At the launch of the new book Visual Century: South African Art in Context 1907-2007 in Cape Town, the deputy minister of Arts and Culture, Dr. Joseph Phaahla, raised several important issues that have recently been the topic of much press coverage. 

Dr Phaahla acknowledged the contribution visual art makes in education, public health and urban development.  He said that the Department of Arts and Culture (DAC) is cognisant of the fact that visual art needs to be ‘collected, conserved and protected for our people's...

At the launch of the new book Visual Century: South African Art in Context 1907-2007 in Cape Town, the deputy minister of Arts and Culture, Dr. Joseph Phaahla, raised several important issues that have recently been the topic of much press coverage. 

Dr Phaahla acknowledged the contribution visual art makes in education, public health and urban development.  He said that the Department of Arts and Culture (DAC) is cognisant of the fact that visual art needs to be ‘collected, conserved and protected for our people's direct benefit’.

He later went on to talk about the need for more visible public art, announcing that the DAC was ‘investigating the possibility of the establishment of what we call an “art bank”’.

The idea behind the ‘art bank’ would be that a collection of artworks would be held by a centralised organisation and that this could be rented out by either corporate or governmental bodies for display. ‘This,’ he said, ‘will give artists in the country an opportunity to place their arts works in strategic places, like in public places and government buildings’.

The acknowledgement of the need for more public art comes at a time when questions have been raised over the seeming lack of an intelligible and clear public art policy, particularly in Cape Town.
‘Our task,’ he said, ‘is to insure that institutions such as Iziko Museums and structures that are created to support and manage the visual arts, are grounded to serve the public.’

He went on to acknowledge: ‘It is also the role of our department to promote the visual arts internationally.  We do this by our participation in various exhibitions all over the world.’

This seems to have been a reference to South Africa’s controversial decision to participate in this year’s Venice Biennale.