blank projects

An Interview With Jonathan Garnham

Chad Rossouw: blank has been running for four and a half years, and has become like the granddaddy of project spaces in Cape Town.

Jonathan Garnham: I hadn't thought of it like that, I still think of us as a young space.

CR: Like a young grandaddy, then. Have you seen the role of project spaces changing significantly over the last four years?

JG: I think the needs that were around four years ago still exist. The needs haven't changed, no, but I think blank's role has changed. We're becoming more professional and institutionalised, in a way. But we still have the same agenda. Things were perhaps less considered and lighter in the beginning, and in a way we've lost that, but not completely. I think this is a part of the natural growing-up process. If you are going to be sustainable and maintain something like this for more than a season, or a year or two, you have to develop a strategy that keeps the space sustainable. And if you are not going to go the commercial route you basically are going to have to go get funding; you have to be able to pay yourself to run the space. Which we didn't do in the beginning: Liza (Grobler) and I didn't earn through blank for a very long time.

To answer your question, though, no, I don't think the role of a project space has changed. The world and the art that is happening changes, but I think the role of the project space remains the same, and that is to be an exhibition space that is not market-driven, and as a result where things outside the ambit of commercial contemporary art can happen.

CR: So many commercial galleries are opening up project space-style venues; at the same time there are other pure project spaces opening up. I wonder if this suggests a change in the art-making climate?

JG: I think there is. Because of the current financial climate, you've got galleries trying fresh strategies to get themselves through this phase. The term, 'project space', has become fashionable; yet the notion of a project space has been around internationally for years. I remember going to New York in the mid 90's, and galleries would often have project spaces, mostly small spaces alongside the main galleries, which would be used to show emerging artists.  It is quite a typical South African thing, where we are so far removed, that there is a bit of a temporal lag; so one starts hearing this word 'project space' coming up now. Often these spaces are not project spaces, or at least what I view project spaces to be. They're just smaller spaces or satellite spaces that are still driven by the market.

CR: What do you see as the agenda of a project space?

JG: To offer another aspect, to encourage discourse and to act as an agent for change, to develop contemporary art in South Africa... it's different to when I lived in Berlin, the agenda was different there. I don't think you can say there is one agenda. For me there should be an agenda in South Africa for a project space to develop contemporary art here, because there is not enough happening, not that much that you can see, and there is not that broad a range.  It should be a space where people can try things out, have the freedom to try things out without having to cater to the market. And in that way it helps to develop contemporary art here. There is definitely space for us to grow and produce very exciting stuff, being where we are, in this Second World country. Project spaces should allow ground-breaking art to happen as well as function as platforms for emerging or lesser-known artists.

CR: Like Candice Breitz?

JG: Candice is not an emerging artist but she has produced ground-breaking art, and very little of it has been shown here. It's also an example of how our agenda is changing; we've grown up, established a reputation and are getting opportunities to exhibit these kind of shows. Although we support emerging artist, that's not just what we're about: we're about showing challenging art. We aim for 50/50 emerging artists and more established artists in our programme.

CR: I suppose part of growing up has been moving into these bigger premises?

JG: Definitely. It increases the scope of what we can do. We now have 150 square meters, a main exhibition space and a space behind that, which is a more processed-based space, a kind of laboratory where we can try things out, where screenings or seminars can happen, or people could work. The front space will be dedicated solely to exhibitions which would be planned quite far in advance and in the back space we could react to current situations, be more spontaneous. The original blank was 18 square metres and now we're almost ten times the size; it's an exciting development. The location is important as well.

CR: What do you see as the importance of Woodstock?

JG: Woodstock is becoming part of the central city; the rent is cheap, which means interesting stuff happens. The galleries have moved there, which is good for the art-scene in Cape Town. The close proximity of Michael Stevenson and the Goodman, especially Stevenson just being across the road, and with the program they run, creates a nice synergy. And The Kitchen, next door, people hang out there now. It becomes a destination and not just a stop.

CR: Obviously funding is important if you're not commercial motivated. What is the funding climate like?

JG: It is always a struggle. Running a non-profit space is going to be a struggle wherever you are. There is little support for this kind of thing from local or national sources. Our approach has been to work with foreign funding partners. We've done that with some success, notably with Pro Helvetia and now with the new space, the Goethe Institut. They seem to understand what we're doing and why we're doing it. We are working on securing further funding partners; we have to to survive. Simply surviving is, however, not good enough. It's not sustainable, it is very challenging to survive on the levels we are operating on. Either we'll have to find other funding partners or another source of income...

CR: A job...

JG: Yes, another job, which would be a pity, because we are gaining a nice momentum. It's a full time job, running a space like blank. We now have a team of three, myself, Pierre (Fouche),  Mohau (Modasikeng), who work part-time, and Maegan (Silva), who is volunteering her time. We could all stay busy pretty much full-time if it were possible. I am confident that we will get there - we are on an upward trajectory.

CR: What about private funders? Corporate and that sort of thing?

JG: I chose not to go that route. The way I see blank, I don't see it as appropriate, but that could change I suppose, if the partnership fits. We have entered into partnerships through BASA, where we've not received funding but been offered the expertise of a corporate, for example Weber Wentzel, who, on a pro-bono basis, have set us up as a trust (The Contemporary Art Development Trust).

CR: Do you think the foreign money is less political?

JG: I do. Our relationships with our foreign funding partners are very good; they don't seem to be following a political agenda, they seem genuinely interested in helping to develop contemporary art in South Africa. And I see them as partners, that's how you want the relationship to be. There's never been any situation where a funding partner has said 'No, don't do that, because of this or that'.

CR: Where do you see yourself growing to in the next year or so?

JG: I see blank cementing its position as an exciting project space putting on quality shows. I am also excited about the new entity, the Contemporary Art Development Trust, which I see taking on other projects apart from the exhibition space. We would like to be more involved in projects in the public space, possibly also to work with a couple of local schools in Woodstock, and to expand our residency programmme. It would be nice if we could make a living out of it all, too.