October
Tuesday, September 7
The most popular dance spot in town tonight is the dance machine at the opening of Ruth Sacks' show 'When the inside stays inside' at the João Ferreira Gallery. A dance machine? Two people on a small platform have to follow the rapid fire step instructions on the screen in front of them to beat their opponent.
Elsewhere, a projection of Ruth's skywriting event, Don't pAnic recalls the ephemeral writing which appeared above Cape Town one day. The mixed lower and upper case letters of the message gave it the quality of a ransom note.
An excellent dinner in the upstairs gallery follows the opening.
Wednesday, September 8
In my email inbox - an invitation to go to Angola in the first week of October for a seminar which will be part of the lead up to the Trienal de Luanda, scheduled for March next year. I am to discuss the South African art scene and ArtThrob. Laurie Farrell from the Museum of African Art in New York will be there at the same time.
It will be really interesting to see the spaces being renovated for the upcoming Trienal, experience the city for the first time and meet the Angolan artists! I definitely want to go.
Thursday, September 9
Some of you may remember that my husband, Bruce Gordon of Jo'burg Bar fame, is also a conceptual artwork (the artist is Ed Young) in the collection of the South African National Gallery. Ed has been invited by Francesco Bonami and Carolyn Christov-Bakargiev, two of the world's top curators, to participate in a show in Turin in November, along with 70 or so other hot young artists from around the world. The title of the exhibition is 'The Pantagruel Syndrome'.
Tonight Bruce tells me Ed has proposed as his artwork, Bruce Gordon. The curators have apparently invited the artwork to fly to Turin and take up residence for three months, all expenses paid. 'What will I do for three months?' asks the artwork plaintively, adding that a condition of his going is that he will be flown business class. At least.
Bruce was supposed to come to California for a month when I will take up a residency at the Montalvo Arts Center near San Francisco in October, but I do understand that an artwork has his institutional responsibilities, and if he is needed in Turin, what can I say? Ed Young has gone off to VideoBrasil, so more details of this new development will have to wait for his return.
Saturday September 17
Charles Thomas, the education officer of the Light Factory in Charlotte, North Carolina is in Cape Town to set up a photographic project with high school children here. It is his first morning in the city, so I take him out to the Mandlovu craft centre in New Crossroads, to give him this view of the city. I have to deliver paint supplies to Manelisi Mene, who is painting a new panel for the craft centre, featuring the historic photo of Mandela emerging from jail, to be completed by and be part of the Heritage Day celebrations on September 24.
Tuesday September 20
Ed Young is back from VideoBrasil. Apparently, this year, the event took the form of a series of screenings of the work of participants rather than dedicated installations of the videos. And it was parties every night. Of course.
Ed is unclear about what is happening in Italy in November, but is going to suggest to the organisers that his artwork is given an Italian-made suit as appropriate garb for the parties he will be attending. Will this all really happen? On the wall of the gallery will be the loan form from the National Gallery, and as artworks loaned from national collections have to be accompanied by a curator, Kirsty Cockerill, collections manager of the SANG will accompany the artwork. Also flying business class? In order to ensure that the artwork doesn't help himself too liberally from the drinks trolley? This is all getting complicated.
Tomorrow night is the opening of Tracy Payne and Doreen Southwood's shows at Michael Stevenson. Hear that Doreen has been phoning all around town to get people to help her finish her painting for the event. Hard is the life of the artist.
Wednesday, September 21
Bad news. The new wall at the Mandlovu art centre, constructed from wooden supports and corrugated iron, which was to hold the Mandela panel painting has disappeared in the night, dismantled and taken away to be used elsewhere. More money will have to be found and a stronger wall erected - but it won't be in time for Heritage Day on Saturday. The community, which has a strong sense of ownership around the centre, is shocked and upset by the theft.
Is it a good idea for galleries to have openings on the same night? Yes, when they are in the same area, and one can browse. Not so yes when two good friends are having shows at opposite ends of town and you want to be at both.
Dorothee Kreutzveldt is opening at João Ferreira, in the upstairs gallery, with 'Like Nine Pin' a show of new paintings, and her fourth solo show at the gallery. Urban imagery flashes and dazzles through the paintings. Vintage Kreutzveldt. Hope to spend some time with Dorothee later in the week, but now it's on to Michael Stevenson, where Tracy Payne and Doreen Southwood are showing. Doreen has a single painting, stunning, if unfinished. It is a triptych entitled The Universe of Me - an aerial view on hundreds of little Doreen swimmers, struggling like tadpoles to make their way forwards in the blue sea.
Tracy's work fills the rest of the gallery - highly accomplished and immaculately finished mandalas of bodies and flowers glow from the walls.
Tuesday September 27
Grow cold and ill when Bruce fetches the morning paper. The horrific headline in the Cape Times: Brett Kebble murdered. Shot dead in his car on a dark suburban road in Johannesburg the night before, on his way to a dinner party. Reason for shooting unknown.Another human life violently cut short.
I have met Brett Kebble a few times, briefly, in connection with the Brett Kebble Art Awards, but like most people, knew him largely through the media. Whatever his business misdemeanours, the Brett Kebble Art Awards initiative has raised the level of contemporary art by a very significant amount in the public consciousness. His death will leave a space which will not easily be filled.
