daniel raiskin soloists: njabulo madlala beverley chiat nicholas nicholaidis choirs: sa singers clermont community choir durban symphonic choir Strauss Death and Transfiguration, op. 24 orff Carmina Burana

njabulo madlala

rossen milanov

Philippe Quint

Some of the artiStS featured in the KwaZulu-natal hrachya avanesyan

arjan tien

Philharmonic’S

bryan Wallick

Justus frantz

beverley chiat

Junnan sun

SPrinG SeaSon 2015

sandeep das

clermont community choir

daniel boico

lykele temmingh

vitaliy Pisarenko

EDITOR’S NOTE A Different Heritage

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hanks to modern technology like email, Dropbox

Until 1924 the remains of German soldiers were brought

and the Internet it is quite easy to write my editor’s

to Illfurth and re-buried here and finally, in 1926, Germany

note from just about anywhere in the world.

and France reached an agreement to allow the Germans

As it happens, I am currently travelling in

to make this place a special place of remembrance and to

France, in the Alsace region, and here history is evident in

list all known names of casualties buried here and to put

every place and corner. As the official tourist site quotes,

down proper stones of remembrance. Before this work could

‘Fortified castles highlighting the foothills of the Vosges,

even be completed, the Second World War brought it to a

bunkers of the Maginot Line, the fortifications of Vauban

standstill and not before 1960 was it finally completed.

listed a UNESCO World Heritage Site, just like Strasbourg

What a waste of lives, mainly young lives and in this part

and its Grande Ile... In Alsace, more than elsewhere,

of France/Germany there were families who had one son

German First World War cemetery at Illfurth. Alsace, France

Palais de l’Europe in Strasbourg’s European quarter with the European Parliament

heritage rhymes with legacy. A clever mix of German and

fighting for France while his brother fought against France.

French cultures, the wealth of our sometimes troubled past

Now they are buried in a sombre place under the trees (at

is marked in the Alsacian countryside.’

least here the ‘German’ brother) and a bit further on the

Here, outside the small village of Illfurth where I am

French soldiers. Why?? It is just a 100 years ago and perhaps

currently staying, a German First World War cemetery is

one should be grateful that today this whole region is part

located on a hillside amongst the woods above the town. It

of Europe, a Europe that has a Council as an organisation

was a cemetery started by the Germans when this ground

whose main task is to promote democracy and protect

was part of Germany in 1914. At that time, the men buried

human rights in Europe. It brings together 47 European

here would have been interred on what was perceived as

member states in the Palais de l’Europe in Strasbourg’s

home soil but post-war this area was returned to France as

European quarter together with the European Parliament.

it had been taken from them following the Franco-Prussian

A visit to Alsace reminds me how grateful we should be

War in 1871. The cemetery has 1 964 burials and among

for our ‘recent’ heritage in South Africa, our Constitution

them is Leutnant Albert Mayer who is recorded as being the

and our Constitutional Court to protect Human Rights in

first German battle casualty on the Western Front. He was

our country. We might still have a way to go, but it has only

killed near Joncherey on 2 August 1914, the same day the

been 21 years and we have come a long way.

first French casualty occurred in the same battle.

Lore

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PRETTY AWESOME HAVING YOU HOME.

THINK TALENT. THINK RMB.

Rand Merchant Bank welcomes home South African born and internationally acclaimed Soprano Pretty Yende Pretty’s debut in ‘Le Comte Ory’ at the Metropolitan Opera House, New York in January 2013 put her firmly on the international centre stage. As an avid supporter of South African arts and culture, we are proud to have known and supported Pretty since her early days, under the nurturing baton of Richard Cock. It gives us great pleasure to welcome Pretty back to perform at RMB Starlight Classics.

Thinking that can change your world. www.rmb.co.za Rand Merchant Bank is an Authorised Financial Services Provider

Traditional values. Innovative ideas.

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We love this creation

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A

M

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 FEATURES EDITOR Natalie Watermeyer; natalie@desklink.co.za SALES AND MARKETING EXECUTIVES sales@desklink.co.za sales@creativefeel.co.za SPECIAL PROJECTS Noelene Strauss Kotzé; noelene@desklink.co.za MARKETING INTERN Oupa Sibeko; oupa@desklink.co.za DESIGN Mxolisi Gumbi; mxolisi@desklink.co.za FINANCIAL DIRECTOR Debbi Gregory; debbi@desklink.co.za RECEPTION Angelina Ramano DISPATCH Khumbulani Dube SUBSCRIPTION & CIRCULATION Debbi Gregory; debbi@desklink.co.za 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 PRINTING ColorPress (Pty) Ltd © Copyright DeskLink™ Media The opinions expressed in this publication do not necessarily represent the views of the publisher.

A succulent is suspended between two interlinked sections in this garden oasis created by Arkivio. Lance Surgeson and Paul Rabinowitz are the young creatives behind Arkivio (previously Glass Garden). This beautiful design piece, along with others from their portfolio, was exhibited at 100% Design this August, falling under 100% Talent.

8 / Creative Feel / September 2015

CONTRIBUTORS: Nondumiso Msimanga; nondumiso.msimanga@yahoo.com Ismail Mahomed; ismail@nationalartsfestival.co.za Michelle Constant; michelle@basa.co.za Indra Wussow; indra@syltfoundation.com

Creating your legacy is creating ours.

THE BEST PRIVATE BANK IN SA 2015

WINNER: 2015 INTELLIDEX-MONEYWEB TOP PRIVATE BANKS AND WEALTH MANAGERS SURVEY RMB Private Bank is more than our name. It is our promise.

A promise that means understanding our client’s unique personal and financial aspirations. A promise that means personalised solutions and a service approach that allows us to create a legacy. Yours.

Visit www.rmbprivatebank.com or call our 24/7 Service Suite on 087 575 9411 for more information.

YOUR WEALTH. YOUR LEGACY. RMB Private Bank, a division of FirstRand Bank Limited. An Authorised Financial Services and Credit Provider. NCA Reg. No. NCRCP20.

Cover image: The RMB THINK Bench. Commissioned by Rand Merchant Bank and created by Workhorse Bronze Foundry. Photograph by Rina Noto

cover story 32

The RMB THINK Bench

The result of a two-year collaborative effort

involving Rand Merchant Bank and the Workhorse

Bronze Foundry, the 13-metre long prototype

RMB THINK Bench is in its final stages of

production, destined for prominence in

the courtyard of Merchant Place, located in the

heart of Sandton’s financial district.

54

JOSHUA BELL

Making his way to South Africa this September,

Joshua Bell forms part of the highly anticipated line-

up for the 2015 RMB Starlight Classics Concert.

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A FIRST FOR THE CPO

Brandon Phillips’s appointment as resident

conductor of the Cape Town Philharmonic

Orchestra was formally announced on stage before

the concert at the Cape Town City Hall on 18 June

2015. The appointment was made thanks to funding

from Rand Merchant Bank (RMB) and Phillips is

scheduled to conduct a portion of the RMB Starlight

Classics Concert taking place this September.

contents

arts and culture

38

REBELLION & JOHANNESBURG

58

‘THE VOICE OF MAMELODI’

REBELLION & JOHANNESBURG is an epic dance

Multi-award winning musician, Vusi Mahlasela

theatre production that will tour Germany later this

has recently returned from a tour of the USA and

year before returning to show in South Africa in 2016

Canada and will now be appearing on several South

at Dance Umbrella.

African stages.

52

PRETTY YENDE RETURNS

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IT TAKES TWO (OR THREE)

South African soprano Pretty Yende is no stranger

The Dinaledi, Diphala, Conga and Mbira stages are

to readers of Creative Feel. We are still proud to

set to feature a series of collaborations between a

have been the first magazine to feature the now

selection of some of the biggest international and

globally renowned star on our cover, when she made

local names in jazz at the 2015 Standard Bank Joy

her debut appearance at RMB Starlight Classics.

of Jazz. The festival takes place at the Sandton

Convention Centre from 24 to 26 September.

10 / Creative Feel / September 2015

lifestyle and entertainment

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FROM THE FOOTLIGHTS

Following sold-out performances of his smash

hit show STAGE by STAGE earlier this year and in a

first for the Teatro at Montecasino and Jonathan

Roxmouth, the multi-award winning star of

local theatre will perform three concerts entitled

FROM THE FOOTLIGHTS, featuring a variety of

hits from internationally acclaimed Broadway and

West End musicals.

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A PAINTER OF HOUSES

As a parting gift to Rand Merchant Bank’s outgoing

Chief Executive Alan Pullinger, Gert Kruger

commissioned a painting by Fikile Maseko, a

relatively unknown artist whose works hang in

many of Johannesburg's private collections.

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WHAT REMAINS IS TOMORROW

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BUSINESS & ARTS

Johan Myburg, an independent arts writer and

Business and Arts is a monthly column by

critic, reports back on the South African Pavilion at

Michelle Constant, CEO of Business and Arts

the Venice Biennale for Creative Feel.

South Africa (BASA).

70

DIFFICULT CROSSINGS

Literary Landscapes is a monthly column written

Following his death in 2013, artist Neels Coetzee

by Indra Wussow, a writer, translator and director of

was honoured by Parliament for ‘his contribution

the Sylt Foundation.

to one of our most extraordinary and rich periods

for the imaginative arts, the 1980s and 1990s, when

apartheid was dying and a democracy was being

built.’ Two years on, his wife Koulla Xinisteris has

curated an exhibition of his work, which opens at

CIRCA on 3 September.

79 76

BOOK REVIEWS CD & DVD REVIEWS

contributors 26

ARTLOOKS & ARTLINES

Artlooks & Artlines is a monthly column

by Ismail Mahomed, Artistic Director of the

National Arts Festival.

contents 30

LITERARY LANDSCAPES

Creative Feel / September 2015 / 11

STANDARD BANK YOUNG ARTIST AWARD WINNERS NEVER STOP MOVING FORWARD

SOUTH AFRICAN JAZZ PIANIST IN THE SPOTLIGHT

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or his energetic and varied programme featuring Charlie Parker’s ‘Scrapple from the Apple’, three of his own compositions and the prescribed piece ‘We will meet again’ by Billy Evans, Kyle Shepherd

was awarded the first prize of R60 000 for the Jazz Category at the 5th Unisa National Piano Competition at the Z K Matthews Great Hall on 18 July. Shepherd also received the award for best performance of a South African jazz composition in the second round, one of six special prizes awarded during the competition.

All four of the finalists, Kyle Shepherd, Lungelo Ngcobo (runner - up in the Jazz category), Willem de Beer (runner - up in the Classical category) and Megan-Geoffrey Prins (winner in the Classical category), will be able to represent South Africa in the prestigious 13th Unisa International Piano Competition taking place in January 2016.

Fresh from a successful Canadian Tour in June, which saw the Kyle Shepherd Trio perform at four international Jazz festivals in Victoria, Vancouver, Ottawa and Montreal, the Trio will, thanks to Concerts SA Mobility Fund, be embarking on a Southern Africa Concert Tour in September 2015 that will see them perform in Mozambique, Botswana and in major cities across South Africa. CF

Kyle Shepherd Trio Southern Africa Concert Tour: Wednesday, 2 September 2015, 18:00 - University of KwaZuluNatal [UKZN], Howard College, Centre for Jazz and Popular Music, Durban, South Africa Friday, 4 September 2015, 20:00 - Wits Great Hall, University of Witwatersrand (Wits) Johannesburg, South Africa Sunday, 6 September 2015, 19:00 - Gaborone International

Acclaimed jazz pianist and Standard Bank Young Artist for Jazz 2014, Kyle Shepherd received the first prize for the Jazz Category at the Unisa National Piano Competition in July.

12 / Creative Feel / September 2015

Music and Culture Week (GIMC15), Gaborone, Botswana Thursday, 10 September 2015, 19:00 - Centro Cultural FrancoMoçambicano (CCFM) Auditorium, Maputo, Mozambique Thursday, 8 October 2015, 20:30 & 22:00 - Straight No Chaser Club, Cape Town, South Africa Saturday, 19 September 2015 - Stirling High School Auditorium, East London, South Africa Friday, 9 October 2015, 20:30 & 22:00 - Straight No Chaser Club, Cape Town, South Africa

Creative Feel / September 2015 / 13

CASTADIVA Boutique Hotel

‘A beautiful place to stay after work’

T

he above statement is ‘straight from the horse’s mouth’.

Guests who stay at Casta Diva Boutique Hotel, nestled on the northern side of the Magaliesberg mountain, are

hardly ever disappointed.

A look at their TripAdvisor.com profile will expose the boutique hotel for what it is – a hidden gem where guests feel welcome and taken care of. Currently ranking number 21 out of 314 B&Bs in Pretoria, Casta Diva is the ideal location for… well, any kind of stay. If you need to be in Pretoria for work, why not stay at a place where you can combine the ‘office’ with a touch

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.

of leisure? The half-Olympic size swimming pool will give you a sense of paradise as you enjoy the sunshine with a glass of wine.

The beautifully maintained garden (just under two hectares) offers an almost fairy tale escape as you wander through the tropical vegetation.

With the on-site Charisma Restaurant, you can conveniently take a culinary adventure without driving far to find great food.

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.

Serving a variety of dishes, the general consensus of guests is that the food is ‘excellent’. Not to mention the attentive service provided by the hosts. For the wine lovers, there is a range of delicious, local (South African) wines to choose from.

The Boutique Hotel has recently unveiled five new guest rooms, bringing the number of rooms to a total of 27. Las Terrassas, as the new rooms are named, offer guests a feeling of Africa meets Mexico. As with all the rooms at Casta Diva, the decorative art is tasteful and inspiring. The rooms are uncluttered and comfortable.

Don’t take my word for it, this is what their guests had to say: ‘Back in Paradise’. ‘There was no other choice at all, after my first stay in Casta Diva 18 months ago. I had to come back again a second time to this beautiful environment, which is more than a hotel, you feel like at home. I surely will return on a further occasion.’

‘The perfect getaway’. ‘A truly exceptional stay. The property is gorgeous with a fascinating history.

The rooms are meticulous and spacious, and the staff are

Functions Conferences Concerts Restaurant Theatre Art Gallery

extremely friendly and helpful, and willing to go the extra mile.

Thank you for the perfect night. I will certainly return.’

(Reviews taken from TripAdvisor.com) Visit their website at www.castadiva.co.za for more information, and keep an eye on their Facebook pages [Casta Diva the Place to/Casta Diva’s Charisma/Casta Diva’s Vissi d’Arte] to stay updated with the events and special offers.

Treat yourself to a getaway like no other. Visit Casta Diva –

67 Albatros Street, Ninapark, Pretoria Tel: 012 542 4449 | Fax: 012 542 3085 info@castadiva.co.za | www.castadiva.co.za

The place to… be. CF

Braamfontein’s trendy transformation sets the perfect tone for retail gem Design of Europe. Aka DoE, Design of Europe is a lifestyle brand that reflects both the city’s hip vibe and a modern South African lifestyle, and invites customers to define their own individual style.

“DoE sets out to make defining your personality and expressing your creative side easy – and surprisingly affordable” Up-to-date with the latest fashion trends, DoE showcases a crosssection of labels from various European brands that offer quality with a distinctive look for the style-street-aware male and female. ‘We want to mix and match to add to the Jozi fashion vibe,’ they declare.

DoE mix and match offers the ideal attire for everything from relaxed weekends or a business meeting, to a chic night on the town or wild party with friends. Their style philosophy holds that shopping should be ‘easy and unique’. In their own words: ‘We believe in assisting you to express your personality through fashion by finding your own style... True expression and creativity lies with your own confidence and personality.’

Europe has a long tradition of fashion and is still a trendsetter for the world, which is demonstrated by the fact that many of the globe’s greatest fashion houses have their origin and headquarters in Europe. With a range of brands selected from across Europe (particularly the design hothouse of Scandinavia), that include the likes of Swedish fashion giants H&M and Best-seller, as well as Spain’s Inditex, DoE sets out to make defining your personality and expressing your creative side easy – and surprisingly affordable.

Prices range from R39 to R2 499, with t-shirts going for R99/R149 and jeans for R249/R999.

Having made their debut in Braamfontein, Johannesburg, and established a solid business structure, the fashion-forward retailer is looking to expand. They are therefore looking for a possible partner or investors. Interested? Check them out at 87 De Korte Street (corner of Melle Street), in Braamfontein Johannesburg.

Call 011 403 3037.

Creative Feel / September 2015 / 15

100%

100% Design South Africa

a c i r f A h t u o S n g i Des For the second year, internationally acclaimed office furnishing solutions company Dauphin HumanDesignÂŽ Group, was the headline sponsor for the premier design showcase, 100% Design South Africa, which took place from 6 to 10 August 2015 at the Gallagher Convention Centre in Johannesburg.

16 / Creative Feel / September 2015

A

s SA’s premier show dedicated to promoting the

The philosophy of this range is based on the

best of local and international design talent, the

understanding that today’s work environments are no

partnership of 100% Design South Africa (which

longer static; that their dynamism is a result of the changing

forms part of the Decorex SA portfolio) and

needs of those who work in them. Thus the Bosse range

Dauphin HumanDesign® Group made for a great match.

of modular office concepts and furnishing systems allows

100% Design also contains an award element, the 2015

companies to configure private and communal spaces to

Design Awards. The winners, chosen by an adjudication

their specifications, thereby addressing the need for workers

panel of industry experts, with strict criteria for each of

to be flexible and dynamic while getting the job done.

the eight categories, were announced at a Gala evening on

This together with technological advancements, a

6 August. The following awards were announced by 100%

thorough knowledge of best ergonomic practices and the

Design South Africa Programme Director, Cathy O’Clery:

high value placed on visually aesthetic pieces all come

Best Furniture Design – Meyer von Wielligh; Best Lighting

together in Bosse Modul Space.

Design – Laurie Wiid Van Heerden; Best Surface Design -

Another highlight for visitors to this year’s design

Papilio; Best Textile Design – Design Team; Best Product

fair was 100% Hotel. This was presented in collaboration

Design – Renée Rossouw; Best International Design –

with esteemed Johannesburg design business Generation,

Generation for 100% Hotel; Best Stand Design – Mungo

founded by prominent designer Julia Day some 25 years ago.

stand and maker’s hub.

Invited to showcase ‘a cutting-edge and unique hotel space’,

The Designer of the Year Award was announced by Cherine

the Generation team partnered with iconic Italian furniture

Leishman of Dauphin HumanDesign® Group, the headline

brand De Padova, whose stable of designers includes

sponsor of 100% Design South Africa. The 2015 accolade

international hotshots like Nendo and Patricia Urquiola and

went to David Krynauw.

heavyweights like Achille Castiglioni. Some of the De Padova

Each of the eight winners received a bespoke 100% Design

items that Generation displayed on their stand were the first

Little Perillo XS

Motorised desk, from Dauphin HumanDesign®’s Bosse range

South Africa trophy designed by leading local design duo

pieces of their kind available in the world to date, marking

Dokter and Misses, and were gifted with wine by Spice Route.

yet another coup for 100% Design South Africa.

In addition to the 2015 Design Awards, two other competition

For their interpretation of a hotel space, Generation

winners were announced at the Gala event – the BOS and UJ

decided to feature a lobby area, recognising this as an

Industrial Design Department Seating Competition, and the

essential part of the overall design. Part of Day’s design

Southern Hospitality Furniture Design Competition.

concept for 100% Hotel was the creation of a signature scent

Launching at this year’s 100% Design South Africa was

especially for the display, in collaboration with professional

Dauphin’s Bosse Modul Space, proudly made in South Africa,

fragrance company, Initial. Generation also partnered with

thus marking an extension of Dauphin HumanDesign®

The Friendly Plant, who supplied beautiful olive trees – very

Group’s expertise into holistic solutions for all types of work

Italian and in keeping with the De Padova style – while Mae

environments, and making it accessible to local businesses.

Artisan Rugs graced the floor.

Creative Feel / September 2015 / 17

This year, the contemporary office also came into special focus with a curated collection of office solutions from a variety of exhibitors; a special feature display known as ‘100 % Office’ created by award-winning designer Liam Mooney; and the first localised global launch of Bosse office furniture, thanks to headline sponsor Dauphin HumanDesign® Group.

This year the featured designer of 100% Office was Liam Mooney, a successful interior designer whose work has been widely covered in local and international media. His work is best known for displaying the natural convergence of his industrial design background with his flair for creating modern interiors.

Mooney’s numerous interior projects include private residences, hotels and restaurants such as Clarke’s and

De Padova for 100% Hotel

Superette. Most recently, he boldly revamped the beloved and popular La Mouette Restaurant in Sea Point, Cape Town.

As the selected featured designer for 100% Office 2015, Mooney presented contemporary ideas for office solutions by tapping into a growing trend which sees the emergence of dual work/home spaces.

Cape Town based flooring specialists, Florstore OnTrend, partnered with Mooney to supply stylish Real Oak flooring from MacNeil, a fitting surface solution to show off the woodveneered Bosse Executive Desk, chosen for 100% Office.

Visitors to the show also had the chance to see a range of new works from exhibitors, including the headline sponsor of 100% Design South Africa itself. Dauphin HumanDesign® Group unveiled the latest workspace trends from Europe at their own unique stand, designed for the show by leading firm Platform Creative Agency, which also happens to curate 100% Design South Africa. Other office-oriented South African designers participating at 100% Design South Africa

De Padova for 100% Hotel

this year included product design and supply company Raw Studios, IXAXA Office Furniture and Offix, manufacturers and suppliers of office desking, seating and storage.

But 100% Design South Africa was not all work and no play, so to speak, with exhibitors from across a number of design disciplines, as well as special feature exhibitions on show. These included the Spice Route bar, designed by Mia Widlake; featured designer for 2015 Renée Rossouw, selected for her use of bold colour and pattern; South African design names such as Egg Design, De Steyl, David Krynauw, and the Design Team; as well as international brands such as The Scandinavian Sofa Company, Vitra and Hay from Innova.

With 100% Design South Africa recently lauded as one of the top design shows in the world, anyone interested in design should mark next year’s edition on their calendars De Padova for 100% Hotel

18 / Creative Feel / September 2015

well in advance. CF

FNB Joburg Art Fair Announces 2015 Featured Artist This year’s Special Projects turn their focus to the growing significance of experimental film and performance in contemporary African art. Providing the ideal anchor to the programme, featured artist Candice Breitz masterfully combines both modes of practice into her cunningly edited video installations

Candice Breitz, Him (1968-2008), 7-Channel Installation, 28 minutes, 49 seconds. Commissioned by Outset Contemporary Art Fund, London, Installation View: Temporäre Kunsthalle Berlin, Photograph by Jens Ziehe

Candice Breitz. Photograph by Jim Rakete

T

Candice Breitz, Her (1978-2008), 7-Channel Installation, 23 minutes, 56 seconds.

Commissioned by Outset Contemporary Art Fund, London, Installation View: Temporäre Kunsthalle Berlin, Photograph by Jens Ziehe

he Johannesburg Art Gallery in partnership with

30 years, meet to discuss their needs, fears and desires. In

Artlogic and Goodman Gallery proudly present

Him (1968 – 2008), 23 Jack Nicholsons, derived from films

the multi-channel video installation Him + Her

made over four decades, congregate to exchange dialogue

– marking the inaugural presentation of this two-

that swings in tone from jocularity to paranoia within the

part work in a South African context. In addition, Breitz will debut a Special Project that has been developed especially for the Joburg Art Fair.

space of seconds.

‘Ultimately the subject of analysis here, if there is one, is neither Streep nor Nicholson, but the unconscious of

Breitz (born 1972, Johannesburg) is a South African

mainstream cinema, the values and layers of meaning that

artist whose moving image installations have been shown

slowly start to make themselves legible when the big plots

internationally. She currently lives in Berlin, and has been

are stripped away. Hollywood movies are anything but

a tenured professor at the Braunschweig University of Art

simplistic – lurking shallowly beneath their storylines and

(Hochschule für Bildende Künste Braunschweig) since 2007.

star power, is an archive charting the social anxieties and

Him + Her, two seven-channel video installations by

contradictions that are the true subject of these movies, an

Breitz, each stage the virtual encounter of an individual

archive that is just waiting to be excavated.’ Candice Breitz

with a crowd of his or her other selves. Picking up where

Breitz holds degrees from the University of the

Breitz’s earlier installations Mother + Father left off,

Witwatersrand (Johannesburg), the University of Chicago

Him + Her uses existing footage from Hollywood films

and Columbia University (New York). She has participated in

to compose dense psychological vignettes. Within the

the Whitney Museum’s Independent Studio Program and ran

imaginary space of Her (1978 – 2008), 28 Meryl Streeps,

the Palais de Tokyo’s Le Pavillon residency as a visiting artist

extracted out of films made by the actress over a period of

during the years 2005 – 2006. CF

Creative Feel / September 2015 / 19

Justus Jager “Show Fight” Oil on Canvas 190 x 320cm (Diptych) Dated: 2014

20 / Creative Feel / September 2015

Graham Britz: +27 (0)83 605 5000 Christina Allum: +27 (0)82 330 0926 Gallery: +27 (0)11 463 7869

The Gallery, 68 on Hobart Corner William Nicol Drive & Dover Road, Bryanston Johannesburg, South Africa www.grahamsgallery.co.za Grahams Fine Art Gallery

Historical

Contemporary

Boonzaier, Gregoire Johannes Buchner, Carl Adolph Caldecott, Harry Stratford (Strat) Coetzee, Christo Coetzer, Willem Hermanus (F.R.S.A., F.I.A.L., F.I.B.A.) Dronsfield, John Marsden Esmonde-White, Eleanor Frances Goodman, Robert Gwelo Higgs, Cecil Kay, Dorothy Moss ARBC (nee Elvery) Kibel, Wolf Krampe, Fritz Laubser, Maria Magdalena (Maggie) Lock, Freida McCaw, Terence John Naudé, Pieter Hugo Ngatane, Ephraim Mojalefa Oerder, Frans David Pemba, George Milwa Mnyalaza Pierneef, Jacob Hendrik Portway, Douglas Owen Preller, Alexis Roworth, Edward Sekoto, Gerard Skotnes, Cecil Edwin Frans Spilhaus, Pauline Augusta Wilhelmina (Nita) Stern, Irma Sumner, Maud Frances Eyston Timlin, William Mitcheson Tretchikoff, Vladimir Griegorovich van Essche, Maurice Louis van Heerden, Pieter Gerhardus (Piet) Volschenk, Jan Ernst Abraham

Allem, Renée Aspinall, Bassa Battiss, Walter Whall Bell, Deborah Margaret Blomkamp, Paul Bouscharain, Claude Marie Madeleine Catherine, Norman Clive Cilliers-Barnard, Bettie Clarke, Peter Epstein, David Hodgins, Robert Griffiths Laubscher, Frederik Bester Howard (Erik) Law, Jimmy Maluka, Mustafa Mason, Judith McWilliams, Mark Menck, Clare Meyer, Carl Walter Morrison, Jennifer Navarro, Eduardo Neethling, Jan Nel, Karel Anthony Payne, Tracy Paynter, Catherine Pettit, Michael Francis Pinker, Stanley Faraday Siopis, Penelope (Penny) Starcke, Helmut Stone, Simon Patrick Swart, Mark Symonds, Henry van Heerden, Johan Van Vuuren, André Francois Villa, Edoardo

Visit us at the FNB Joburg Art Fair Stand no. 26 11 - 13 September Sandton Convention Centre

Creative Feel / September 2015 / 21

Sasol New Signatures art exhibition showcases an eye for potential

W

hat separates great artists from the rest is their innate ability to see beyond what the naked eye can perceive, and use that to create ingenious art from ordinary everyday objects.

For one month only, the finest of such artistic talent will

be on show for public viewing at the Sasol New Signatures Exhibition to be held at the Pretoria Arts Museum.

A project of the Association of Arts Pretoria, this year’s exhibition celebrates artists’ eye for potential. The exhibition is a showcase of original thinking, and offers a glimpse into the future of South African creativity across different disciplines.

The pieces are by emerging artists of the Sasol New Signatures art competition, which has been pivotal in unearthing and launching the careers of many notable home-grown artists.

Another highlight of this year’s exhibition will be the solo debut of Elizabeth Jane Balcomb, winner of the 2014 Sasol New Signatures.

Titled Auguries of Innocence, the pieces are inspired by William Blake’s poem with the same title, which contains a series of paradoxes that speak of innocence juxtaposed with evil and corruption. Balcomb’s art in turn explores the human body as it participates in the world under regimes of life and death.

‘The exhibition seeks to astonish rather than inspire or inform,’ says Balcomb, a self-taught artist and now full-time sculptor. ‘Astonishment occurs when what appears completely separate and which, under a regime of disengaged reason, seem impossible to unite, is brought together.’

Visitors to the exhibition can therefore expect to be treated to incredible awe-inspiring pieces that showcase the depth of South Africa’s artistic talent. They have been created from a wide range of mediums – from digital platforms to performance art – and explore multiple modes of expression.

The exhibition takes place for one month only from Thursday, 3 September to Sunday, 4 October 2015 at the Pretoria Arts Museum.

To find out more about the Sasol New Signatures art exhibition, visit www.sasolnewsignatures.co.za CF

22 / Creative Feel / September 2015

Elizabeth Jane Balcomb, I Am You

Stilled Lives - Karin Preller 3 September - 3 October 2015 155 Jan Smuts Avenue, Parkwood Tel: +27 (0) 11 880 8802 Email: info@lizamore.co.za Gallery Hours: Tues to Fri 10:00-17:30 Sat 10:00-15:30

GALLERY EYETHU GALLERY EYETHU PRESENTS

After the Winter 3 September - 24 September 2015 45 6th Street, Parkhurst Tel: 011 880 2698 www.henrygeorge.co.za

REFLECTIONS A solo exhibition by Loyiso Mkize Eyethu Gallery, Artweek Joburg The Crucible - Neels Coetzee 3 September 2015

OPENS | 05 September - 01 October 2015 |

gallery@everard.co.za www.circagallery.co.za 011 788 4805 2 Jellicoe Avenue, Rosebank, Johannesburg, Gauteng.

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Turbine Art Fair 2015 a massive success!

T

he Turbine Art Fair (TAF15) was brought to you

by The Forum Company, and took place at the iconic Turbine Hall in Newtown for a third year from 16th – 19th July 2015, with an attendance

of over 7 000 people over the duration of the Fair.

TAF15 has become the platform for galleries to promote emerging and established talents in an accessible and enjoyable way. TAF aims to promote new work and talent and most importantly educate and expose contemporary South African art to a new art audience and collector base.

TAF saw over 40 galleries and exhibits showcasing the best contemporary and emerging African talent and all art exhibited was priced below the maximum R40 000 price mark.

‘I was extremely excited by the amazing work that was showcased at TAF15. Galleries really took it upon themselves to show new artists and new work that has never been seen before so there was something for everyone - collectors and first-time buyers. TAF is the perfect fair for those wanting to learn more about South African art in a unique and un-daunting way, bringing the best galleries and artists under one roof,’ says Glynis Hyslop Managing Director.

Highlights of TAF15 included Emerging Painters, the graduate show curated by Hentie van der Merwe. The entire exhibition was sold out, firmly establishing these new artists as future stars to watch.

The winner of the 2014 TASA Award (The Turbine Art Fair & Sylt Emerging Artist’s Residency Award), Setlamorago Mashilo’s first solo exhibition was also a sell out! His exhibition was inspired by his time on Sylt.

The Fresh Produce Exhibition, curated by Zanele Mashumi and proudly supported by RMB, received rave reviews with all artists selling most of their work.

The JAG exhibition at TAF brought together jewels from the museum’s own exceptional collection in a celebration of the genres and scope of paper works, which are often more affordable and accessible to collectors. This was not only a huge coup for TAF but also created awareness of the amazing galleries and Museums we have in Jozi. TAF ran a daily bus route between Turbine Hall, JAG, WAM and the Standard Bank Gallery. CF

24 / Creative Feel / September 2015

(detail)

Penny Siopis, Hunting and Nature Scene, triptych, executed in 1987, each: 69 by 99cm Estimate R800 000 – 1 200 000

Important South African & International Art, Furniture, Decorative Arts & Jewellery Cape Town

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Mr T Mahlobo, Photograph by Val Adamson

The Playhouse Company’s Iscathamiya Competition 2015

P

encil in the date, Saturday September 26 at 19:00, in your diaries – it’s a red letter day for fans of Iscathamiya, the traditional music genre made famous by GRAMMY award-

winners, Ladysmith Black Mambazo.

Now into its 18th year, this annual competition presented by The Playhouse Company has become one of the major highlights of Durban’s arts and culture calendar, bringing together music fans and singing groups from all corners of KwaZulu-Natal, as well as from the Eastern Cape. A total of 100 groups are competing for the coveted prize money in the following categories: Champs; Standard & Open Section.

A fashion extravaganza adds another element to the competition for 32 males and females, Onobuhle – beauty queens – and Oswenka being male fashionistas. This event promises to be an evening of delight and glamour in the cultural aspect of Iscathamiya.

For information, contact Dawn Haddon on 031 369 9407.

Tickets are available via Checkers/Shoprite, Computicket or call the Playhouse box office on 031 369 9540/ 031 369 9596. Special discounted parking is available for all Playhouse patrons at the Albany/ Royal Hotel parking. CF

26 / Creative Feel / September 2015

Creative Feel / September 2015 / 27

Artlooks & Artlines Artlooks and Artlines is a monthly column written by Ismail Mahomed, Artistic Director of the National Arts Festival.

M

ost people who attend the National Arts

This year, the National Schools Festival celebrated its

Festival in Grahamstown tend to believe

40th anniversary. In a climate when most arts organisations

that the city goes back to its slumber on the

are experiencing major funding challenges, it is a remarkable

morning after all the arts and craft traders

achievement for the National Schools Festival to soldier on

have left the Village Green Fair. This is far from true. The

to give young South Africans a rich, textured and engaging

city becomes home to close to 1 000 high school students

opportunity to immerse themselves in the arts.

who come from across the country to attend the inspiring National Schools Festival.

Adorned in their school uniforms at the opening of the

Worth noting is that this year’s iconic 40th anniversary also took place in a week when two of Africa’s greatest

Nobel Prize winners were born. The Festival started on 13

Festival, students from poor rural schools sit side by side

July which marked the birthday of novelist and thought-

with students from some of South Africa’s most prestigious

leader Wole Soyinka and it ended on the birthday of South

private schools. For their five day stay in Grahamstown,

Africa’s all-time favourite statesman, Nelson Mandela.

the joy, laughter, amazement and engagement that they

As I sat in the auditorium watching the faces of the 1

experience is the thread that will weave a bond between

000 enthusiastic students and teachers, my thoughts went

them and the arts for the rest of their lives.

fleeting back to the 1980s when as a former mathematics

Each year at the official opening ceremony, the

school teacher, I brought 56 students and three adult

Grahamstown Foundation’s Executive Director, Louisa

chaperones to the Festival. In the ‘80s, we were in the

Clayton directs the audience to create a theatrical

midst of the education boycotts. Children were coming

thunderstorm. As she draws them in to participate in a

to school but were not attending classes. They mobilised

Mexican wave, their rapturous applause at its end signals

their efforts through poetry, drama, dance and other

to the artists who will be performing over the next five

forms of artistic expression.

days that this is an audience that is enthusiastic, willing and ready to be immersed to create their own magic.

28 / Creative Feel / September 2015

I often marvelled at their creativity. I often wondered why students who demonstrated such fierce individuality,

astute political decisiveness, calculating problem-solving

decision to take up the post of the Artistic Director of the

skills and outstanding leadership were such demoralised

National Arts Festival 20 years later in 2008.

learners in their classrooms. When the school boycotts

In the years that followed many of those students

had come to a temporary halt and learners returned to

whom I brought to Grahamstown have continued to make

their classrooms, I abandoned the mathematics lesson I

their annual pilgrimage to National Arts Festival on their

had planned for that day. We spent the time discussing the

own accord. Only two of the students from that inaugural

various creative performances that the students had devised

visit have gone on to take up careers in the arts. The rest

while sitting outside the classrooms. Fuelled by my students’

of them now hold senior positions in various businesses,

passion for the arts, I passed a handbill about the Festival to

politics and the professional sector. Many of those

the learners in my classroom.

students have even become generous patrons of the arts.

There was a loud and resounding affirmation from my

Each year as the National Schools Festival dawns on

class that they wanted to be in Grahamstown. For me, this

us and I watch the throng of school buses arriving at

was a moment for negotiation.

the 1820 Monument, I feel an enormous sense of hope

‘I’ll take all of you to the Festival but then I want

for the future of the arts in South Africa. The National

nothing less than 65% in the exams from every single one

Schools Festival is a dynamic incubator. It nurtures future

of you, not just in mathematics but in your total average

audiences for the National Arts Festival. It stimulates a

for all subjects. How fast we catch up with work is going

critical audience that wants to engage with content, style

to be the one determining factor; and the other is that we

and the reasons why we make art.

are going to have to raise a total of R45 000 to make this trip possible,’ I explained.

Over the next three months, the students and I

As the students leave the Monument on the last day of the Schools Festival, the fond hugs between students from rural schools and private schools inspires a renewed hope

embarked on a massive fund-raising drive to cover costs

for our country. It inspires a sense of relief that there will be

for registration, accommodation, meals and transport.

a day when these young minds will be able to grapple with

The community of Lenasia supportively rallied behind

the legacies of class, cultural and race divides much better

us. We left for Grahamstown in a hired bus that departed

than my generation can. For the past 40 years, the National

from the school grounds just after dawn. Fellow students,

Schools Festival has been making a dynamic contribution to

teachers, family and community members who supported

our nation. It has used our theatres and galleries to incubate

our campaign came out in pyjamas and dressing gowns

a new South Africa long before we even realised it.

to bid us farewell. And so began the first of 20 trips to the

May the curtains never come down on the National

National Arts Festival and the National Schools Festival

Schools Festival. It is one of South Africa’s greatest

in subsequent years before I decided to make that crazy

cultural treasures. CF

Creative Feel / September 2015 / 29

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

R

ecently I was asked to facilitate a

imagination and the broader economic shrink becomes

conversation on Imagination at the South

an intransigent relationship. Indeed it starts to look

African Book Fair, which took place at the

like a loss-loss situation – one where the loss of broader

Turbine Hall in Newtown, Johannesburg.

profit, means the loss of the arts pages, means the loss of

Amongst the thoughts that were tumbling

imagination in the country, means a further loss of profit,

around the washing machine of conversation, was a quote by academic Achille Mbembe, who once wrote that South Africa is in the grip of a crisis of the imagination.

But where do we find imagination in the public space,

means a further loss of… and so it goes.

The shift in our economy should be addressed with greater flexibility and sorry to push the point, with greater imagination. Perhaps once we start shifting our economy

someone asked? If we understand the arts pages, the

from one that mines the soil, to one that starts to mine the

creative pages of the print media to be the space for

extraordinary landscape of the mind, we might see a new

imagination, then indeed the continuous hacking (and I

and different growth and engagement.

can only say hacking, because of the brutality of the act) of

I recently read a great quote by Sharon Keith,

the arts pages, of creative journalism and arts journalists

Marketing Director of Coca Cola Southern Africa, ‘Our

in the aforementioned media – our country will, more and

education system tends to train us to come up with “the

more, suffer a crisis of both imagination and passion. Given

right answer”, which is the answer that everyone expects.

the news that yet another print newspaper is cutting its

Creativity, however, is unexpected by definition. It requires

arts pages, ergo the journalists who wrote for those pages,

people to think differently to how they have been trained,

30 / Creative Feel / September 2015

Michelle Constant chats to Mark Winkler & Khaya Dlanga about the power and magic of the imagination at the South African Book Fair

and taught. As such, it is often incredibly difficult to

The ‘us and them’ syndrome has become a festering

support. It goes against the grain, against everything

wound seeded in tired typecasting, that no one seems

we “know”.’ The idea that creativity and imagination go

able to stop scratching. Government is blamed for all

against the grain, would explain why we see so many

corruption, all inefficiencies; Business is blamed for greed

businesses simply cutting the spaces that are identified

and corruption; the arts sector is blamed for inabilities to

with it. As the philosopher Carlos Castioradis would argue

make an economic difference, and again, inefficiencies.

– it is the limitation of an essentially capitalist society.

But the road to the moral high ground is often walked in

And yet the greatest entrepreneurs of our time, are men

boots that were paid for by someone else. Right now we

and women who went against the grain, swam upstream,

need to urgently start engaging in positive partnerships,

the metaphors are endless (and probably created in the first

relationships that help us to redress the stereotypes

place by a literary or artistic figure!) These are the people

that Keith believes our education system instils in us.

who said, ‘It’s out of our control’ instead of attempting to

(Interestingly these are the same concepts that British

control the process and thus the status quo.

educationalist Sir Ken Robinson, addresses, as well.) Once

Given the cross-sectoral work we do at BASA, what has

we focus on this redress, perhaps we would see a society

become increasingly obvious is the adversity that arises

that is bedded in imagination, passion and creativity. And

when one sector describes or discusses another sector.

most importantly, humanity. CF

Creative Feel / September 2015 / 31

Literary Landscapes Literary Landscapes is a monthly column by Indra Wussow, a writer, translator and director of the Sylt Foundation.

That the conference in Bayreuth marks the first conference in Europe is an astonishing fact as the analysis of the colonial past and its implications today are still the emphasis of most postcolonial studies. Many of its theorists studied in Europe. Achille Mbembe from Cameroon studied at the Sorbonne in Paris, his Indian colleague Homi K. Bhaba studied in Oxford and Bombay.

The organisers of this mammoth project are the African Studies department of the University in Bayreuth and they applied to host this important event. It seems that no other European institution has applied for this before. When you look at the programme it becomes clear what a huge effort it takes from the organisers and their large team to put together and to manage the vast number of events, talks, readings and discussions.

Starting at 08:00 and running until late into the night, there were countless events that often even happened at the same time. The extent of specialisation was enormous – even for literary scholars like us. There was a lecture about the idea

L

of Ubuntu in the Western Sahara that was once claimed by the Spaniards. There was a lecture about the role of laughter

ast month, the small German city of Bayreuth

in francophone African theatre. Panel discussions were held

saw the first conference of the ALA, (the African

about the works of Chinua Achebe and Nurredine Farah

Literature Association) on European ground.

that offered even the specialists new insights and angles for

The members of the ALA are literary scholars,

linguists, cultural scientists and africanists who work in

interpretation of their important work.

A lot of writers also came to Bayreuth to introduce

places like Libreville, Yaoundé, Lagos or Johannesburg but

their work, to discuss with scholars and also to talk with an

also come from Oxford, London, Cambridge/Massachusetts

audience consisted of members of the public.

or as far as Tokyo. They teach or work in universities such

Ghanaian poet Nii Parkes and Botswana’s TJ Dema rocked

as Harvard, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ajayi Crowther

the stage and shared their passion and visions of continent’s

University or Ritsumeikan.

status quo and poetical ideas with an extremely knowledgeable

Each year they meet to discuss the ideas and trends of

audience. Bayreuth is no stranger to African writers, with the

African literature and their perspectives in a huge annual

city being known as the centre of African studies in Germany

conference that is often held in the United States. According

and the Iwalewa Haus, with its African art collection and

to their statutes it is to be staged on African soil every five

intellectual capacities, is a major venue to critically discuss

years and will be hosted in Franschhoek, South Africa in 2016.

trends and interpretations of African art and literature.

32 / Creative Feel / September 2015

Besides the literary discussions and readings there was

than 500 millions users of cell phones on the continent and

also talk about exciting ideas such as the role of science

it seems that the tradition of oral literature is continuing

fiction in African literature, as well as readings by Nigerian

through social media and new platforms on the Internet.

Nmedi Okorafor and Malawian writer Shadreck Chikozi.

As books are expensive, book shops rare and more

These are the new young voices of an incredibly diverse

concentrated on selling American best sellers than local

and important genre today. Additionally, there was a film

talents, mobile literature becomes the most important

programme.

tool to bring literature and stories to the people. Mobile

One of its highlights was surely Jim Chuchu’s film Stories

literature enables mums to read bedtime stories to their

of our lives, a mix of journalistic chronicle, political protest

children from their cell phones and offers young people

and a gorgeous visual poem. This important film is an

unprecedented access to the worlds of the word.

anthology of five mini-dramas with LGBT themes set in the homophobic Kenya of today.

Kenya’s most important writer, Binyawanga Wainaina,

Mobile literature might become a tool to win more readers and audiences around the continent. Next year in Franschhoek maybe there will be some good news about

who recently came out, later talks with the still shocked

how the predominance of the ‘white literary world’ can be

audience about how important filmmakers and writers are in

broken. South African writer Thando Mgqolozana rightly

the fight for tolerance and change.

feels that this will be changing with time and accessibility

Another exciting topic was how a culture that often is based on oral traditions is dealing with the digital age.

The multitude of African languages, the difficulties in

and will be cracked and changed into something more democratic and diverse.

Another amazing and important initiative that will

establishing a publishing culture in some parts of Africa or

change the South African literary landscape is the project

a culture of translation are some of the problems literature

‘Long Story SHORT’, initiated by cultural activist Kgauhelo

is facing in vast parts of the continent. The rate of illiteracy

Dube. Long story SHORT is a literature vitalising production,

is still high and access to computers is still not provided in

which aims to celebrate and elevate African writers and their

many areas of Africa. But in 2011, there were already more

work by producing free podcasts. CF

Creative Feel / September 2015 / 33

RMB ‘DIFFERENTLY. THINK.’ bench, 2009

The RMB THINK Bench The result of a two-year collaborative effort involving Rand Merchant Bank and the Workhorse Bronze Foundry, the 13-metre long prototype RMB THINK Bench is in its final stages of production, destined for prominence in the courtyard of Merchant Place, located in the heart of Sandton’s financial district.

34 / Creative Feel / September 2015

RMB ‘DIFFERENTLY. THINK.’ bookends

P

ublic benches are both functional and attractive.

to RMB’s THINKING Brand. The bigger vision is to install

In parks, they encourage visitors to rest, chat,

the first edition of the THINK Bench on the RMB campus,

and appreciate their surroundings. In busy

and then to offer this mighty, functional work of art to those

spaces, they are excellent stopping spots for

universities around the country with the appetite to provide

people-watching, reading newspapers, meeting friends or

the location, lighting and security – to best set up the THINK

sipping a takeaway coffee. They invite a pause; time taken

Bench installation for regular and successful use by students.

from a relentless day to reflect, appreciate, daydream and

Olivier has completed a number of commissions for

communicate. Ultimately, they provide the perfect place to

RMB, including an editioned set of bronze and stainless

stop and think.

steel bookends as a client gift, featuring both a thinking

In 2013, RMB’s Carolynne Waterhouse briefed established

woman and a thinking man – figures reminiscent of Rodin’s

artist Louis Olivier of the Workhorse Bronze Foundry to

famous bronze sculpture The Thinker, conceived in 1880

conceptualise and produce a significant sculptural tribute

and representing Dante.

Creative Feel / September 2015 / 35

The popular ‘DIFFERENTLY. THINK.’ bronze and concrete

talented students. They suggested that Olivier involve a

bench at the street level entrance to Merchant Place was RMB’s

diverse collaboration of student artists in the THINK Bench

contribution to Sandton’s Benchmark Project and again, it was

initiative, giving them the opportunity to be mentored by

Louis Olivier’s work – his first publicly located piece.

Olivier and develop their skills. Allen Laing and Nkhensani

Over time, Olivier has assisted William Kentridge, who

Rihlapfu came on board as assistant artists and were

has created several sculptures that visually disintegrated

involved in the conceptual development of the work, while

and then coalesced into discernible images from set

George Holloway joined in later to work on the technical

viewpoints. Think of Fire Walker, for example, the eleven-

side, particularly with upscaling the modelled pieces.

metre tall sculpture created by Kentridge and Gerhard

In the development of the design, Laing suggested

Marx, and installed on a traffic island in Newtown,

using Renaissance artist Raphael’s The School of Athens as

just across the Queen Elizabeth Bridge. The sculpture

an inspiration for the ‘philosophising’ figures that make

comprises a seemingly haphazard collection of exploding

up the bench. Raphael’s most famous fresco, painted

Photographs of the RMB THINK Bench maquettes by Rina Noto

shapes unless viewed from a particular perspective, when

between 1509 and 1511, today decorates a wall of the

a street vendor walking with a fire brazier atop her head,

Apostolic Palace in the Vatican in Rome, and depicts

comes into view.

some of the greatest thinkers and philosophers of Ancient

Olivier recalls, ‘Kentridge’s work was a positive and major

Greek civilisation. This masterpiece epitomises a period of

influence on my suggestion of creating a functional bench ,

economic prosperity, cultural expansion and intellectual

that spells “THINK” from one side, and from another appears

growth. Completed in the 16th century, Raphael’s idealistic,

to be life-size figures interacting at different angles.’ What

historical interpretation praises the virtues of learning,

could be more appropriate for a university?

curiosity, shared knowledge and innovation and remains a

The RMB team were intrigued, as the project is ultimately expected to reach beyond RMB and appeal to

36 / Creative Feel / September 2015

timeless celebration of human ingenuity and creativity – the ideal fit for RMB brand’s personality.

Aristotle, Pythagoras, Archimedes, Zeno, and Socrates

For a work that instructs and challenges its viewers to

are believed to be some of the figures shown, with several

‘THINK’, the project itself has demanded a huge amount

represented by the likenesses of the artistic luminaries of

of thought from a variety of specialist thinkers, making

the Renaissance, including Michelangelo as Heraclitus and

up the creative force behind it and requiring intellectual

an elderly Leonardo da Vinci as Plato, a central figure in the

wrangling every step of the way. Olivier notes, ‘it has

composition (just as in the history of philosophy). Raphael,

been a “massive” learning curve, from the management,

immodestly, also snuck in an old-style selfie in this esteemed

planning and process, to learning about the materials with

roll-call, possibly portraying himself as the ‘personification of

the key being having the right person in the right process.’

love’. Interestingly, Raphael’s painting was a commissioned

‘And I must give RMB credit for their patience, support and

work, like so many other Renaissance masterpieces, endorsing

agreed scope creep – including the budget flexibility that has

the importance of the patronage of art, and the need for

been required in order to fully realise the potential of what is

‘creative champions’ if great art is to flourish.

turning out to be so much more than a super-sized bench! From

Olivier, along with Laing and Rihlapfu, developed and

the initial exploratory budget we created the idea, and thought

cast a bronze maquette for RMB, who in turn gave them the

our way through what became a significant technical challenge.

go-ahead for the next stage, mould-making. ‘It turned out

RMB’s belief in the Workhorse team hasn’t faltered and their

to be quite an intense process to upscale the five maquette

encouraging challenge all the way is simply and strongly – by

letters and refine them specifically for final production in

thinking together we’ll make this thing work.’

concrete,’ says Olivier, ‘and they’ve changed shape, in a

This project has been underway for the best part of two

sense, just through the detailed process of establishing how

years, and has faced challenges and weathered the costly

to best install them on site. The end result is that we are

process of experimentation. ‘A couple of months back,

slicing them up into manageable segments, to be cast (off-

things started to come together and we have now produced

site) and reconstructed on-site – like a puzzle.’

samples that we are happy with.’

Creative Feel / September 2015 / 37

A maximum of ten benches will make up this edition, although installation sites have not yet been confirmed.

After two years of dedicated work, the project is at

‘I started off in 2009 with a body of works that was mainly about the male figure, but I’m moving away from that theme and focusing more on objects, and particularly objects in

long last entering the final stages, and discussion is

space that resonate with some form of beauty,’ he says.

underway as to exactly where the prized sculptural THINK

‘Not necessarily making beautiful objects, but with enough

Bench will be located, for lasting impact and optimal use.

intrigue to engage the viewer’s curiosity. I’m on a bit of a

Throughout this evolving process, the Workhorse Bronze

journey, taking a lot of inspiration from ‘60s and ‘70s British

Foundry team has continued to build up the Foundry as a

sculptors post war: Henry Moore and the artists that followed.

key supplier to William Kentridge and other sculptors, and

They made a sculptured object without a big emphasis on

Olivier has also somehow found time to continue with his

conceptualising the idea in advance, as is common practice

own works.

in the era that we’re in. I find it very difficult to establish this

38 / Creative Feel / September 2015

narrative about the work first and I prefer to make work, and

emerge. It’s always a journey, and I don’t think we’ll ever

then see what it comes out to, and what it communicates.’

arrive, because the need to make something more is always

This sentiment is one that has been echoed by many

ahead; and then to chase after the next thing, and the next

artists, and serves as a neat reminder that there are multiple ways of thinking – from the careful analysis,

– and then to actually see what it reflects back.’

The RMB THINK Bench will entice the viewer

reflection and contemplation of the philosophers, to the

to explore its figures and shapes, inspired by the

practical and hands-on approach.

achievements of history, the thoughts, mistakes and

‘William [Kentridge] always says, “Let the making jump

genius of others. Only from the right vantage point does

ahead of the thinking,”’ notes Olivier. ‘I find it more pleasing

the viewer encounter the over-arching concept – that

and more satisfying to just engage and make stuff, and as

moment when it crystallises, and comes into full view. Just

you make it, you discover where you’re going, and new ideas

think about it. CF

Creative Feel / September 2015 / 39

REBELLION & JOHANNESBURG REBELLION & JOHANNESBURG is an epic dance-theatre production that will tour Germany later this year before returning to show in South Africa in 2016 at Dance Umbrella, as a means to create connections between the two nations. The concept for the production was birthed by Germanbased South African choreographer, Jessica Nupen, who collaborated with the dancers of Moving into Dance Mophatong (MIDM) and composer Spoek Mathambo to make her vision a reality.

40 / Creative Feel / September 2015

Jessica Nupen

S

khothane/Izikhothane/Ukukhothane have become

fatalistic behaviour has become a popular trend in train

synonymous with excessive waste, careless

stations around Johannesburg, Soweto and township train

spending, boasting, and capital-battling. Skhothane

stations and is expressed through the piece as a practice that

is a township sub-culture that has emerged in the

enables the marginalised train surfer to exert control over

democratic years of South Africa’s new history. Izikhothane

his surroundings. Hanging outside and underneath the train

are groups of young people commonly clad in expensive

as well as surfing on top of the train are stunts honed by the

floral T-shirts and Carvela shoes who live a life of deliberate

surfers who hunger for the appreciation and admiration from

decadence. In a dance-off called Ukukhothane, the winner

the crowd. The idea of literally dancing with death is what

is elected by lot of who has willingly destroyed the most

I am exploring in the piece and how the inherent danger of

currency. The direct translation – to lick each other – fails to

the practice, although well known by the surfers, is mocked

translate the complexities of the sub-culture and its roots in

and teased. It seems that train surfing has in itself become

a heritage of rebellious profligacy. In its simplest form it is

a culture and is passed down through generations, gangs,

youthful rebellion.

friends. It provides a false sense of overcoming alienation

Choreographer Jessica Nupen relishes the term

while theses youngsters perform these spectacular acts of

‘apartheid after-party’, which she borrows from composer

bravado waiting for the inevitable-death. It is also incredibly

Spoek Mathambo. In revolt against the continued struggle

interesting to note that in Germany a train surfer, or someone

of their parents who fought in the struggle, as apartheid

who rides the train illegally, is called a schwarz Fahrer.’

became colloquially known, the youths of South Africa’s

Having taken up permanent residence in Germany, she

townships took to the streets to burn money and pour

has continued to regularly revisit the home that inspires

custard on the floor in ostentatious displays of their

her work. ‘My parents were very politically active during

disregard for the currency of freedom: wealth. It is this

apartheid,’ she states with a sense of respect. Working in

picture of protest against the perpetuated cycle of struggle

both countries she has been able to view her home-country

that opens the curtains of REBELLION & JOHANNESBURG. It

from a different perspective and she hopes to change

is a fresh dance that aims at understanding what it means to

the way Johannesburg is perceived to the German eye

be young in Johannesburg today.

by showing a city that is constantly evolving with many

Another important aspect of South African urban rebellion is ‘train surfing’ or ‘staff riding’. The complexities of

exciting, challenging and rebellious facets.

‘They know Mandela and they know Zuma. They don’t

this movement, which has increased in popularity in post-

know what our generation has to say,’ she says in an urgent

authoritarian Johannesburg, are explored in this piece. ‘The

tone that is peppered with the hurried sound of multiple

urban daredevil phenomenon has been compared to a rite of

thoughts vying to come out at once. This generation consists

passage for the “lost generation” from poverty, violence and

of those in their 20s and early 30s: those who were born in

HIV stricken communities with bleak future outlooks who use

the last years of apartheid and have grown up in democracy.

it to express themselves,’ explains Nupen. ‘This risk-taking

She speaks of the generational divide between the freedom-

Creative Feel / September 2015 / 41

fighters and the born-frees, who were conceived after

to remain enslaved to debt and so money is burned by the

apartheid and seem lost to their parents. The latter are those

Skhothanes in rebellion; they seek to create new paths. When

who seem to be in an endless ‘apartheid after-party’ and are

they wash their hands with champagne it is a pointed waste.

highly criticised by the former, for their reckless lifestyles

It is a revolution of the young against the lack of freedom

and for appearing to have forgotten the past.

that persists due to economic battles. So they dance at the

Nupen’s perspective as an ‘in-betweener’ – neither a bornfree nor a freedom-fighter – as well as a South African living

‘apartheid after-party’. And their dance form is a battle.

‘We’re rebelling! Against our times! It’s an endeavour

in Germany, cast an intriguing light on the nature of everyday

to take some personal control,’ Nupen exclaims. She sees

life as a free South African. Her work straddles the gap

in the destruction of the symbols of wealth, a sense of the

between dance and theatre. Play and game, improvisation,

cultural violence and conflict that has been part of the

discourse, theme analysis and mapping emotional experience

country’s history for generations. Rebellion falls at the

through movement and experimentation are all vitals tools

centre of REBELLION & JOHANNESBURG. ‘Johannesburg

that she uses to create further vocabulary and to choreograph.

demands rebellion from each and every one of us everyday,’

Working with doctoral candidates from the University

comments Nupen, ‘We rebel against our cruel history while

of Hamburg, she will create a research opportunity through

trying to unearth our personalities, identity, expression,

Photographs by Ed Blignaut

this piece by documenting the process and conducting a

outspokenness, individualism. We rebel against our present,

workshop when the show goes on tour. It will be a study

our leaders, our conditions, our own people. We rebel against

of perception as the students attempt to analyse the

the idea of living in a crime-ridden, poverty-stricken place.

specific gestures performed in the work through the lens

We rebel against our reality with humour, teeth-sucking

of German citizens who live in a world marked by 26 years

smirks and shoulder-shrugging, greeting complete strangers

since the fall of the Berlin wall. And perception is a major

in the street. We rebel against security guards, high fences

theme of REBELLION & JOHANNESBURG. While the idea

and night-soaked streets with our inquisitive and adventurous

of perceptions of wealth and a life-lived-without-a-care is

spirits, our openness. We essentially rebel to survive and

indicative of the Skhothane sub-culture, this becomes the

express ourselves in a city filled with paradox and irony.’

entry point of the underlying questions of the dance. When

Nupen has collaborated with a playful production team

Beyoncé poured an exorbitant bottle of champagne into her

with Spoek Mathambo’s score (an original piece created

bath-tub in the music video for ‘Feelin’ Myself’, the educated

following their meeting), Anmari Honniball’s colourful

youth wrote furious reprimands of her wastefulness citing

wardrobe and Ed Blignaut’s abstract film. The work aims to

that the price of the champagne could have paid their

become self-sustainable and performed annually. But the

student loans. And similarly, the Skhothanes are admonished

art is what is most important to her and in pursuing the

by the freedom-fighters and others as being lost. The retort

ideas that have brewed for so long she has also spent time

is that there is no need to work and study hard if one is going

seeking the right partners to collaborate with creatively.

42 / Creative Feel / September 2015

REBELLION & JOHANNESBURG is about ‘the culture of

witnessed his taxi driver being killed. She gleams at how

the individual’. In the months prior to rehearsal she posed

Buthelezi still made it to rehearsal that day; and on time.

questions to the dancers. Working with the company from

When she speaks of how much fun they have in rehearsals

Moving into Dance Mophatong (MIDM), she sought to

she attributes it to sameness, of age and of growing up in

collaborate with a group of dancers who would effectively be

Johannesburg. But there is also an intense and analytic

the subject matter of the production so she needed thinking

dedication at work when she spends hours in discussion

performers, which she found in the company. In searching for

with Motau after rehearsals. She says that she and the

the stories, with which to begin the choreographic process

company ‘just clicked’, although also adding that ‘there

she asked: ‘How do you continue to develop in Johannesburg,

has been an incredible amount of work... the process is

when you can’t trust anyone?’; ‘Does it make you want to go

strenuous and arduous. Participation from each dancer is

closer to your culture or rebel?’; ‘Do you feel liberated by your

key to the productive environment that we have managed

culture or do you fell limited by your culture?’; and ‘When do

to establish.’

you feel most free?’ What she observed in the responses was

Every aspect of this has been carefully planned, with the

a divide between the males’ and the females’ perceptions of

administrative, technical and artistic team putting in over a

culture. The liberty provided by tradition seemed to work in

year of planning. From the composer, whose understanding

favour of the men, who found a sense of masculine strength

and own personal investment in new youth cultures gave

in their cultures but paradoxically also struggled with being

Nupen the phrase ‘apartheid after-party’, to the company of

contemporary dancers in their cultural moulds. The women

MIDM, the costume and filmmaker, and even the financial

of the company spoke of culture as obligatory and had

sponsors. There is a symbiosis of efforts that is authentic. In

different perspectives on which traditions to maintain and

Nupen’s words, ‘The film doesn’t dictate. The music doesn’t

which to discard.

dictate. The dance doesn’t dictate. The wardrobe doesn’t

In working with the cast and alongside cochoreographer Sunnyboy Motau (as well as artistic assistant Oscar Buthelezi), she found a generous freedom

dictate. But they all arrive at the same time.’ It is creatively interesting dance piece built on effective collaboration.

Romeo & Juliet/REBELLION & JOHANNESBURG is proudly

of expression in discussing the issues that young South

supported by: Lufthansa; Ammer Foundation; Goldman Sachs

Africans face in their day-to-day paths toward success. She

Gives; Rand Merchant Bank; The German Embassy South Africa,

is most in awe of the resilience that seems to be part of

Hamburg Ministry of Culture; Hamburg Cultural Foundation and

the nation’s heritage. She says, ‘There’s no black and white

private sponsors. In cooperation with: The Consulate General

answer here. Somehow we keep going. And that paradox,

Munich; The South African Embassy Germany; Dance Forum and

for me, is fascinating.’ She laughs at how her German

Brand South Africa.

friends cannot conceive how the country keeps moving even with loadshedding. She sighs at how Oscar Buthelezi

Visit www.jessicanupen.com or their Facebook page: www.facebook.com/rebellionandjohannesburg. CF

A Johannesburg Story In the midst of a busy and successful year, Moving into Dance Mophatong (MIDM) is currently working on the internationally touring dance theatre piece REBELLION & JOHANNESBURG, created by choreographer Jessica Nupen. Sunnyboy Mandla Motau spoke to Nondumiso Msimanga about some of the themes informing the work.

Photographs by Ed Blignaut

R

EBELLION & JOHANNESBURG combines all the

New Emerging Voice prize at the Naledi Awards, Motau is

physical and intellectual resources of performers

enjoying a busy year. Working on four different productions

Sunnyboy Mandla Motau, Oscar Buthelezi, Muzi

at once during August - a ‘mentally demanding’ process, he

Shili, Teboho Letele, Asanda Ruda, Thabang

admits–he has to multi-task. ‘If you work on one piece at a

Mdlalose, Thenjiwe Soxokoshe, and Eugene Masiane – in

time, you end up creating the same things. But, now you have

collaboration with choreographer Jessica Nupen – to create

to try and find a different approach to whatever you’re doing,’

a critical analysis of what it means to be a young South

he says thoughtfully.

African in Johannesburg. Motau and Buthelezi worked with

‘These themes that we work on… they are bigger

Nupen to assist in crafting the choreography of a true-to-

than what we think; whether it’s a musical or this type of

life artistic expression of conflicting experiences of the cast

work,’ he says, referring to Rome & Juliet/ REBELLION &

within the city.

JOHANNESBURG, which he choreographed with Nupen. For

Featured in the Mail & Guardian's Top 200 Young South Africans and this year’s winner of the Sophie Mgcina Best

44 / Creative Feel / September 2015

Motau, the themes make themselves evident in the questions they elicit. ‘The piece is not Romeo and Juliet so much, but

what is happening in Johannesburg,’ he notes; ‘...the good and bad side of Johannesburg. In the people… What’s important and what’s not important? What do we value? What has changed between now and the past?’ The themes are couched in the seat of culture, a site of conflict for many young South Africans who, finding themselves lost and alone in the city, seek to find some grounding in cultural traditions, but also struggle with the contemporary relevance of these.

While acknowledging the richness of the nation’s cultural heritage, Motau wonders how much is vital today, and what is lost in discarding traditions. He notes the questions that the group has brought to light in working on REBELLION & JOHANNESBURG: ‘Do we see the importance of grooming men?

Is that still there? Are we finding new ways? Is it working?

Has that changed you as a person? Are you losing yourself and is it important to lose yourself… in order to grow?’ One answer to emerge is the strong need to find your own way in Johannesburg, and, indeed, South Africa and the world at large.

The paradox of coming together in a community in order to discover individual solutions is not lost on Motau.

Central to any Johannesburg story is the sense of being lost, both literally and metaphorically. For the group, it is the overwhelming feeling of living in an unstable society that resonates. In a world that is fraught with conflict and misunderstanding as it tries to confront historical issues, there is inspiration in a collaborative artistic process that sees a group of individuals from disparate places, cultures and visions, coming together to create something that is bigger than them. Motau says that ‘even though you get all these ideas, once you put them onstage or give them life or put them on bodies, it becomes a community base.’ The cast share stories freely: for example, Muzi Shili took his first born child to Ukuqiniswa (strengthening ritual) but did not really know why. With his second child he began questioning tradition for tradition’s sake. Motau feels that tradition is ‘more a foundation. Things are not the same. My mother’s era was totally different.’

Similarly, MIDM too, has seen the need to adapt, in order to grow. (The management team has been revamped, with Mark Hawkins appointed as Artistic Director). The instability that Motau speaks of in society at large, affects the company members on an individual basis also, all part of what he describes as a ‘Johannesburg way of being’: every citizen must be creative in this city – from bankers to beggars – to stay relevant and achieve their goals.

Nevertheless, Motau is establishing himself as a choreographer to watch, while MIDM has found its way in a new era, continuing to survive and thrive in 2015. CF

Creative Feel / September 2015 / 45

Spoek Mathambo To create the music that would take the story of REBELLION & JOHANNESBURG to the next level, choreographer Jessica Nupen collaborated with composer and songwriter Spoek Mathambo and ‘township tech’ specialist Eric Manyelo.

W

hen something is meant to be, it really

It was sheer serendipity that Jessica Nupen contacted him

seems as though the stars align to ensure

on that day when, in Stockholm on a project, he was putting

its success. Nthato Mokgata, better known

together a proposal to create music for a dance show for

by his musical alias Spoek Mathambo, has

the first time. Nupen emailed him a proposal to compose

been dreaming about working on a collaborative project with

music for her latest choreographic enterprise REBELLION

Moving into Dance Mophatong (MIDM) for several years;

& JOHANNESBURG in collaboration with MIDM. While

and now he is. As a young boy, his mother Mandisa Mokgata,

Mathambo’s blend of indigenous South African sounds in

who sits on the board of trustees at MIDM, would take the

fast-paced techno beats is in sync with MIDM’s fusion-

willing little Nthato to see the dancers perform. And long

dances, electronic music was not in line with Nupen’s tastes;

before young Nthato would grow into the internationally

and seems a far-cry from traditional theatre dance. But, as

renowned songwriter that is Spoek Mathambo, he dreamed

Nupen puts it, she was searching for an authentic sound

of working with the exciting dance company. In fact he says,

and ‘with the first sound-clip that he sent to me, it was so

‘I was just about to pitch when I saw the email from Jessica.’

truthful that that was it.’

Photographs by Ed Blignaut

46 / Creative Feel / September 2015

So began the journey that would see Nthato Mokgata

The Guardian dubbed Mathambo the ‘spokesman for the

realise his dream of working with the dancers and score his

new progressive South Africa.’ Nupen says, ‘I saw he was

first dance piece, as Spoek Mathambo. He does not refer to

looking at the changing culture in music, which is exactly

himself as Spoek or Mr Mathambo though. The pseudonym

what I was doing in dance.’ She is not someone who listens to

– which translates to Ghost of Bones – is left for the stage.

electronic music emphatically saying that, ‘I never ever listen

The calm Mokgata/Mathambo introduces himself by the

to electronic music ever!’ But she knew that she could not use

name given to him by his mother and uses his words with

Prokofiev for REBELLION & JOHANNESBURG. She was thrilled

the care of someone who has learned an appreciation

by Mathambo’s thematic concerns and his cultural fusions to

for selecting when and how to use his voice. Working

create the conceptual township tech. She first saw his ‘Cat and

alongside him is Eric ‘Aero’ Manyelo who also specialises

Mouse’ video, which showed young boys in the Cape Town

in the interesting sounds of ‘township tech’. Mathambo

township of Khayelitsha struggling with their dream to become

has worked with composing music for a conceptual

ballet dancers. Then she listened to his 2012 album Future

performance before creating the score for Standard Bank

Sound of Mzansi and the rest, as it is said, is history…

Young Artist for Performance Art 2015 Athi Patra Ruga’s

They Skype-called and emailed back and forth and

iLulwana, a synchronised swimming production. Aero has

when Nupen visited Mathambo and Aero for a few days in

‘never done anything like this before’ and brings a strong

Thembisa, they just worked. The musicians had to adjust the

sense of the reality of the revelry with his house music

music from thinking of the song as a whole to understanding

influences. Aero grew up listening to a variety of genres

that the choreographer listens to the 1, 2, 3, 4 count, but it

and recalls how when viewing adverts as a child, he listened

was not a hurdle; ‘just a different perspective,’ Mathambo

to the music and how it created certain feelings. It was

states matter-of-factly. Aero says that it was getting into the

this skill that he brought with him to school on his home

studio with the dancers that made it very real for him because

hi-fi when he was in primary school, and played for his

he understood that it was actually about ‘storytelling’. For

peers at school Friday parties. The themes of REBELLION

Mathambo, it is ‘a journey through different energies running

& JOHANNESBURG are centred on the youth sub-cultures

through the South African youth’ and getting into the studio

of Johannesburg and the Spoek Mathambo and Aero team

with the dancers was a treasured experience. He was thrilled

certainly seems a perfect match.

to see them moving to the music. CF

Creative Feel / September 2015 / 47

Photographs by Ed Blignaut

The Crucial Value of Culture Creative Feel’s Nondumiso Msimanga spoke to Consul General to Munich, George Monyemangene, who took the time to discuss their support of Romeo & Juliet/REBELLION & JOHANNESBURG.

T

he art of international relations is a sensitive and high-pressured area. It is not often associated with dance, drama, music or visual arts. The two spaces seem to operate in different zones in

South Africa. So when the earnest and enthusiastic Consul General to Munich sits down to speak about the significance of artistic investment in connecting two nations on different continents, it is a pleasing surprise. Consul General George Monyemangene flies into the country for a brief period of negotiations and takes the time to discuss the latest project of his office. Romeo & Juliet/REBELLION & JOHANNESBURG, is a dance piece conceptualised by German-based South African choreographer Jessica Nupen. It is the first of a series of artistic endeavours supported by the Consulate as part of a

George Monyemangene

48 / Creative Feel / September 2015

large development that hopes to run annual events that will aid in its mission of building associations.

The Consul General says, ‘We had been looking

Jessica and we got quite excited because she’s the perfect

for any projects that we thought could foster cultural

partner. She’s enthusiastic and also a patriot – everything

development.’ The vision of the office was to source

that we expect from a South African; and even an

cultural projects that would show off the best of what

expatriate.’ Nupen comes from a lineage of patriotism with

South Africans are capable of and to join the country

parents who were anti-apartheid activists. Her father is a

to the German people through the unique language of

labour lawyer, mediator and arbitrator, while her mother

the arts. ‘The arts are just a great connector’, says the

runs elections. Both were heavily involved in the 1994

Consul General. The interesting ability of dance, in

elections. Nupen’s work is also significantly geared toward

particular, to be able to speak in the universal language of

creating links between young South African artists and

humanity through its use of the body as a communicator

so all of the creatives involved in the production from

is significant in the work of building bridges. It reminds

cast to music and design are all of the same generation.

people that - aside from differences in locale and

This aspect of engaging with the future leaders of their

language, and even time difference - all people are flesh

field and empowering the youth was of keen interest to

and blood. Through the magnificent showmanship of the

Monyemangene who states that ‘we just wanted to get

skill that a body can acquire, audiences are united by the

involved in something that will move our country forward.’

marvel of possibility. And possibility is at the heart of

The only stipulation made by the office was that the

REBELLION & JOHANNESBURG. Nupen has crafted a work

work produced must be ‘excellent’ and ‘that we want to

of art that tackles the challenges of living in a changing

have a successful show.’ This seems more than plausible

world. The production imagines how to continue living

with the team of cutting-edge artists involved. With

within a city where it is so easy to feel lost. By looking

Moving into Dance Mophatong providing the cast and co-

at the new developments in sub-cultures that act as

creators, Spoek Mathambo composing the score, Anmari

rebellions against un-freedom she imaginatively posits a

Honniball designing the costumes and Ed Blignaut filming

new opportunity for freedom.

the visuals, it is an all-star group of young South African

The detailed use of specific gestures in Johannesburg

artists. Interestingly, Monyemangene says that the options

youth becomes a study for how ‘different gestures can

for hosting the event were either Heritage Month or Youth

have an impact across cultures’, she says. This type of

Month, in July. The youth element became calculated

grand desire to draw together two worlds through her art

providence. Monyemangene believes that ‘we have to

is precisely what made Nupen’s dance the partner that the

harness the dynamics of the times and take it to another

Consulate was looking for. The Consulate had sought to

level’ because the youth will shape the new heritage of

host performances during South Africa’s Heritage Month of

the nation. He also speaks quite determinedly about the

September and October (when international audiences will

creative industry as a ‘critical space’. His faith in this, and

descend upon Munich for Oktoberfest). Monyemangene

future creative projects, is in the inestimably crucial value

says they ‘were fortunate that we were proposed to by

of culture. CF

Words from a Patron Creative Feel’s Nondumiso Msimanga spoke to Romeo & Juliet/ REBELLION & JOHANNESBURG’s patron, lawyer Pulane Kingston about her decision to back the dance theatre production.

Creative Feel: How did you get involved in this project and

me to make an instantaneous decision to support and

what about the idea made you want to participate in Romeo

partner with Jessica in ensuring that her dream would be

& Juliet/ REBELLION & JOHANNESBURG?

realised in a sustainable way.

Pulane Kingston: In this project I see the potential for arts heritage across the globe as well identifying, nurturing,

C.F.: Why is Jessica Nupen a good partner to invest in?

P.K.: Jessica is deeply passionate about the performing

and exposing young talent, such that the opportunity for

arts. She is an incredibly talented dancer and also a proud

them to have access to opportunities on the international

South African... She is based in Germany and has built

stage becomes a reality.

a respectable career in dance. It is her desire to want to

increasing an awareness of our incredibly rich performing

I have always been fascinated by the performing arts.

promote young talents who might otherwise never get

In exile where I was born (Tanzania), I learnt Zulu, Xhosa,

the opportunity to showcase their abilities on the global

Sotho, and Tswana through music and dance. This is the

stage that really inspired me the most. She has been

primary way that we learnt the fundamentals of our culture

able to weave together her classical and contemporary

as well as the struggle against colonialism and apartheid

dance experience, her heritage, her financial and social

– through storytelling and dance... Fast-forward to 2001:

network, her ability to spot talent and her desire to create

My family was invited to the Globe Theatre in London to

opportunity into an extraordinarily beautiful tapestry. Her

the performance of uMabatha, Welcome Msomi’s Zulu

work speaks for itself. I was also inspired by how she put

adaptation of Macbeth... I remember walking away and

forward a proposal that will be self-funding and sustainable

undertaking to one day play a part, no matter how small,

for years to come. These then are the reasons that Jessica

in promoting African performing arts as I understood then,

is a great partner to invest in. Her energy and drive and

and understand even more now, the positive impact that

dedication are infectious and can only be supported. She

the performing arts can have on our economy. It is a critical

ticks all the right boxes!

catalyst for learning and understanding, discovery, and enquiry as well as achievement.

When I was asked a few months ago to meet a young

C.F.: Romeo & Juliet/REBELLION & JOHANNESBURG is about living in contemporary Johannesburg. Why

lady called Jessica Nupen for breakfast to hear her story,

do you think that the idea of performing a story about

I assumed that it was to be another mentoring session.

Johannesburg is important today?

I allocated 45 minutes to the meeting and 90 minutes

P.K.: Johannesburg really is a melting pot of rich and vastly

later I was comprehensively blown away by the idea

different cultures and experiences. The idea of performing

of this Romeo & Juliet project. The infectious passion

a story about Johannesburg juxtaposed against the

and excitement that Jessica exuded as well as the clear

Shakespearean Romeo and Juliet is fascinating and represents

potential that this project had to change the trajectory of

such an opportunity to explore the themes, contradictions,

the lives of these talented young women and men caused

and emotions that arise from this.

50 / Creative Feel / September 2015

Pulane Kingston

C.F.: Why, as a lawyer, have you chosen to become a patron

propelled them to truly achieve their potential, experiment,

of the arts?

expand their quest for knowledge, to grow and to contribute

P.K.: I was invited to become one. And I am indeed

to the body of artistic and scientific genius of the time.

honoured to take on the responsibility... I always knew that later life, play a role at the right time and in a manner that

C.F.: Do you enjoy dance?

P.K.: I love it. In all its forms – I struggle to think of a more

would enable me to bring real and tangible value to the

creative way of expressing oneself. I dream one day of going

projects I chose to support.

to learn flamenco dancing in Seville in Spain!

as a great lover of the arts, I would, given the chance in

As we conduct this interview I am standing next to the tomb of Michelangelo at the Santa Croce Basilica in Florence

C.F.: Will you be travelling to Germany to see the

in Italy... The only reason that we are able to speak of and

project’s realisation?

appreciate artists such as Michelangelo is precisely because

P.K.: I am taking my whole family – from our Matriarch

of the support that artists such as himself received; which

down! I cannot wait. CF

Creative Feel / September 2015 / 51

Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater’s Akua Noni Parker. Photograph by Andrew Eccles

Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater. Photograph by Andrew Eccles

Globally Acclaimed Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater Is Non-Stop Extraordinary Entertainment The highly acclaimed New Yorkbased Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, one of the world’s most popular global modern dance companies, returns to South Africa this September after 17 years, with 13 performances in Johannesburg at the Teatro at Montecasino and seven shows in Cape Town at Artscape.

52 / Creative Feel / September 2015

T

he artistry, power and passion of the company’s 32 extraordinary dancers in performances of works by a spectrum of renowned choreographers impacts audiences around the world emotionally and

physically, bringing them to their feet in cheering standing ovations. Alvin Ailey’s signature masterpiece, Revelations is acclaimed as a must-see for all and will be the program’s rousing, hand-clapping finale. Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater is described as life - changing, and that is no hyperbole or exaggeration: the company is quite simply one of the most extraordinary and uplifting theatrical events to ever visit South Africa.

Recognised by US Congressional Resolution as a vital American ‘Cultural Ambassador to the World,’ the Ailey company is hosting extensive educational activities in local schools, communities and townships, similar to

Ailey’s historic 1997 inaugural visit. Covered by Time, the

people and should always be delivered back to the people.” I’m

magazine proclaimed, ‘The Ailey company’s tour leaves

proud to lead the Company back to South Africa for the first

South Africa dancing in the aisles.’ The 2015 residency in

time this century and excited for audiences there to experience

South Africa is made possible by lead sponsor Bloomberg

uplifting performances by the world’s most amazing dancers.’

Philanthropies with major support from Bank of America

Repertory for the season is highlighted by Exodus, a

Merrill Lynch and the Ford Foundation, as well as

world premiere from bold hip-hop choreographer Rennie

assistance from travel and freight partners South African

Harris. In addition to Alvin Ailey’s must-see American classic

Airways and South African Airways Cargo.

Revelations, other works to be performed include repertory

Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater has performed for an

favourites Night Creature, Alvin Ailey’s homage to the musical

estimated 25 million people in 71 countries on six continents,

genius of eminent American jazz composer Duke Ellington,

inspiring all in a universal celebration of the human spirit

and Battle’s own high-flying and humorous solo, Takademe.

using the African-American cultural experience and the

Critics the world-over rave about the performance,

American modern dance tradition. The incredible athleticism,

presentation and uniqueness of this dance phenomenon.

technique and spirit of the dancers, performing a diverse and

‘Unbelievable. Go see Alvin Ailey. It’s change-your-life good,’

dynamic repertory of classics and premieres to a variety of

says The Today Show while The Miami Herald claims, ‘For most

music, is like nothing else presented in this country.

of its 50-plus years, the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater

‘Alvin Ailey was posthumously awarded the 2014

has had a distinctive profile – theatrical, energetic, heartfelt

Presidential Medal of Freedom – the nation’s highest civilian

with powerhouse dancers – that has helped make it the most

honour. Twenty-five years after his passing, the power of

successful and widely seen modern dance company in the world.’

his enduring legacy continues to extend from New York to far-reaching international tours and memorable visits to

Don’t miss the opportunity to see Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater in SA!

communities around the globe,’ stated Robert Battle, Artistic

3 to 13 September: Teatro at Montecasino, Johannesburg

Director since 2011, who will visit South Africa for the first time

16 to 20 September: Opera House, Artscape, Cape Town

in September. ‘Mr. Ailey said it so well; “Dance came from the

Tickets sales open at Computicket, #AlvinAileySA CF

Creative Feel / September 2015 / 53

Pretty Yende Returns South African soprano Pretty Yende is no stranger to readers of Creative Feel. We are still proud to have been the first magazine to feature the now globally renowned star on our cover when she made her debut appearance at RMB Starlight Classics.

A

n excerpt from the Lakmé Flower Duet, which was

This question was to lead her away from her home town

used as the soundtrack for an old British Airways

of Piet Retief, where she sang in church and the school choir,

advert, was all it took to set Pretty Yende on a

onto some of the most prestigious stages around the world.

journey to international stardom. That brief clip

Her debut performance at the New York Metropolitan Opera,

served as her introduction to opera: ‘Is it humanly possible?’

where she ‘jumped in’ at short notice to take on the role

she wondered of the sounds she had heard. ‘At 16, growing

of Adèle opposite Juan Diego Florez, earned her what NPR

up in a very small town, I had no idea that human beings

(National Public Radio) described as a ‘standing, shouting,

were capable of such a gift.’

screaming, ovation’, despite an initial mishap when she

54 / Creative Feel / September 2015

stumbled on stage. After that, she says, ‘offers came like rain’ and she is now in the enviable position of being able to pick and choose her roles. ‘A career is best made with saying no more often than yes,’ she notes. ‘Planning such an exciting journey is the fun part – we [Yende and her management] get offers from the opera houses and we make the best decisions, keeping in mind what the voice “says” and what it allows.’

Yende has appeared at the Los Angeles Opera as Micaela in Carmen; at the Teatro alla Scala in Le Comte Ory; as Pamina in Die Zauberflöte at the Metropolitan Opera; and taken the title role in Lucia di Lammermoor at the Deutsche Oper Berlin – to name but a few of her sparkling accomplishments.

Most recently, she appeared at the Verbier Festival, to which she was invited to return following her successful debut there with James Vaughan. The organisers requested that she sing a recital and perform Strauss’s Frühlingstimmen with the Chamber Orchestra of Verbier, as well as Mozart’s Exsultate, jubilate opposite Joshua Bell.

In September she returns to South Africa, albeit briefly, as she remains based in Milan, where she is ‘loving just relaxing in my apartment and going to La Scala to watch concerts and operas, and seeing many parts of Italy as well as Switzerland.’

Here in South Africa, she will once more take to the stage with Bell, at this year’s edition of RMB Starlight Classics. ‘We are both very excited about our collaboration and can confirm that we will be presenting a very special and most enjoyable programme for RMB Starlight Classics audience,’ she says.

Yende is also hoping to perform in aid of her own ‘Pretty Yende Foundation’: ‘I am looking forward to putting on concerts around South Africa, seeing the project grow and ensuring that each child in every village knows about classical music,’ she says. ‘If I got to know about opera the way I did, by accident really, fate – and we all witness what has happened – how much more [might I have done] if I knew about opera way before? There are endless possibilities.’

Looking ahead, Yende is set to record her first album with Sony Classics in Torino with conductor Marco Armiliato, before taking up a series of lead roles – one glittering engagement after the next – across the capitals of Europe and in the United States, a line-up that sees her well into the 2017/18 Season. The demand for her particular, inimitable talent is huge. ‘It is the most exciting season of my career and life and I am very grateful,’ she says.

It’s amazing that a career such as this can be traced back to one brief instant when she heard a fragment of a song, a moment in which something changed, ‘something that I couldn’t touch or see, but that I could feel, that I needed to know if somebody could feel the same way,’ Yende says. ‘It was an immense joy that I wanted to share with everyone.’

And she does. CF

Pretty Yende. Photographs by Kim Fox

Creative Feel / September 2015 / 55

Making his way to South Africa this September, Joshua Bell forms part of the highly anticipated line-up for the 2015 RMB Starlight Classics Concert.

O

n 27 January 2007, a busker played a 45-minute set at a Washington Metro station. He earned approximately $32 from some 27 passersby, before packing up his $4 million dollar Stradivarius and

leaving the station.

Ironically, this brief incognito performance was to make a household name of Joshua Bell, long since critically acclaimed by lovers of classical music. In fact, only a few months after the Metro experiment, Bell was awarded the Avery Fisher prize at Lincoln Centre in New York, presented to classical musicians for outstanding achievement.

Bell was something of a child prodigy. He began playing the violin aged four, shortly after his parents found him trying to create music using elastic bands stretched around the

Joshua Bell handles of several dresser drawers, and attempting to mimic his mother’s piano tunes.

He possessed a phenomenal natural ability: at an age when most children who take up the violin stumble through a rendition of ‘Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star’, Bell is said to have read through and played pieces by the likes of Paganini. Later on, he progressed quickly, despite putting in a fraction of the hours usually demanded from young, would-be violinists.

His innate talent made it possible for Bell to maintain a ‘normal’ childhood, reportedly bunking lessons to rack up several ‘highest scores ever’ at the local video arcade, and succeeding in coming fourth in a national tennis tournament, aged ten. His ‘regular’ upbringing convinced renowned violin teacher Josef Gingold to take him on as a student, and their shared love of music established a bond that ultimately Joshua Bell. Images courtesy of Charl van Heyningen Enterprises

56 / Creative Feel / September 2015

cemented Bell’s dedication to the instrument.

At age 14, Bell won a national talent competition, leading

Huberman, himself a child prodigy. Huberman has been

to his debut as a soloist with the Philadelphia Orchestra

credited with rescuing hundreds of Jewish musicians from

conducted by Riccardo Muti – along with professional

Hitler’s grasp. In the 1930s, he founded the Palestinian

management. With this achievement, he went on to study

Symphony Orchestra, thus providing musicians and their

violin at Indiana University Jacobs School of Music (where

families with both the motivation and means to leave Germany,

Gingold was a professor) and graduated with an Artist Diploma

and take up employment in what was then Palestine. In 1936,

in Violin Performance.

the violin was stolen from Huberman – for the second time. It

Bell made his first appearance at Carnegie Hall aged 17,

remained in the possession of the thief, Joshua Altman, until

playing alongside the St Louis symphony. From then on, he has

his death when his wife returned the instrument to Lloyds of

taken to the stage around the world accompanied by foremost

London. They sold it to British violinist Nobert Brainin, who

orchestras and conductors, performing both standard concerto

in turn was set to sell the violin to a collector. Appalled, Bell

repertoire and new works. He has recorded more than 40 CDs

rushed in, buying the instrument for close to $4 million.

since his first release (aged 18), for which he has won a host of accolades and awards.

Critics rave about his performances, declaring him ‘the

Unlike many child prodigies, Bell has gone from strength to strength. Since 2011, he has served as Music Director of the Academy of St Martin in the Field. He is also an artistic partner

most perfect interpreter of this generation’; ‘the greatest

for the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra and a visiting professor

American violinist active today’; and ‘a commanding, deeply

at the Royal Academy of Music in London.

musical, technically breathtaking performer’. John Corigliano,

In 2015, the star violinist’s line-up includes, among other

whose Oscar-winning score for The Red Violin was played by

things, a tour to South Africa. Although Bell is regrettably

Bell, puts it more simply: ‘Joshua Bell plays like a god’.

unlikely to be caught busking for Gautrain passengers, he will

Like the instrument at the centre of The Red Violin, Bell’s Stradivarius is famed for its long, tumultuous history. Now more than 300 years old, it once belonged to Bronislaw

be performing at this year’s RMB Starlight Classics, alongside South African born and internationally acclaimed opera sensation Pretty Yende. Now that’s a stellar experience! CF

Creative Feel / September 2015 / 57

Brandon Phillips. Images courtesy of the CPO

A first for the CPO Brandon Phillips’s appointment as resident conductor of the Cape Town Philharmonic Orchestra was formally announced on stage before the concert at the Cape Town City Hall on 18 June 2015. The appointment was made thanks to funding from Rand Merchant Bank (RMB) and Phillips is scheduled to conduct a portion of the RMB Starlight Classics Concert taking place this September.

58 / Creative Feel / September 2015

T

he first CPO resident conductor ever, Phillips, (35),

for the ATKV competition wind category; and was a part of the

is such an all-rounder that he could have been a

faculty for the Stellenbosch Music Festival. He took master

professional sportsman or an instrumentalist, but

classes in Vienna with the principal bassoon of the Vienna

thankfully he chose to become a conductor. The

Radio Orchestra; principle bassoonist Daniel Matzikawa

young maestro used to be a Western Province junior soccer

of the Philadelphia Symphony; Lecolion Washington of

player and top 100m sprinter. Principal bassoon with the

Memphis University and Christopher Millard, principal of the

CPO since 2003, he made his conducting debut with CPO

National Arts Centre Orchestra and lecturer at the University

trumpeter Paul Chandler, as one of the two conductors for

of Chicago. In 2013, he became an adjudicator in the 2nd Len

the Cape Town Philharmonic Youth Orchestra (CPYO) when

van Zyl Conductors’ Competition and will judge the current

it made its acclaimed debut concert in 2004. From then on,

competition. Phillips has also been an adjudicator at the ATKV

he was hooked, went on to win the inaugural Len van Zyl

competition, Schock Singing Competition, Artscape Youth

Conductors’ Competition in 2010, and became the music

Competition and Unisa Winds Competition.

director of the CPYO in 2012.

Born in Mitchell’s Plain, Phillips has been making music since he was eleven, when his father chose him to play the recorder in the New Apostolic Church in Hazeldene.

Phillips wasn’t so sure this was for him, but he did it anyway, combining sport with music and becoming proficient on the flute, clarinet, tenor saxophone, trumpet, euphonium, viola, cello and violin and along the way – guitar and voice included.

At 16 came another choice: the church orchestra needed a bassoonist and since he was a ‘quick study’, he learned to play the bassoon at Beau Soleil Music Centre. There he fell in love with the instrument. While that was his first love, there were others – Laeticia his wife of a few months and of course, conducting. Phillips’s big break came when he won the Len van Zyl Competition and as part of the prize, spent a month as an intern with the Philadelphia Orchestra and a couple of months with Victor Yampolsky at Northwestern University in Chicago. Conducting classes with Arjan Tien, Yasuo Shinozaki and Paul Hoskins followed. On his return from America he started his own conducting class and currently has nine mentees under his wing. He is proud to watch students like Chad Hendricks, Dane Coetzee and Charl van der Merwe developing into good conductors.

Charming, unassuming and generous with his time,

Phillips completed his diploma in orchestral studies at

there’s another side to Phillips. He loves teaching. His first

the College of Music at the University of Cape Town in 2002,

pupil was his mother – he taught her to play the viola in

and was awarded his honours in 2003.

order to make music with him, his cellist brother, Gavin

Charles Howell, Dieter Morschel, Becky Steltzner, Maria

and oboist brother Ashley. He also taught violin, clarinet

du Toit and the CPO’s former principal bassoonist, Todor

and trumpet on St Helena Island for three months, at Beau

Balkandjiev count under the exceptional tutors who have

Soleil and at Sans Souci schools, as well as his private pupils.

enabled his musical journey.

With brother Ashley and some colleagues from the College

Phillips is scheduled to conduct the RMB Starlight

of Music at UCT, he established a music school where they

Classics Concert at the Country Club Johannesburg on

taught about 30 students, from scholars to 50-plus who had

5 September. He will appear on stage alongside Joshua

no grounding or training.

Bell, Pretty Yende, Bokani Dyer, Chris Chameleon, Vusi

As a chamber musician he won the Huguenot Competition as part of the Sirocco Wind Quintet; was a soloist in the Artscape Youth Music Festival; entered and won the first prize

Mahlasela and the Vuyani Dance Theatre among others, to conduct certain works in the concert. CF Text © Cape Philharmonic Orchestra

Creative Feel / September 2015 / 59

Vusi Mahlasela. Images courtesy of Total Exposure

‘The Voice of Mamelodi’ Multi-award winning musician, Vusi Mahlasela has recently returned from a tour of the USA and Canada and will now be appearing on several South African stages.

V

usi Mahlasela grew up in Mamelodi, just

Mahlasela began to write songs of justice, freedom,

outside of Pretoria, where he still lives today.

revolution, love, peace and life. He joined The Ancestors

His childhood was filled with the sounds of

of Africa, a poetry group, as well as the Congress of South

black American and African musicians who

African Writers, a group of like-minded artists and writers.

were banned from the airwaves in apartheid South Africa.

Here he met Nobel Laureate Nadine Gordimer who paid

The tunes of James Brown, Motown, The Commodores,

for Mahlasela’s first guitar lessons. Joining the group saw

Mahotella Queens, Mahlatini Queens, Miriam Makeba, Dark

his political activism take off. His songs of freedom and

City Sisters and Fela Kuti wafted out from the shebeen that

human dignity earned him time in solitary confinement and

his grandmother operated behind their home. Inspired,

harassment by the police. ‘We were picked up and harassed

Mahlasela built his first guitar using fishing line and a

in all types of situations, going to church every Sunday and

cooking oil can and taught himself to play. He formed a

being forced to sign a piece of paper at the police station

little band with his friends from the neighbourhood and

first; if I was going out of town for a wedding, it had to be

they began making music of their own. Mahlasela can’t

reported to the police first. They kept on harassing me with

remember a time when he wasn’t singing as a child. ‘I’m

the things I was doing. But I stuck to it,’ says Mahlasela. His

sure I learned to sing before I could talk,’ he says. Music

music became a source of healing, both for himself and his

became a way for him to respond to the political situation

listeners. As, Nadine Gordimer put it ‘Vusi sings as a bird

that prevailed in the country at the time.

does, in total response to being alive.’

60 / Creative Feel / September 2015

In 1992, Mahlasela was signed to Shifty Records/BMG Records and finally recorded When You Come Back – a collection of songs that he had been writing throughout his

Come Back’, also served as the theme song for ITV’s World Cup coverage in the UK. In 2013, Mahlasela received an honorary doctorate from

life. The title track became an anthem, ringing out loud in

Rhodes University in Grahamstown. A couple of weeks later

cars, at parties and in homes – by listeners of all races. It

on Freedom Day, South Africa’s President awarded Mahlasela

has gone on to win many local and international fans for

with the National Order of Ikhamanga, recognising him for

this humble songbird, is still rightfully considered a South

‘drawing attention to the injustices that isolated South Africa

African classic and continues to amaze music lovers the

from the global community during the apartheid years.’

world over. In 1994, Mahlasela performed the song at Nelson Mandela’s presidential inauguration.

The following year, the South African Music Awards (SAMAs) honoured Mahlasela with a Lifetime Achievement

In 2002, Dave Matthews signed Mahlasela to his

Award to recognise his accomplishments both at home and

label ATO Records and released The Voice, a collection

abroad, 20 years after the release of When You Come Back. In

of songs from Mahlasela’s South African recordings.

celebration, Mahlasela put on a show at the Lyric Theatre in

Guiding Star and 2011’s Say Africa, produced by Taj Mahal,

Johannesburg, resulting in the release of Sing to the People.

soon followed. His albums have received mass critical

The album is a live recording that includes songs from the

acclaim. As the LA Times wrote, Mahlasela is a ‘rare and

first 20 years of his career.

mesmerising musical mind… with a voice that seems to

At the end of 2014, Mahlasela embarked on a global

have few limits.’ Mahlasela has shared the stage with Sting,

collaborative tour, ‘20 Years of Democracy’, with Hugh

Josh Groban, Paul Simon, Ladysmith Black Mambazo, Hugh

Masekela. The duo paid homage with a collection of

Masekela, Angelique Kidjo, Bela Fleck, Ray LaMontagne,

‘freedom’ songs, including many of their own, on their first-

Amos Lee and many more. He has performed at two TED

ever joint tour. The tour culminated in a show at Carnegie

conferences, Nelson Mandela’s 90th birthday, Mandela Day

Hall in October, kicking off the South Africa Festival. Next

and more. But, perhaps his biggest performance to date

on his agenda is RMB Starlight Classics on 5 September at

was delivering ‘When You Come Back’ to an 85 000 strong

the Country Club Johannesburg.

audience at the FNB Stadium in Soweto, to help launch the 2010 FIFA World Cup festivities in South Africa. ‘When You

Mahlasela will also be performing at this year’s Standard Bank Joy of Jazz on the Mbira Stage on 25 September. CF

Creative Feel / September 2015 / 61

It takes two (or three)

Jimmy Dludlu

62 / Creative Feel / September 2015

Hugh Masekela

The Dinaledi, Diphala, Conga and Mbira stages are set to feature a series of collaborations between a selection of some of the biggest international and local names in jazz at the 2015 Standard Bank Joy of Jazz. The festival takes place at the Sandton Convention Centre from 24 to 26 September.

K

icking off a festival centred on collaboration is

Thembi Seete on the song ‘Sure Ntombazane’. Baloyi

South African trumpeter Prince Lengoasa, who

released her solo album Voices in 2003. The album, which

will introduce the Standard Bank Joy of Jazz

was produced by Jimmy Dludlu, earned her a KORA All Africa

aMaqhawekhazi band, an 18 piece all-female

Music Award for Best African Arrangement. She has since

band, which will celebrate the music of Letta Mbuli and

released four albums, winning a Metro FM Award for Best

Sibongile Khumalo. (Dinaledi Stage, Thursday 24 September)

Urban Jazz for her album Love and Life. (Mbira Stage, Friday

One of the anticipated collaborations of the three-day festival sees father and daughter Jaco Maria and Wanda

25 September) Jimmy Dludlu and Friends will see the popular South

Baloyi sharing the stage for the first time. The duo are

African guitarist team up with Cape Verdean singer Sara

originally from Mozambique, with Maria moving to South

Tavares; percussion player and dancer from the Ivory

Africa in the ‘80s. Maria has worked with some of Africa’s

Coast, Manou Gallo; Mozambican Elisa Domingas ‘Mingas’

finest musicians, including the likes of Jimmy Dludlu and

Jamisse and South African jazz singer and composer, Nono

Judith Sephuma. Wanda Baloyi followed in her father’s

Nkoane. Jimmy Dludlu has been called a ‘guitar maestro’

musical footsteps and joined girl group Ghetto Luv. Her

and named among the best guitarists in the world. Dludlu

popularity increased in 2001 when she collaborated with

has shared the stage with world-acclaimed artists including

Creative Feel / September 2015 / 63

William Parker

Sara Tavares

Miriam Makeba, Hugh Masekela, Winston Mankunku Ngozi,

roots to create a completely fresh sound. (Conga Stage,

Abdullah Ibrahim, Barney Rachabane, Morris Goldberg, Basil

Friday 25 and Saturday 26 September)

Coetzee, Robbie Jansen, Jonas Gwangwa, Sibongile Khumalo,

UK born South African singer, songwriter and pianist,

Zim Ngqawana and Moses Molelekwa. His albums have

Estelle Kokot will appear on the Dinaledi Stage with tenor

earned him some of South Africa’s most prestigious awards,

saxophonist Chico Freeman, bassist Herbi Tsoaeli and

including two SAMAs (South African Music Awards) in 2006,

drummer Kevin Gibson. This collaboration is not a first

one for Best Male Artist of the Year and another for Best Jazz

for the quartet, who performed together on the album The

Album of the year for his album Corners of My Soul. (Conga

Sound of You Songbook, which was recorded in Cape Town

Stage, Friday 25 September)

and featured music composed and written by Chico Freeman

Three of the most talented and adventurous live performers in world jazz unite for a very special trio project.

and Jan Pulsford. (Dinaledi Stage, Friday 25 September) The African Dreamtime Project will feature South African

Hailed by many as the world’s finest percussionist, Trilok

multi-instrumentalist Pops Mohamed, acoustic guitarist

Gurtu’s individual technique combines the Indian tradition

Steve Newman, bass guitarist Lucas Senyatso, Nigerian

with many other styles to stunning effect. Sardinian

saxophonist Olufemi Ogunkoya, South African percussionist

trumpeter Paola Fresu has absorbed the influences of Miles

Mabi Thobejane and drummer Tlale Makhene. (Conga Stage,

Davis and Louis Armstrong into his own uniquely passionate

Friday 25 September)

voice. Pianist Omar Sosa fuses a wide range of jazz, world music and electronic elements with his native Afro-Cuban

64 / Creative Feel / September 2015

American free jazz double bassist, multi-instrumentalist, poet and composer William Parker will appear at the

Elisa Domingas ‘Mingas’

Omar Sosa, Paolo Fresu, and Trilok Gurtu

Standard Bank Joy of Jazz with Leena Conquest, Eri

be instructive. Joining them on stage will be the Shai Shai

Yamamoto, Rob Brown, Lewis Barnes and Hamid Drake. In

Mbira Ensemble. (Conga Stage, Saturday 26 September)

2011, Parker was ranked number two of the 25 ‘Essential

Nduduzo Makhathini, Standard Bank Young Artist for

New York City Jazz Icons’ by TimeOut New York, and in 2007

Jazz 2015, will appear at the Standard Bank Joy of Jazz with

was part of the same publication’s ‘50 Greatest New York

Swedish saxophonist Karl-Martin Almqvist; New York-

Musicians of All Time’. (Diphala Stage, Friday 25 September

based bassist Zwelakhe Duma; South African jazz vocalist

and Conga Stage, Saturday 26 September)

Omagugu Makhathini; South African drummer Ayanda

The festival also boasts a historic collaboration

Sikade; South African trumpeter Robin Fassie-Kock and

between two giants of song, Hugh Masekela and Oliver

South African alto-saxophonist Mthunzi Mvubu. (Diphala

‘Tuku’ Mtukudzi from Zimbabwe. Both Bra Hugh and Tuku

Stage, Saturday 26 September)

have struggle pedigree in their respective countries and

Other artists forming part of the exciting Standard

undeniable international elder-statesman status. Their

Bank Joy of Jazz 2015 line-up are the Yellow Jackets (USA),

meeting at the Standard Bank Joy of Jazz comes at a time

Larry Carlton (USA), Cecil McLorin Salvant (USA), Marcus

when the power of culture and music is most needed to heal

Miller (USA), the Standard Bank National Youth Band (SA),

strained relations in lieu of the recent xenophobic attacks.

Dee Alexander (USA), Matthew Halsall (UK), The 3 Cohens

The performance promises to blend kindred musical styles

(Israel/USA), Dwight Trible (USA), Lee Oskar (USA), Vusi

from Zimbabwe and South Africa that have fed into each

Mahlasela (SA), Peabo Bryson (USA), Steve Dyer (SA),

other for generations. It will be as entertaining as it will

Simphiwe Dana (SA) and Ray Phiri with Stimela (SA). CF

Creative Feel / September 2015 / 65

FROM THE FOOTLIGHTS Following sold-out performances of his smash hit show STAGE by STAGE in Durban, Cape Town and Johannesburg earlier this year and in a first for the Teatro at Montecasino and Jonathan Roxmouth, the multi-award winning star of local theatre will perform three concerts entitled FROM THE FOOTLIGHTS, featuring a variety of hits from internationally acclaimed Broadway and West End musicals.

Creative Feel’s Tamaryn Greer spoke to Roxmouth.

Jonathan Roxmouth, conductor Bryan Schimmel and three of the guest artists

J

Jonathan Roxmouth with guest stars Nádine and Tracey-lee Oliver

onathan Roxmouth began his professional musical

Call Me Lee and country-wide sold-out performances of his

theatre career in 2006 playing Vince Fontaine in Grease,

one-man show STAGE by STAGE.

and continued to play a number of leading roles in

‘FROM THE FOOTLIGHTS is a title that I came up with

many of the biggest musical theatre productions staged

during a run of my one-man musicals cabaret STAGE by

in this country. Roles such as Gaston in Beauty And The

STAGE. There is a moment when I sit right downstage

Beast, Judas Iscariot in Jesus Christ Superstar and Joe Gillis

front and centre of the stage and sing a number. From

in Sunset Boulevard established Roxmouth as one of South

there, I can see into everyone’s eyes and the connection

Africa’s up-and-coming stars, but it was his powerful

is quite something,’ comments Roxmouth on the title of

performance as the Phantom in The Phantom of The Opera

his upcoming production. ‘This show came about whilst I

that made critics and the public alike take special note of

was recording the album [From the Footlights] in January.

Roxmouth’s enormous talents. Aside from musical theatre,

Bryan Hill of the Teatro at Montecasino sat in on one of

Roxmouth has also performed in the hugely popular

the sessions and was convinced that the material should

musical revues A Handful Of Keys, Topsy-Turvy, Nöel And

be performed live for a broader audience. Those spur of

Gertie and Hats Off! Recent shows by Roxmouth include

the moment sentiments usually don’t result in anything

66 / Creative Feel / September 2015

concrete but this time round, it all fell into place and the

right in front of you without all the gratuitous process and

show is on! Since this will be the first Broadway Concert

attuning that contemporary music is requiring these days.

of its kind at the theatre, I wanted it to be something

This meant that the choices had to have some sort of story

unique and so I have called upon five of my friends and

to tell or groove to ride.’

colleagues – whose work I admire – to join me in various

Roxmouth’s successful ten-year career has been

ways. At the podium is Maestro Bryan Schimmel. Although

peppered with some of the best mentors in the business.

we have never had the opportunity to work together, I

‘Ian von Memerty changed my life when I met him. He saw

have seen most of the shows he has conducted or arranged

past my chubby, pimply exterior and lit a fire under me that

and it is his passion for what we do that I felt this project

exists to this very day. He has a way of highlighting the goal

needed. Nádine was Mary Magdalene with me in Jesus

in a very specific way and I still use certain keys that he gave

Christ Superstar and I wanted to hear her sing “I Don’t

me when I start a new project. Another pillar in my career is

Know How to Love Him” again. Ditto for Lindiwe Bungane

Pieter Toerien – an unparalleled madman of the theatre. He

from Dreamgirls fame who will repeat her show-stopping

taught me how to treat the theatre in general from business

“(And I’m Telling You) I’m Not Going”. Tracey-lee Oliver

to backstage without losing your mind.’

of Knights of Music will be joining me for the famous love

With such a stream of successful roles to his name,

duet from Miss Saigon and then… my favourite Big Bopper

does he have a favourite? ‘Come on…the Phantom, of

Harry Sideropoulos and I will be doing a good ol’ hat and

course!’ And a favourite on-stage moment? ‘My first

Jonathan Roxmouth with guest stars and a few members of the FROM THE FOOTLIGHTS Broadway Big Band

Jonathan Roxmouth holds the record as the youngest English-speaking Phantom of the Opera

cane number to round off the evening. Literally something

curtain call for Gaston in Beauty and the Beast. I looked

for everyone over and above the album itself.’

out into the audience and my gran, Didi, had leapt to her

‘So far [the album] has been received and supported beautifully,’ adds Roxmouth. ‘I always have it on sale

feet without assistance.’

Roxmouth is also set to star in Sweeney Todd in October/

wherever I perform but also have it on my website

November, ‘Stephen Sondheim is undoubtedly the greatest

jonathanroxmouth.com for delivery and digital download.

living composer for the theatre and Sweeney Todd is his opus.

So far the farthest destination for delivery has been

To be able to go from Footlights to Sweeney Todd is a stretch

Melbourne, Australia!’

that is as terrifying as it is invigorating. I find that, whether it

‘I wanted this to be totally different to anything available in the musical theatre compilation catalogue. This meant fresh approaches to traditional and non-traditional material.

is a Phantom or a Topsy-Turvy, the thrill of the first audience is identical.’

FROM THE FOOTLIGHTS is at the Teatro at Montecasino

I love that the theatre is live. It gives the material a different

on Friday 18 September and Saturday 19 September 2015,

excitement compared to other genres. I wanted to try

both commencing at 20:00, and Sunday 20 September at

capture the thrill of seeing or hearing someone doing it

14:00. Ticket sales open at Computicket. CF

Creative Feel / September 2015 / 67

A Painter of Houses As a parting gift to Rand Merchant Bank’s outgoing Chief Executive Officer Alan Pullinger, Gert Kruger commissioned a painting by Fikile Maseko, a relatively unknown artist whose works hang in many of the private collections of Johannesburg’s northern suburbs.

G

ert Kruger, Chief Risk Officer at Rand Merchant

Alan Pullinger, Chief Executive Officer since September

Bank (RMB) came up with a creatively innovative

2008, is leaving RMB to take on a new challenge as Deputy

solution for a farewell gift to Pullinger from his

CEO of the FirstRand Group. Gert Kruger, together with

17th floor colleagues. ‘It’s not easy to surprise

the other 17th floor executives and support staff, agreed

and thank Alan, not just a CEO but rather a unique leader, as

to procure this bespoke farewell gift. Kruger shared the

popular as he is humble – a trusted man whose EQ matches

warm-hearted and unusual story behind the artwork,

his immense IQ and who is never too busy to listen generously

commissioned and created for this modest leader.

and learn from the underdog. Flashy, expensive brands are not

It was evident to Kruger, a keen art lover himself

on Alan’s radar, which made me focus my thoughts on unique

(particularly supportive of emerging South African artists),

African talent delivering street-smart creativity. That’s when

that a meaningful farewell gift couldn’t easily be purchased

Fikile’s refreshing work came to mind.’

from a gallery. As a member of the bank’s executive team,

68 / Creative Feel / September 2015

Kruger is involved with the ongoing acquisition and display of RMB’s art collection together with Carolynne Waterhouse, from RMB’s corporate marketing team, and Teresa Lizamore, RMB’s curator. The contemporary collection reflects the business philosophy and prized culture of the bank, being Traditional values. Innovative ideas. Artists featured include: Wayne Barker, Deborah Bell, Walter Battiss, Willem Boshoff, Mbongeni Richman Buthelezi, Phillemon Hlungwani, Robert Griffiths Hodgins, William Kentridge, Colbert Mashile, Obie Oberholzer, Walter Oltmann, George Pemba, Lionel Smit, Richard John Smith, Angus Taylor, Alfred Thoba, Andrew Verster and Edoardo Villa.

In his private capacity, Kruger has always followed his own thoughts and taste, keeping to works by artists that he and his wife Trienchen both meet and like. One of these artists is a ‘painter of houses’, a well-kept secret by those in the know in Parktown, Parkview, Westcliff, Dunkeld and surrounds. Fikile, as he is known, operates by his own rules – no studio, no cell phone and not always easily reached.

Only by recommendation from one to another do families commission Fikile to capture their homes on paper, often before and after alterations – and consequently his magnificent ‘watercolour stories’ hang in many houses in these suburbs. Kruger himself commissioned Fikile some years ago to do a watercolour painting of his own house, something that he and his wife treasure, never going unnoticed by art lovers.

It was not an easy task to track Fikile down, given that

tree-framed view upwards of the iconic RMB tower

he does not have a phone. Shantal Maken, Kruger’s personal

building. Ironically, Alan Pullinger’s regular route to work

assistant, traced his steps by systematically following the

passes this outdoor studio and although he was there for

‘client chain’ until reaching his latest work-in-progress

seven weeks, Pullinger never noticed his subtle presence

location. In addition, they had to persuade Fikile to do a

on the dusty, but thankfully tree-lined site. Pullinger’s

painting of the RMB headquarters, something distinctly

farewell gift was effectively shaped ‘under his nose’ without

different from what he has become accustomed to. It

him knowing. Particularly meaningful is the angle Fikile

promised to be challenging given the architectural scale and

selected to portray the building, with Pullinger’s home-

design detail of RMB’s suite of Merchant Place buildings.

office window for his eight years in office in clear sight.

One of Kruger’s important deal-clinchers with Fikile

This inspired and personalised gift to Pullinger from his

was agreeing to fund and deliver a regular supply of the

office ‘friends and neighbours’ has since been completed and

finest art materials from Herbert Evans in Rosebank.

beautifully framed. It is sure to take pride of place in Pullinger’s

Shantal Maken was in daily contact with Fikile and happily

new office in FirstRand’s 4 Merchant Place building. In keeping

did the ‘running’ to and from Rosebank, carefully selecting

with the spirit of the deal, Kruger has made sure that Fikile

materials to meet the artist’s precise specifications.

has his next client commission confirmed. When it comes to

Another important and entrepreneurial aspect of

owning an original Fikile masterpiece – it’s not about what you

the agreement was that RMB was to secure the next

know, but rather about who you know…

commission on completion of his task.

Fikile works on-site, and for each project he must

James Formby has been appointed Pullinger’s successor as CEO of Rand Merchant Bank, a division of FirstRand

carefully position his makeshift studio. For Pullinger’s

Bank Limited and will formally take over from Alan

piece, Fikile chose a spot on an empty plot owned by

Pullinger on 1 October, when Pullinger becomes FirstRand

FirstRand, from which he had an artistically appealing,

Group Deputy Chief Executive Officer. CF

Creative Feel / September 2015 / 69

What Remains is Tomorrow Johan Myburg, an independent arts writer and critic, reports back on the South African Pavilion at the Venice Biennale for Creative Feel.

Works by Nandipha Mntambo and Haroon Gunn Salie

70 / Creative Feel / September 2015

‘M

emory is selective. We cancel or forget things we did not like, and keep the memory of things we liked, but in a distorted way.’

Speaking these words from a deep armchair in a video

installation divided into three chapters and filmed by director Davide Ferrario, Umberto Eco reflects in Sulla memoria. Una conversazione in tre parti (2015) on memory, the central theme curator Vincenzo Trione decided on for Codice Italia in the Italian Pavilion at the 56th Venice Biennale. In Ferrario’s film Eco dwells on remembering and forgetting, intertwined with autobiographical memories and literary and philosophical references.

Eco elaborates on his thesis: ‘There is a static way to consider the past which is typical of reactionary groups.

They ‘repossess’ what is suitable for them. Revolutionary groups, instead, try to erase memory. “Forget everything that was before. Let’s start from scratch”.’

A few 100 metres from the Italian Pavilion, also located within the Arsenale, What Remains Is Tomorrow, the body of work in the South African Pavilion curated by Christopher Till, director of the Apartheid Museum, and Jeremy Rose from the Mashabane Rose architecture firm, seems to sit uncomfortably trapped between ‘repossessing’ and ‘erasing’ memory. Perhaps indicative of where South Africa finds itself 21 years after the dawn of a new democratic dispensation, dealing with its own memories in its own distorted way.

On the one hand a ‘repossessing’ of state power turned to violence, for example as portrayed in Warrick Sony’s Marikana Viewpoints (2013, 2014); and on the other the ‘erasing’ of elements of history, as it manifests in Haroon Gunn-Salie’s Soft Vengeance (2015).

Sony’s videos were made from secretly obtained footage of the Marikana Massacre – ‘the single most lethal use of force

by South African security forces against civilians since 1960.’

This event on 16 August 2012 is regarded as a turning point in the history of post-apartheid South Africa, and a reflection of the reckless attitude the Zuma administration has towards the people of the country. Gunn-Salie’s presentation of Jan van Riebeeck’s hands, cast directly from the Adderley Street statue of the Dutch colonist, introduces a playful albeit wry commentary on dismembering and remembering in the context of colonial memorials being defaced and or removed.

What Remains Is Tomorrow, the title echoing Okwui Enwezor’s excessive and uneven exhibition called All The World’s Futures with work by 139 artists, conveys according to Till and Rose’s curatorial statement ‘a desire to weigh the present against what has preceded it and to cast ahead to the possibility of alternative ways of being in the world, and of making the world.’

Gerald Machona, Ndiri Afronaut (I am an Afronaut), 2012

Creative Feel / September 2015 / 71

With the emphasis on the present, the ‘what has preceded

Add to this the discontent from artists at the selection

it’, is presented in terms of Angus Gibson’s 34 minute long

of two white men as curators, and their final selection of

video on the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC),

artists to represent the country.

Telling the Truth? (2015). In much the same way as Eco’s filmic

With two years to plan for this event the Department

essay acts as a keel allowing Codice Italia buoyancy, Gibson’s

of Arts and Culture dragged its feet and eventually, by the

video serves as a form of orientation and hermeneutical key to

time the rest of the world had announced their curators and

the South African Pavilion.

their lists of participating artists, the tender process was

Projected on to three screens, the viewer is drawn into

thrown out by Treasury, resulting in a new tender and the

remembering the country’s horrific and sad past. On one

subsequent mad dash to the finish. At that late stage artists

screen someone is testifying; flanked by two others with

had to be approached, work had to be selected (one supposes

texts and images that speak to what is heard from the victim,

availability of specific and recent works could have proved to

the perpetrator or those listening to the testimony.

be a problem) and the work had to be transported to Italy to

While I was sitting there reliving that first TRC hearing in East London in 1996, the Pavilion decidedly quieter in

be installed by the end of April.

This explains the inclusion of predominantly two

mid-June as shortly after the opening, non-South African

dimensional and video-based work, the only sculptural

visitors on either side of me sat glued to the screens, the

pieces being Haroon Gunn-Salie’s Soft Vengeance (2015),

impact of the material they were watching visible on their

in reinforced urethane (c. 170 x 150 cm); Nandipha

Mark Lewis, Zama Zamas, 2014

Diane Victor, Ashes to Ashes (detail), 2015

Jeremy Wafer, Compound, 2014

faces. Gibson’s sensitive editing adds another chilling layer

Mntambo’s Conversation: The Beginning of Forever (diptych)

to the existing footage.

(2015), made of cowhide, resin and polyester mesh (left:

The curators have been criticised for the inclusion of

223 x 183 x 27 cm, right: 215 x 193 x 25 cm); and Gerald

this film that ‘would probably fit better in the Apartheid

Machona’s Ndiri Afronaut (I Am an Afronaut) (2012), made

Museum’ and for the prominence they gave to the TRC

of decommissioned Zimbabwean dollar, foam padding,

almost two decades after the actual event.

fabric, wood, Perspex, rubber, plastic tubing, nylon thread

An outcry, predominantly by artists, ensued on social media as soon as the curatorial statement was released in April, less than a month before the opening of La

and gold leaf (c. 190 x 60 x 50 cm). All suitable to be air freighted at short notice.

This logistical solution seems to be the only

Biennale. Till and Rose indicated that they would ‘seek

consideration for the inclusion of Willem Boshoff’s

to review one of the greatest events of the 20th century –

lightweight Racist in South Africa (2011), anodised

the release of Nelson Mandela and the impact it had, and

aluminium panel, engraved and filled with ink (120 x 120 x

continues to have, on South Africa and the world.’ ‘We are

0,3 cm). Even when this work was exhibited in 2011 as part

once again defined and defining ourselves by apartheid

of Boshoff’s SWAT in Johannesburg’s Goodman Gallery, it

and the legacy of apartheid,’ was one of the comments.

stood out within the broader context of the artist’s work

72 / Creative Feel / September 2015

as a facile finger exercise. An interesting thought is not

references a life after death dialogue, but also one between the

necessarily a poignant artwork.

inside and the outside, extrapolated to insider and outsider. The

But memory is selective. We cancel or forget things we

outsider as “alien” is taken further in Machona’s People from Far

did not like, and keep the memory of things we liked, but in a

Away, while Mark Lewis alerts viewers in his photograph S’kop

distorted way.

(2014), as part of Wake Up, This is Joburg, of an undocumented

Removal and loss, being robbed of land, traditions

informal food trade in Johannesburg.

and cultural identities form the basis of Jo Ractliffe’s

In some ways What Remains Is Tomorrow “casts ahead

photographs and Jeremy Wafer’s Compound (2014), a wall

to the possibility of alternative ways of being in the world”.

drawing in pencil and varnish.

A hopeful notion, tempered somehow by Arnold Toynbee’s

But nowhere the elegiac quality of memory, again located

reminder: The only thing we learn from history is that we

somewhere between repossessing and erasing, is presented

don’t learn from history. Brett Murray echoes something

as in Mohau Modisakeng’s film stills and video Inzilo (2013)

of Toynbee’s dictum in his dual-channel digital video

and Diane Victor’s Ashes to Ashes (2015), paper and ash

installation, Triumph (2015), where two speakers, one white,

made from facsimile of a miner’s handbook.

one black, proclaim the same powerful myth: “We are the

Both these works speak of loss and of intense sadness:

chosen people!” The more things change, the more they stay

Modikaseng’s with the body taking centre stage in what

the same. The more we erase, the more we repossess. And

could be regarded a private mourning ritual; Victor’s with

vice versa.

Jo Ractliffe, 31/201 Battalion Commemoration Service, Platfontein (triptych), 2012

bodies broken and swallowed by a Marikana landscape or by the state that asserts its ownership over the land.

Angus Gibson, Telling the Truth? (film stills), 2015

The title, What Remains Is Tomorrow, could be seen as positive, as distorted or as opportunistic. That will depend

In both these works the sadness is being transcended

on the viewer’s interpretation of the history, the present

by means of a mysterious transformation, by a phoenix-like

and the future. One could argue that the show could have

affirmation of survival, by some sort of insertion of a new

been tighter, with less work and more representative. But

version of a luta continua refrain of the struggle years.

what we have is the curators’ own reading of South African

Both Robin Rhode and Serge Alain Nitegeka explore aspects of blackness. In a playful way Rhode interprets in

contemporary art as a barometer of where we are.

Till and Rose are to be congratulated on presenting a

his Blackness Blooms (2012/13) the South African poet Don

pavilion in a professional way, a body of work that challenges

Mattera’s sombre imagery of incarceration, “of darkness

and a show that does South Africa proud, in spite of the initial

liquefied, of blackness as a terrible wound inflicted by others”,

departmental failure to perform and a chorus of prophets of

while Nitegeka’s austere painted Black Subjects III: ‘… and

doom. The curators managed to change what was perceived by

walk in my shoes’ (2011) introduces blackness as a presence.

some as “unsupportable fiction” into a success story.

One of the most eloquent works included in the show is Mntambo’s Conversation: The Beginning of Forever. Surely she

What remains is to urge DAC to start preparations for the 57th Venice Biennale in 2017. Today. Tomorrow might be too late. CF

Creative Feel / September 2015 / 73

Difficult Crossings Following his death in 2013, artist Neels Coetzee was honoured by Parliament for ‘his contribution to one of our most extraordinary and rich periods for the imaginative arts, the 1980s and 1990s, when apartheid was dying and a democracy was being built.’ Two years on, his wife Koulla Xinisteris has curated an exhibition of his work, which opens at CIRCA on 3 September.

Neels Coetzee, Bier, Bronze 74 / Creative Feel / September 2015

B

y all accounts, Neels Coetzee was deeply

with guns.’ Crucible was Coetzee’s peace monument, one

empathetic, a sensitive and thoughtful man, one

that he dedicated to all those suffering ‘abuse, deprivation,

who grappled continuously with the suffering,

incarceration, for whatever reasons.’

injustices and trauma of life, a preoccupation

that infused his art and led him to both philosophy and theology. In the words of Koulla Xinisteris, who lived with

‘I think that it is a culmination of a lot of his life’s work,’ says Xinisteris.

‘There are these two levels in Neels’ representation,’

him for 30 years, ‘He was always fighting with his own faith

comments artist Bronwyn Lace, whose work will appear

in some way... It’s not as though he spoke about it all the

later, in the same gallery, in response to Coetzee’s visual

time and nor was he religious in any one tradition; he was

utterances. ‘There’s always an acknowledgement of the very

quite quiet and private about these things. And sometimes

physical: the literal meat and bone of our bodies, as in the

very angry.’ This awareness of pain, the suffering implicit

skull... and then there’s that which is not physical, which

Neels Coetzee, Untitled, Bronze on brass

to the human condition, and the violence perpetuated by

he manifests as physical, but which is quite clearly the

‘brother against brother’ – both in the specific context

symbolic: the levitation... the spiritual.’

of his home, apartheid South Africa, and beyond, as a

The Crucible exhibition will include pieces drawn from

universal theme – plays a central role in his work, evident

four periods of Coetzee’s oeuvre, beginning with his Space

in the upcoming show at CIRCA.

Frame series, which dates back to the late ‘60s and early

The exhibition takes its title from Coetzee’s Crucible, a

‘70s, when he experimented with the largely formal qualities

work created from melted down AK47s and drawing upon

of two figures interacting. Aspects from these continue to

many of the artist’s preoccupations, in particular, ‘the

thread their way through his later work: the suggestion

passage between life and death,’ says Xinisteris. ‘Entrances

of trauma, figures engaged in struggle, the dance. Such

and exits that are difficult to get through, from one place

elements are easily evident in his Skull series, which he

to another. How to negotiate life, and how to negotiate

began in the ‘70s. Coetzee selected a female skull from the

death... The atrocities that can happen with weaponry,

medical school, choosing it ‘emotionally’, he once noted; ‘the

Creative Feel / September 2015 / 75

Neels Coetzee, Drawing, Watercolour on paper skull because the head is vulnerable, anatomically the most essential, and the most revealing of the emotions.’

The skull he chose had a slight abnormality, recalls

Also included in the exhibition are works that Xinisteris refers to as the Measure series. Still underway at the time of writing, these sculptures are, in effect, the posthumous

Xinisteris, thus invoking ‘the idea of being born into

realisation of Coetzee’s vision, encompassing ‘new’ work,

this world flawed, or somehow different.’ From the

curatorial decisions and stated intentions that could not be

skull, Coetzee created a mould, which he manipulated,

fulfilled within his lifetime.

giving form ‘to pain, struggle, torment, sensuality – the

Some of the Measure works return to Coetzee’s skulls,

dance,’ she says. ‘The emergent works are not just skulls;

which were created as more or less life-sized sculptures. ‘Over

they’re also figures. They are sensual forms; they have a

the years, Neels expressed the desire to enlarge these works to

fleshiness to them.’

three or four times their size,’ says Xinisteris, and by means of

Coetzee’s Avçilar series took its name from a Hittite shrine that he encountered on a trip to Cappadocia,

digital technology this became posthumously possible.

The result is as yet unseen. ‘I think it is going to be close

Turkey. This fascinated him, as did the centuries-old

to what he wanted. The sadness is that he is no longer here

natural erosion he found in the landscape there. ‘He was

to judge this, but people can judge for themselves,’ says

very interested in the residue of things. The remnants,’

Xinisteris. ‘It’s fascinating to see something that Neels

notes Xinisteris. He also drew extensively from the idea of

imagined taking shape now – it makes me feel that he is

a door, or gate – Rodin’s Gates of Hell formed a rich source

palpably here.’

of inspiration for Coetzee. Such portals signified a point

Some of the Measure work is informed by Coetzee’s

of transition, a crossing from life to death, or movement

sketches, which Lace describes as ‘incredibly successful

through life. He experienced these crossings as arduous,

drawings and artworks, in and of themselves’ that ‘indicate

filled with pain and struggle. And yet, says Xinisteris,

his thinking very clearly, when it comes to what was always, I

‘there was always much uproarious laughter in the house

think, his final purpose: to make sculpture… Neels was really

– irreverent laughter, laughter at the absurdity of it all.’

able to articulate space in his drawing.’

76 / Creative Feel / September 2015

‘He understood space, and in his sculptures, the space between is as important as the actual physical form, in the same way that the symbolic and the reference to the spiritual is as significant as the actual bone and meat and body. That is always a beautiful tension. In the Avçilar works, it’s incredible to see how these sculptures have enormous weight and physicality, and yet they are balanced – levitating on their bases... There’s something transcendent... In his drawings, there’s a luminosity, always. They’re both very practical drawings towards a sculpture, and simultaneously symbolic. You can see his thinking.’

Coetzee’s drawings first captured Lace’s attention at the Durban Art Gallery, where she encountered them as a final-year student in 2006. Coincidentally, she and Xinisteris happened to work together some time later, and they became ‘close colleagues and friends,’ as Lace recalls.

When Coetzee returned home after his hospitalisation in 2007, he was bed bound, but like that of Mexican artist Frida Kahlo, his bed had a centrality of place, so he was part of the everyday comings and goings of the house in Melville. As a friend/colleague of Xinisteris’s, Lace came to know him well.

Coetzee’s illness was a very difficult six-year journey, says Lace. ‘There were moments of wonderful conversation where I gained more and more understanding about what it felt like to be somebody who was somehow trapped in his bed, but also living a very rich mental life.’

Bronwyn Lace, Ascension, Line and Light box

Present at the moment of Coetzee’s death, Lace was struck by the intense intimacy of the transition. ‘It was a very peaceful and beautiful way to go. But the last breath was also very clear; it was obvious that that was it.’ These visions played out in Lace’s mind, ultimately compelling her to create Ascension, ‘a sculpture that strives to convey transcendence by means of vertical light, which shines from below through lines of iridescent gut that stretch upwards. When the reflected rays settle in the structure from which they emanate, they seem somehow less fragile, offering a liminal sense of continued light/ life,’ says Xinisteris. This, along with other works created in response to Coetzee’s oeuvre, will go on show alongside re-curated elements of his work during a second exhibition, which opens in October, soon after Crucible draws to a close.

‘Mystery and the presence of the unknown are ongoing in our lives,’ says Xinisteris. ‘They keep us in a state of observation and questioning, searching for what may or may not make sense. Work and creativity are the best articulations of this, which is what makes this exhibition momentous for me’. Xinisteris. CF

Neels Coetzee, Skull drawing, Pen on paper

Creative Feel / September 2015 / 77

CDs & DVDs The latest releases to suit all tastes

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Siegfried Wagner Deutsche Grammophon 0734845

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78 / Creative Feel / September 2015

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Western Europe since Diaghilev’s

his regular partner, the Spanish

talent and for sparing neither effort nor

Ballets Russes in the 1920s. Paul

ballerina, Tamara Rojo – a celebrated

enthusiam; our dancers and the whole

Czinner’s filmed record of the

stage partnership that currently has

team of professionals who saw their hard

Bolshoi dancers’ impact on London,

no equal. The drama of the doomed

work reflected in the progress of this

first released in cinemas the

lovers is set against the ravishing

project; the Bilbao Symphony Orchestra

following year and now once again

sets and costumes designs of

and Arriaga Theatre, two great families

available on the present DVD,

Nicholas Georgiadis. Filmed in High

with hospitality as their hallmark,’ wrote

preserves much of the character

Definition Widescreen

Emilio Aragón of the production.

and the spirit of that historic event.

Creative Feel / September 2015 / 79

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The South African Mint marks the auspicious 21st anniversary of the Natura pure-gold coin series with the Nocturnal Hunters: black backed jackal coins. The second in the series, it features this highly intelligent animal an impressive and prolific hunter whose distinctive call has become synonymous with the nighttime African bush.

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Books The Whole30

By Melissa Hartwig and Dallas Hartwig Publisher: Yellow Kite Books ISBN: 9781473619555 Melissa and Dallas Hartwig are the authors of New York Times bestseller It Starts With Food, which has taken America by storm, and the founders of the Whole9, an online community focused on health, fitness, and sanity. Their new book The Whole30 provides all the resources you need to reset your health. Based on Paleo diet principles, this is not a traditional diet book but a way to implement lasting change in your life by eating real food for 30 days. By following The Whole30 programme, the authors argue that you can reclaim your health and transform your relationship with food in the long term. The authors’ positive empowering message and the health benefits and weight loss this programme can bring make this book potentially life changing. Motivating and inspiring with just the right amount of Dallas’ and Melissa’s signature tough love, The Whole30 features real-life success stories, answers to common questions, detailed elimination and reintroduction guidelines, and more than 100 recipes using familiar ingredients, from simple one-pot meals to complete dinner party menus.

Fern Verrow

By Jane Scotter and Harry Astley Publisher: Quadrille Publishing ISBN: 97811849495462

200 easy-to-make recipes for

tashas Timeless Café Classics

By Natasha Sideris Publisher: Jonathan Ball Publishers ISBN: 9781868422661

tagines and other Moroccan-

In this cookbook Natasha Sideris, a

is a celebration of what nature provides, and

style dishes.

passionate cook, creator and founder of

reflects Jane Scotter and Harry Astley’s passion

Taste the many depths and

tashas restaurants, shares some of her

for fresh ingredients and delicious, home-cooked

flavours of Morocco, with 200

favourite recipes and the most popular

food, grown and foraged from the land all year

recipes for tagines, salads, snacks

dishes from the café menus.

round. With stunning photographs by Tessa

and much more. Featuring clear

This is a celebration of uncomplicated

Traeger, this beautiful book is structured using

photographs and step-by-step

but delicious food, inspired by wonderful

the four classical elements to represent the

instructions, Hamlyn All Colour:

ingredients and the joy of sharing with

four seasons of the year (Earth, Water, Air and

200 Easy Tagines and More is

friends and family. Here you will find

Fire). Every recipe, from Courgettes in saffron

a fantastic choice for cooks of

all the classics you love and more,

and basil butter, and Borlotti bean, chorizo and

all abilities. Ghillie Başan, is a

from Salmon Fish Cakes and Parmesan

tomato stew, to Quince and ginger upside-down

Scottish-based food and travel

Chicken Couscous to summer-fresh

cake, has been lovingly created with exquisite

writer, cook and workshop host.

salads and hearty winter warmers like

attention to detail – not just for seasonality and

Her books have been nominated

the famous tashas Chicken Pot Pie.

flavour but also for authenticity and beauty. The

for the Glenfiddich, Guild of Food

Natasha Sideris the creator and founder

recipes encourage imagination and consideration

Writers’, and Cordon Bleu awards.

of the successful tashas restaurants.

in the kitchen and the pleasures of cooking well.

200 Easy Tagines & More

By Ghillie Başan Publisher: Octopus Books UK ISBN: 9780600630555

A year of recipes from a farm and its kitchen

Creative Feel / September 2015 / 81

encore What is in your car’s CD player?

I travel mostly by Gautrain to work (a full four minutes from Rosebank to Sandton!) and therefore rarely listen to music

in the car. At home I prefer Spotify streaming to CDs – their Coffee House moods playlist is a great way to relax.

If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be?

I would love to be able to switch off easier. My mind remains active long after the day has ended.

Name one thing you think would improve the arts and culture industry in South Africa.

More affordable art fairs showcasing our upcoming artistic talent. We should also spread our wings and reach out more across the other African countries’ art talent to become the

Gert Kruger is the Chief Risk Officer of Rand Merchant Bank. He is also a keen follower of South African emerging artists and is involved in the ongoing acquisition and display of RMB’s art collection together with Carolynne Waterhouse and Teresa Lizamore.

definitive African art hub.

What is your most treasured possession?

My Elektra coffee machine and Mythos one grinder – I am fanatical about coffee.

What do you regard as the lowest depth of misery?

People losing any sense of purpose.

What is it that makes you happy?

There are many things that I associate with happiness:

Name three artworks that you love and why.

visiting new places with my wife – be it a newly opened

Mother with her Dead Son, a sculpture by Käthe Kollwitz in

coffee shop or art gallery, the smell of freshly ground coffee,

the Berlin Neue Wache Memorial. The emotion captured in

narrowly winning a competitive tennis match at the local

this single work – which aims to depict the sorrow of war –

club, watching my children playing sport, relaxing with

is deeply touching.

a new book, landing in a new country after a long flight,

Philemon Hlungwani’s Qunu drawings – for the unique

making a difference in someone else’s life…

combination of black and white drawings with flashes of subtle colour and the way he depicts ordinary life in a

Describe a defining moment in your life.

historically significant area.

From an art point of view, a visit to Father Claerhout at

I grew up in an art loving family and often visited artists at

the Tweespruit Mission station when I was five years old

their studios. I have always loved Jean Welz’s still life studies.

stands out. I still have the donkey that he drew for me while I was watching.

Name one artiste you would love to meet.

On a deeper front, the births of my three children Gustav,

Salvador Dali, if I could travel back in time…

Thomas and Stefan stand out as a defining point.

What are you reading at the moment?

The State of Africa by Martin Meredith – I believe that a

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

sound understanding of history is critical to understand

I enjoy visiting new countries – Ethiopia is top on my list in the

current events across the continent.

next year. I also would not mind an improved tennis backhand!

e rossen milanov

njabulo madlala

Philippe Quint

Some of the artiStS featured in the KwaZulu-natal hrachya avanesyan

arjan tien

Philharmonic’S

bryan Wallick

Justus frantz

beverley chiat

Junnan sun

SPrinG SeaSon 2015

daniel boico

sandeep das

@SAfmRadio clermont community choir

SAfmRadio

lykele temmingh

vitaliy Pisarenko

An unique homage to an enigmatic hunter of local myth and fable

Natura 2015 24ct gold coin series

R10 (1/10 oz) 24 carat gold

R20 (1/4 oz) 24 carat gold

R50 (1/2 oz) 24 carat gold

R100 (1 oz) 24 carat gold

Common obverse

Celebrate one of our most iconic nocturnal hunters with this beautifully crafted set.

The South African Mint marks the auspicious 21st anniversary of the Natura pure-gold coin series with the Nocturnal Hunters: black backed jackal coins. The second in the series, it features this highly intelligent animal an impressive and prolific hunter whose distinctive call has become synonymous with the nighttime African bush.

Visit www.samint.co.za for more information Tel +2 7 12 677 2482 | E-mail numismatics@samint.co.za | F ax to email 086 5 21 9772