David Krut Publishing

The book launch of Paul Weinberg’s Moving Spirits took place at the David Krut Gallery on Saturday 30 of September. Paul Weinberg has been photographing religious rituals and spiritual practice in South Africa particularly in Durban for years. He has documented varies faiths counting amongst them Christianity, Hinduism, Jewish and Islamic faiths. Also rituals linked to ancestral veneration and the New Age movement.

Weinberg studied his undergraduate degree in Durban at the University of Natal and moved on to do his Masters at the Duke University in North Carolina. This book was compiled as his Masters thesis and he received an excellence award from the University for his hard work. He than decided to get the book published in association with Netherlands and Germany with Double Storey Publishing.

An exciting array of people attended the launch including Constitutional Court Judge Albie Sachs, Pumla Madiba Director of the Commission for the Rights of Cultural, Religious and Linguistic Communities, Russell Martin of Double Storey Publishing the editor for this book and Stan Lifshitz Psychologist, Sangoma and Professor at UNISA.

In an inspirational speech made by Ms. Madiba, she commended Paul Weinberg for his initiative in showcasing the religions and cultures of South Africa. “We need to unite ourselves through learning other South African languages, cultures and religions. In this way we can begin to understand one another and the reasons we do certain things.” She emphasised as she concluded her speech. The occasion was moving and spiritual this was appropriate as the book deals with spirituality and the different forms that exist.

Stan Lifschitz, Psychologist and Sangoma performed a ritual of the burning of impepho to bless the book and to announce to the spirits the intentions of the author in bringing it to people of South Africa. “As the smoke arises from mother earth to father sky, as we gather in sacredness together, we bless the book and pages so people should see the picture for what they are. We give the book to the ancestors and may they bless it.” The Impepho fragranced the entire David Krut Art Resource and the crowd were very stirred by the incense and the ritual performed. Stan Lifschitz than presented the author with a carved wooden stick that was a symbolism of the journey of which he still is to travel.

The day was a huge success, the David Krut Bookshop was filled with young and old people alike conversing, laughing, eating, drinking and having a marvellous time filled with love, happiness and peace.

Keywords: Painting, History, Arts-and-Culture, Design, monograph, Photography, Art, South-African, International, Bookstore