Archive: Issue No. 71, July 2003

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ARTTHROB
MONTHLY ISSUE #71 JULY 2003
LISTINGS REVIEWS NEWS ARTBIO WEBSITES PROJECT EXCHANGE FEEDBACK ARCHIVE SUBSCRIBE

Jeremy Wafer

Jeremy Wafer Red Square, 1995
Earth pigment on fibre resin

SEE CAPE LISTINGS

Mark Hipper

Mark Hipper
Stunt, 2003
enamel on board and sticks

SEE REVIEWS

Moshekwa  Langa

Moshekwa Langa
Waiting
Installation detail

SEE REVIEWS

Jens Hoffmann

The Next Documenta Should Be Curated By An Artist, Project
Curated by Jens Hoffmann
at http://www.e-flux.com

Kendell Geers

Kendell Geers
Red Sniper on Tour

SEE INTL LISTINGS

Berni Searle

Berni Searle
Snow White, 2002
video still from double screen projection

SEE REVIEWS

Tracey Rose

Tracey Rose
Lolita, 2001
Lambda photograph
120 x 120 cm

SEE REVIEWS

Chris Ofili

Chris Ofili
Afro Love and Envy (detail), 2002-3
Acrylic and oil paint, polyester resin, glitter, map pins and elephant dung on linen
275 x 214 cm

SEE REVIEWS

Jacques and Lean Coetzer

Jacques and Lean Coetzer demonstrate during the Bush visit in Pretoria

Photograph: Abrie Fourie

SEE NEWS


Royal Netherlands Embassy M-Web
Supporting grant from the Royal Netherlands Embassy
Web hosting

SELECTED LISTINGS

STANDBY

THIS WEEK:

"By virtue of being a curator automatically you can decide on the content of the exhibition," says artist Pitso Chinzima in his account of the decision by Gilane Tawadros, curator of the show 'Faultlines' on this year's Venice Biennale, to exclude his work. Chinzima, along with collaborator Veliswa Gwintsa, had been commissioned to make a work for this year's Venice Biennale but apparently failed to meet the curator's expectations. Read Brenton Maart's interview for a full account. Whatever the idiosyncrasies of this particular case, it does add further credence to a wider criticism of Venice - the dictatorship of the curator. Commenting on the tyranny of the curator at this year's reportedly unruly affair, The Guardian's Adrian Searle observed: "The Venice Biennale always has some kind of baggy theoretical rubric... Luckily, none of this need bother us very much." It is however the following observation that is most insightful: "The dictatorship of the viewer is one thing, that of the curator another. The only place for dictatorship, in my view, is in the hands of the artist." Which is probably why Jens Hoffmann has proposed a project on e-flux.com called 'The Next Documenta Should Be Curated By An Artist.' The project aims to find out what happens when artists take over and occupy territory usually reserved for curators. I am curious to find out.
Sean O'Toole

Due to her exceedingly busy gallery schedule, both locally and internationally, details of Tracey Rose's Editions for ArtThrob print will only be available August. We apologise for the hiccup in our scheduling.

Next Update: August 1, 2003. Sue Williamson will edit the following update.


CAPE

Further consolidating its position as Cape Town's most forward looking contemporary art gallery, Michael Stevenson Contemporary host Jeremy Wafer's first major solo show in Cape Town, Sandile Zulu's too. Other exhibitions include Philip Barlow and Mary Rose Hendrikse at the AVA; Gregory Kerr at Chelsea on 34; and Seth Harper and Jesus Macarena-Avila at the Museum of Temporary Art.

Following on his recent Cape Town exhibition, photographer Chris Ledochowski shows why he was included on the 50th Venice Biennale with a show at PhotoZA. Merely Mortal hosts a show of works by Venda-based artists, the Stewart Gallery showcases work by a host of young hopefuls; Diek Grobler and Kalahari Bridges are at Artspace; '24.7' enters a new week with a new theme; and Diane Victor is one of many showing their drawings at Pretoria's Minds-I.

The NSA has three new shows: Lynne Lomofsky's 'Body of Evidence', Andries Gouws' 'Meditations on the Everyday' as well as a show by Young Artist Project participant Georgia Kotretsos. Other than this, it's a month of sport, 'July' horseracing fever now supplanted by big wave surfing on North Beach.

'Absolutely/ Perhaps' is a show curated by London-based art dealer Simon Mee and features Johannes Phokela, Robert Hodgins, Simon Stone, Zwelethu Mthethwa and William Kentridge; Berni Searle, Kendell Geers, William Kentridge and Frances Goodman will be participating on the 23rd instalment of the Watou Art and Literature Festival in Belgium; and Goodman presents her work I Keep Trying, in Switzerland. Red Sniper, Geers' collaborative sound project is also on tour.
REVIEWS

Lloyd Pollak reviews Lynne Lomofsky's show 'Body of Evidence', which moves from Cape Town to Durban. He describes it as emotionally bracing, and filled with excoriating black humour. Paul Edmunds almost misses Tracey Rose's complex work steeped in art-historical references, 'Ciao Bella', at the National Arts Festival in Grahamstown. Also at the festival: Virginia MacKenny reviews Joanne Bloch, Langa Magwa and Mark Hipper, and also manages to find time to see Berni Searle's Standard Bank Young Artist exhibition. Mark Hipper in turn describes 'Homing in', a show curated by Virginia MacKenny and Paul Edmunds, a timely and courageous look at our thoughts and experiences of home. The Mail & Guardian Arts Editor Matthew Krouse homes in on 'Homing in' at the Festival in Grahamstown.

In Johannesburg, two exhibitions by artists Bongi Bhengu and David Koloane intrigued the writer Véronique Tadjo, Brenton Maart offering his own views on Bengu's work. We also offer a gallery roundup of what's hot (not a lot) in Johannesburg.

Internationally, Sue Williamson is sorry to find the African show at the Venice Beinnale a disappointment.

NEWS

After opening the crates containing a collaborative artwork by Pitso Chinzima and Veliswa Gwintsa, Gilane Tawadros, curator of the show 'Faultlines' on this year's Venice Biennale, decided against showing the commissioned piece. We asked Chinzima why. Also in the news: South Africans are well represented in London and the art world is beginning to reflect that fact, writes Kim Gurney. She also says photography is dominating London's contemporary art scene.

Special News Feature: Earlier this month ArtThrob initiated an enquiry into the status of contemporary black visual art. According to Ntone Edjabe, it is urgent that we move discourse on contemporary art in South Africa beyond terms such as 'exposure', or anthropological studies on the status of black visual arts; Sipho Mdanda discusses some of the problems faced by a black curator; and Veronique Tadjo makes a controversial statement. "You don't simply become a self-taught conceptual artist from the township," she writes. "Township people don't do conceptual art." In Pretoria, artists demonstrate against Bush.

GALLERY CHOICE

What motivates curators and art buyers to purchase artworks? This simple question is the premise for Gallery Choice, a monthly feature that aims to reveal who (public museums/corporate collections) is buying what (artist), and why.

This month's choice is Colbert Mashile

SUE WILLIAMSON'S DIARY

In Brussels, Sue Williamson gets her work ready for 'Transferts' - and goes to Lisa Brice's opening at Camouflage.
ART BIO

The biography of the artist, educator, curator and facilitator David Koloane tends to read like a potted history of contemporary black visual art in South Africa. A young apprentice with the Polly Street group of artists in the 1960s, Koloane has been a distinct presence in the South African artworld ever since. According to critic Ivor Powell, David Koloane "stands at the interface between international modernism and the uncomfortable and generally market-driven traditions of black South African art." A welcome biography detailing a significant career.
WEBSITE OF THE MONTH

Our web listings page has been totally overhauled. Aside from profiling Michael Stevenson Contemporary, and pointing you to the informative site of the 50th Venice Biennale, we have also added some new artist websites.
PROJECT OF THE MONTH

It is often said that African art is characterised by its heightened awareness of socio-political issues. We focus on just one of these contexts: HIV/Aids.
EXCHANGE

Entries for the Brett Kebble Art Award close on July 28. Read about all the requirements here - you could win R100 thousand. Also: Angela Lloyd is desperately seeking Moses Tladi for a book she is working on. Can you assist?
FEEDBACK

Add your voice to the mix; send us your commentary on this month's issue.
EDITIONS FOR ARTTHROB

Following a slight delay in their production, William Kentridge's Editions for ArtThrob print, a chine-colle silhouette image on watercolour paper, titled Village Deep, is ready to ship. Please note the current pricing: ZAR6000/ $800/ Euro750
ARCHIVE

Browse through past editions of ArtThrob.
ABOUT US

ArtThrob welcomes Brenton Maart, our new Johannesburg Editor. Brenton, a photographer completing his MA in Fine Arts at Wits, is Exhibitions Curator at the JAG. He is also establishing the public art programmes for both the University of Pretoria and the European Commission.

>> CONTACT US

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EDITIONS FOR ARTTHROB

Bell-Roberts Contemporary

Goodman Gallery

The | Premises

Association for Visual Arts

Joao Ferreira Fine Art

Urban Art

Standard Bank Gallery

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