Renault supports the visual arts
by Kresta Tyler Johnson
The French car company Renault is combining its mission of selling cars with supporting South African arts through the launch of the Renault Artists' Programme in Cape Town. The first exhibition was held in mid-March and focused on two Capetonian artists, Madi Phala and Nkoali Nawa. Each exhibition begins with a gala opening where the artists' work will be on show along with the cars in the showroom for two days.
The premise is to support the artists, which Renault does not only by covering all the costs of the exhibition and the materials needed to create the work, but also by allowing access to different audiences. There will be numerous exhibitions in Renault showrooms throughout the country over the course of the year, all under the curatorial guidance of Barbara Lindop. The programme is the brainchild of Lindop and Renault SA MD Roland Bouchara.
Phala and Nawa were selected for the first show in Cape Town and had to work under extremely tight time constraints, preparing for the entire exhibition in six weeks. The artists are not mentored, but simply given an opportunity to showcase their work. The work was priced affordably and nearly everything was sold at the opening.
The artists are promoted as well through a brochure containing their work and contact details, ensuring that reverberations from the exhibition extend beyond the showroom.
Lindop tries to select artists from a variety of backgrounds and who work in different media. The benefit to Renault is first choice of one work from each artist, which will form the basis of a corporate collection currently being assembled for Renault's head office in Johannesburg.
The next show will be held in Umhlanga Rocks and features the work of landscape painter Mduduzi Xakasa and two potters, John Newdigate and Ian Garrett. Further exhibitions will follow in other parts of the country including Centurion, Northcliff, Polokwane and Bryanston.
