INTERVIEW
Interview with Henrietta Hamilton of Bank Gallery, Durban
by Carol Brown
Late last year bank Gallery opened its doors In Durban's bustling Florida Road. The gallery, run by Henrietta and Rob Fraser, is shaping up as Durban's leading exhibition space with an exhibition roster including Andries Botha's first one-person show since the early 90s, and shows later in the year by amongst others Greg Streak, Bronwen Vaughan-Evans and Simeon Allen to come. Carol Brown interviews Henrietta Hamilton.
Carol Brown: You have now held three exhibitions. Do have a sense of how the public are reacting?
Henrietta Hamilton: Yes. We've realised that people are mostly interested in South African artists or someone they've heard of before. So, introducing an emerging British artist, as we did in December, proved somewhat challenging. But those people that saw the work were intrigued. Also we understand that people are often seeing work they would not normally for the first time, so instead of taking a stand-offish approach like we were used to in London, we have tried to make the
audience as welcome as possible. Guiding people through the exhibition at times and including the general public in our education programme with screenings of films relating to work on show and conducting walkabouts.
CB: Which has been the most favourably received? Does this give you an idea of how you should structure your future programmes?
HH: We will still introduce international artists into the space, but perhaps initially as part of a group show, as with Simon Jaques in Light show. And at a later stage as part of our residency programme, where the public will be able to see the artist at work for a few months before viewing their show, so breaking down the barrier between artist and audience. So, in a sense our programme is still to show both South African and international artists, but our approach has had to change. One of our plans for the near future is to make stronger links with galleries and artists in the rest of Africa as well as the East, in order to provide our audience with a wider
international view rather than a Eurocentric one.
CB: One of your initial aims was to serve as an education resource? Is this working out in the way you imagined?
HH: The response to the first show was incredible. We had 27 schools attend tours led by Andries Botha's assistant Janine Zagel. We have continued the programme, but have extended it to students of all ages, including nusery school children as well as changing the programme to make the experience more interactive. Again the response has been great. Robert Fraser and Melissa McCarthy (arts writer) are running the programme. They see it as flexible and a fledgling project and are attempting to make each tour/exchange suit each group of students. So, in a sense, the programme is going in the direction we had hoped. The only problem, as expected, is getting township schools to attend. The first show saw only one group from KwaMashu attend, thanks to a bus being sponsored by a private school. We have started working on an outreach programme, which will mean taking something of the gallery and the exhibition to these less privileged students.
CB: How do you position yourself in relation to the other art spaces in the city?
HH: We see ourselves as part of an artistic community where we all have similar aims, but varying needs. Bank gallery aims not only to educate, but to ensure interaction with other galleries and institutions to ensure the continued attention and focus on the arts. Being a small art community, the need to collaborate with other
galleries and individual curators is paramount. There are already plans for several collaborative shows with both KZNSA and Durban Art Gallery.
CB: You appear to be collaborating with other curators i.e. Vaughn Sadie. Will you be continuing with these types of collaborations?
HH: Shows will mostly be curated by Bank gallery, but at times we invite independent curators to collaborate with the gallery. The experience with Vaughn Sadie was invaluable. When you've been working with the same person for so many years, a few fresh and at first disparate ideas are always helpful. We will however not hire out the space for an independent curator to have free reign. The final result will always be a collaboration with Bank gallery.
CB: What do you think you have added to the art environment in Durban?
HH: Many people have commented on our method of display as being very refreshing and confidently uncluttered. Our background is that of video and installation art, and so the final installation is not an afterthought, but there from the moment of conception. We hope that people will come into the gallery and go away, if not with a physical artwork in their hands then with a lingering thought or feeling.
Generally we're really happy that we decided to open a contemporary art space in Durban. We know we can't take on the development of the city on our own, but we hope that we have added something towards ensuring that Durban continues to grow as an international city.
