Visual Arts Feast at 2011 Arts Alive

[Timothy Gangwer]

From fashion in the city’s many art galleries and spaces, to a very special project for Nelson Mandela, there’s a feast of visual art on offer.

A new addition to the 2011 Joburg Arts Alive International Festival this year is a partnership with SA Fashion Week. Heritage weekend, (September 23 to 25) sees the highly anticipated Winter Collection shows at Shine Studios in Braamfontein. This premier collection will be preceded by exciting art and fashion inspired collaborative installation-based performances, in galleries and precinct spaces throughout the month.

The Johannesburg Art Gallery is hosting an Mbongeni Richman Buthelezi Mid-Career Retrospective, starting on September 4 and running right though to January 31 2012. A “painter” in plastic, internationally acclaimed Buthelezi works with melted plastic to create his masterpieces and thus contributes to saving the environment by recycling. He has exhibited in the Museum of African Art in New York, the Goch Museum in Germany and the Prague Biennale.

An undoubted highlight of the 2011 Arts Alive visual arts programming is “Mandalas For Mandela”, which will be running from September 6 to 25 at Constitution Hill (Atrium & Adjacent Wing) and is free to visitors. In partnership with Imbali Visual Literacy Project and with the support of Constitution Hill and the Nelson Mandela Foundation, Arts Alive is presenting a moving exhibition of Mandalas created by 28 participating schools, themed around the values and legacy of Nelson Mandela.

One of the most visible elements of Arts Alive’s partnership with Shared History, The Indian Experience is the visual exhibitions that run throughout September. This year, at the Craft & Design Centre in Sandton (September 9 to 23), is Shared History: Africa-India From Tradition to Innovation - curated by Anjana Somany of the Arts Council India and produced by Teamwork Productions. The exhibition showcases works of both traditional crafters and contemporary artists and designers from India and Africa. 

Also part of the festival’s visual art element is an exhibition of Soweto Artists that is curated by Abe Mathabe and managed by Christopher Molefe. The exhibition showcases the work of young and old, professional and up-coming artists, working around the themes of dancing, singing, poetry, and story-telling as well as the artists’ experience of the Fifa 2010 World Cup fever. Abe Matabe, Jacob Molefe, Christopher Molefe, Maria Seqwahle, Brian Padi, Sibolelo Ntintiti, Vathisiwa, Jibril Linjoum, Ramarutla Makoba and Nomkosi are among the artists exhibiting.

Kospotong (next to Sophiatown in Newtown) is the venue for an exhibition titled, Idubokele (The Royal Feast) that runs from September 3 to 24. Curated to celebrate heritage month, the project features a number of artistic installations, ranging from film to music, poetry, fine art to food. Artists taking part include: Senzo Shabangu, Vumelani, Mongezi Ncaphai, Thabo Motseki, and Tshepiso with the curatorial team made up of Prophet JD, Portia Malatjie and Lungile Zaphi.

For more on these and other elements of the 2011 Joburg Arts Alive International Festival go to www.artsalive.co.za


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For media registration, interview requests access to EPK’s, broadcast footage and any other media queries please contact Ayob Vania, Hlumisa Mbanga and Vanessa Perumal on 011 788 7631 or [e-mail]


Artslink.co.za Account:
Hlumisa Mbanga
JT Communications
[e-mail]
011 788 7632/1
Arts Alive 2011
www.artsalive.co.za
 

Web site: http://www.artsalive.co.za

Related Event:

Arts Alive Festival
Dates: Thursday, 1st September 2011 - Sunday, 25th September 2011