the Point of order

The Point of Order (TPO) is a public exhibition/project space run by the Department of Fine Arts, and is a dynamic and vital point of visibility for the Department’s art programs. The core of the Fine Arts exhibitions programme is managed from TPO and facilitated by the Exhibitions Coordinator, concurrent to the Department’s academic project.

Located outside of University grounds, TPO allows for engagement with initiatives, exhibitions and projects produced within the Department in a publicly accessible exhibition space. The programme covers student and/or staff-led initiatives, and hosts shows, installations, events, screenings, book launches and exchanges with local and international individuals and institutions, with a focus on developing artists from the undergraduate and postgraduate programme as well as alumni.

TPO is a pivotal space in the gallery/project space ecosystem of Johannesburg and allows for experimental and non-commercial work. It thus offers itself as a playground or laboratory, in which students and practitioners are free to work through and develop their understanding of professional art practice.

TPO Website | Facebook | Instagram

objectives

• · Provide an exhibition project space conducive to practice-led research, experimentation and the testing of creative ideas and concepts. • · Enable undergraduate and postgraduate students/artists to present ideas and work within an experimental lab/studio context, geared towards peer group discussion and critical engagement with the Fine Arts staff body, through self-led discussions, crits and examinations. • · Allow students to use the space as an open or closed studio/gallery, or testing ground, without the obligation to exhibit outcomes for the public. • · Maintain a dynamic exhibition project space for the public viewing of student work through exhibitions, openings, events, talks, screenings and other activations. • · Maintain a vital online platform and archive for the documentation of exhibitions and events hosted by TPO. • · Engage with and develop various curatorial strategies and critical thinking around artistic praxis. This may take the form of student-led conferences, panel discussions, talks and hybrid webinars. • · Collaborate with the Department of History of Art, WSOA, the Humanities and other teaching and learning programmes within the university. • · Support non-commercial exhibition-making methodologies, with a practice-centred rather than commercially oriented focus. • · While TPO is primarily aligned with departmental programming, the space is made available to external projects that speak to our curriculum and arts education.

Management

The logistical and creative management of the exhibition programme is overseen by Exhibitions Coordinator, Reshma Chhiba, adding important value to the pedagogical research goals of the department, the Wits School of Arts, the Faculty and the University. Reshma Chhiba and Exhibitions Portfolio Manager, Gabrielle Goliath, with input from Fine Arts staff members, drive decisions on exhibition and event proposals. All artists and exhibitors are responsible for the installation and maintenance of their exhibitions at TPO, the Department’s workshop team can be contacted to assist when more complicated hanging solutions are required.

Protocol and exhibition agreement documents ensure that all exhibitors use the space in a manner that requires care and effective use of space, without damage or negligence to the artworks and equipment on display/in use. Additional equipment can be loaned for temporary use from our internal photography department.

TPO’s inventory of all dedicated equipment undergoes an annual stock check. The operational budget, which includes the cleaning of the space, security, repair and maintenance of lighting and equipment, is managed by the Exhibitions Coordinator and approved by the Heads of Department.

TPO hosts regular events every year, including the Wits Young Artist Award (WYYA) and graduate neWWoRK exhibition, as well as Fine Arts postgraduate exam submissions and limited undergraduate shows. The space is also made available to external exhibitors, artists, curators, events and projects from other Departments, Faculties and Institutions whose projects align with the vision and objectives of the space. These external projects present a unique opportunity for TPO to widen its reach; engage critically with the role of art/s education in society, and generate revenue towards the effective and efficient maintenance and support of its programmes and infrastructure.

Bookings are subject to availability of space.

Exhibitions Coordinator: Reshma Chhiba, reshma.chhiba@wits.ac.za, 011 717 4737