Celebrating and exploring architecture's relationship with the diverse cultures and contemporary conditions of South Africa … A week of exhibitions, performances, films and multi-disciplinary conferences. Bringing architecture back to the public domain.

Architecture ZA 2010 is set to become Africa’s premier urban culture festival as it brings together leading-edge thinkers and multi-disciplinary practitioners from around the globe. It is the first time an event of this scope has been held in South Africa.

Taking place in Johannesburg’s Newtown precinct from September 21 to 27, 2010, it will feature 100 local and 12 international architects and cultural producers of the city including luminary Spanish architect Fernando Menis; as well as South African heavyweights Peter Rich and Andrew Makin.

This multi-disciplinary cast of thinkers will stimulate discussion during conference panel discussions and master classes. Together they will offer new takes on old problems and offer new ways of viewing the city

The event has been structured to reach the broadest possible audience and to accommodate delegates at all levels. The general public has also been included thanks to a variety of events and exhibitions across Johannesburg including poetry readings, city walking tours, live music and drama performances and photography and architecture exhibitions. The Architect Africa Film Festival 2010 will also be showing at venues across the city.

Themes of Reimagining the City and Post-Event City will open debate about Southern Africa’s urban future. Topics include sustainability, urban public space and how best to use a city’s infrastructure after hosting a global event such as the 2010 World Cup. It will probe the role of architecture in the formation of a “world class African city”, as well as the green agenda.

Says two of the AZA programme directors Sarah Calburn and Rodney Place: “Joburg manifests and concentrates many current global urban conditions - enormous disparities of income; rapid transformation under a socialist-leaning government; wealthy capitalist institutions operating alongside street traders and self-built squatter settlements and entrenched institutional four-roomed suburbs - the remnants of a segregated past - within sight of gated communities reminiscent of Beverly Hills.

“Unlike Sao Paulo or Lagos, Joburg operates at a range of manageable scales that makes the strategic role of architecture particularly interesting, and opens Joburg to extraordinary possibility for experimentation and speculation as a global model. In order to expose the complexity of our urban cultures, we have taken the broadest possible approach to the formation of this conference. Speakers and participants are being drawn from a wide range of urban players: from cultural practitioners to development economists, both centre-stage and counter-culture. We aim to intensify awareness of the roles that architecture can play in this complex city towards the many possible re-inventions of our urban futures.”

Visit www.aza2010.org for the full programme.

* The festival has been endorsed by the City of Johannesburg, and will be held under the patronage of the South African Institute of Architects (SAIA)
* The National Architectural Student Congress, co-hosted by SACAP and the University of Johannesburg, will run from 22-27 September.
* Various awards will be given during Architecture ZA 2010, including:
* The Corobrik-SAIA Awards of Merit sponsored by Corobrik
* The Corobrik-SAIA Awards for Excellence sponsored by Corobrik
* The Afrisam-SAIA Awards for Sustainable Architecture & Exhibition
* Murray & Roberts Des Baker National Student Design Award & Exhibition
* The Shift Innovation in Social Housing Competition Exhibition & Awards 2010
* C&CI : Sustainable Student Design Competition Exhibition & Awards
* C&CI : Moving Space Architectural Short Film Competition

Visit: www.aza2010.org for more information.

On arrival, we were met with a relaxed atmosphere and a glass of bubbly in hand, or the Park Café’s delicious home made lemonade, if you prefer. The snacks that were circulating consisted of skewered basil, avo, Rosa tomato and mozzarella bites and brochette with mouth watering spicy tomato, rich mushroom and chopped olive toppings. The mixed group of art enthusiasts consisted of architects, film industry folk, artists, curators, families and old friends. What better way to spend an evening than in comfort of the Park Café, in good company, sampling great food, in the presence of a fantastic public speaker?

Although there was some concern at first as to whether this was a long table discussion or a round table discussion, and if the tables were square, how would seating be arranged? It turned out that the tables were in fact long, and just as well. This encouraged groups to sit together which added to the sociable, group dynamic of the evening. This also seemed to answer the question of whether or not everyone needed to say something - being an evening of discussion.

Platters of delicious food were served throughout the evening. Servings of fillet steak, with an irresistible sauce, were followed by a never-ending stream of prawns from the kitchen to our table. Towards the end of the second session of talks we were begging the waiters not to bring out anymore for fear of not being able to find place to put them. The dinner finished off with mixed fruit salad, delicious marbled chocolate brownie bites and, of course, a perfect cappuccino.

The first session of the talk consisted of Hobbs’s earlier works as well as his influences. He spoke about Tatlin’s Tower, an early 20th century monumental building design. He spoke about his admiration of 1970’s American artist Gordon Matta-Clark, best known for his “building cuts”. He sliced shapes and sections out of walls, floors and ceilings of buildings, with his own two arms, to create spaces and installations within the building space. We were wowed by a video of Richard Wilson’s "Turning the Place Over", from the 2007 Liverpool Biennial. Wilson cut an 8-metre diameter disc from the walls and windows of the building, and attached it to a motor which literally turns this section of the building inside out, in a cycle lasting just over two minutes. In the second session of the evening Stephen spoke about his current exhibition at David Krut Projects and how his influences tie in with his own ways of seeing and creating art in a city, like Johannesburg.

It was a successful evening spent enjoying humorous anecdotes, a bit of history and plenty of art. Learning something about art and getting an exclusive talk on current exhibitions straight from the artist’s mouth in these surroundings made the experience well worth it and left every one of us feeling replete and full of ideas. The dinners will be an on-going event. If you are interesting in joining future dinners, please don’t hesitate to contact Taryn at the gallery (taryn@davidkrut.com).

“TANTI PICCOLI ROBOT”

Quirky Pretoria fine art project continues with innovative exhibition running from 3 September to 17 October 2010

'Charisma' and 'Pieza Principal' by André Clements included in the 'Tanti Picolli Robot' exhibition

Pretoria - 3 September 2010 sees the opening of an exhibition of works by a diverse group of visual artists. Art critic and journalist Johan Myburg will open the exhibition, complemented by a performance by the Rynier Prins Jazz Trio.

The unusual house which serves as the exhibition venue is slated for demolition (to offer its spectacular views of Pretoria to newer developments), but has found an unexpected last gasp as a vibrant cultural hub.

“It is as if this house is summoning people, interesting people, for a kind of grand finale.” said Artist and curator Melanie de Bruyn. De Bruyn heads up the collaborative project known as the Pandora Art House which re-appropriates ‘dead-man-walking’ houses.

The house, once the setting of high society soirées, was pieced together in the 1940's by an eccentric businessman with an eye for salvaging interesting items on auction. A bar that used to be the pride of Nedbank’s head office, and bricks that once formed the oven of the old Cullinan brick yard are just two of the house's components. The end result has an evocative ambiance somewhere between nostalgia and peculiarity. In addition to the exhibition the house currently hosts exotic dinners, art movies and musical performances, as well as many an animated discussion that rages into the early morning hours.

Among the established artists whose work will be on display are André S Clements, Anna-Lynne E Marais, Francois Breytenbach, Jaques Wolmarans, Laurens Barnard and Retha Buitendach.

The exhibition deliberately circumvents a central theme and borrows its title from an interview by Giulio Giorelli with renowned American philosopher, Daniel Dennett. The interview was published with the headline “Sì, abbiamo un’anima. ma è fatta di tanti piccoli robot – “Yes, we have a soul, but it’s made of lots of tiny robots.” In his book ‘Freedom Evolves’, Dennet deals with the apparent tension between determinism and free will. Similarly the exhibition attempts to reconcile an eclectic mixture of art ranging from conventional portraiture to meticulously constructed insect sculptures and post-digital painterly abstractions.

The collaborative nature of the project offers participating artists an unusual degree of creative freedom and involvement, also in the organization of physical space. Instead of the artists having to subject themselves to a theme, the exhibition has found an identity emerging from the interactions of the artists and the aesthetic confrontation of the juxta-positioning of their respective works.

“The artists participating in this exhibition have not perpetrated academic discourse on the topic of souls, or tiny robots. Any apparent coherence between the various works on display – whether of style, subject matter, ethos, aesthetic or any other parameter – is coincidental...” smiles participating artist André Clements.

Interested parties are welcome to contact Melanie de Bruyn on 084 997 3903, pandora.art1@gmail.com or visit www.pan-dora.co.za

More on André S Clements

André S Clements is a conceptual and computational media artist with a bias towards inductive process. Through an approach he has dubbed ‘post-digital painterly abstraction’, André pursues subtle and sublime (he hopes) aspects of contemporary media, (the human condition of) cognitive overload and struggle for transcendence. He uses an interplay of multiplicity, clinical abstraction and a kind of conceptual procedural super realism to compose artworks that tease perception and defy closure.

André SC at The Upgrade!, WITS Digital Arts Soiree

André S Clements homepage

 

The book fair was held from the 7-9 August at Museum Africa sponsored by
Khanya College.
Thandeka, Innocentia and Ntombi were the ladies at the book fair.

We had a great time where we got a chance to meet different publishers and
clients. Some of the clients were Art teachers, Writers, Historians,
Library Managers as well as people from the Department of Education.
Although we didn't sell much but it was worth it because we got a chance to
meet interesting people from Holland and North America.

Our Thoughts about the fair
To us, the book fair was not about making huge sales, but it was about
making contacts and creating awareness about David Krut Publishing and its
products, so that people out there would know where to find us and what are
all about. We were very fortunate because our goal was accomplished.

We also think that we need to have South African children's books for next
year because lot of people came with their children and most of them were
asking if we do sell children's books. We showed them the TATE catalogue but
they were mostly interested in South African Children's books. Bookdealers
has a few children's books that we can have at ARTS ON MAIN.

The ladies got a chance to meet Robin Malan from Junkets Publishers who
sells play scripts and a book about gay people. We took the books from him,
and Thandeka and I will sell the play scripts to the schools as I think that
they will be suitable for stage theatre.

Thandeka will start doing the follow up on all the contact sheets based on
the client and their interest.

I would like to thank Thandeka and Ntombi for assisting me on the book fair.
Baie dankie meisies

Stephen Hobbs' debut solo exhibition Fool's Gold  opened last night at David Krut Projects. Below are images of the installation and the opening itself.

The following books and authors were recognised: (PLEASE NOTE: THE TITLES IN BOLD ARE AVAILABLE AT DAVID KRUT PUBLISHING)

ALAN PATON AWARD FOR NON-FICTION:
(Judges: Thengani Ngwenya, Maureen Isaacson, Joe Matthews, Heidi Holland and Ari Sitas)

WINNER:

The Strange Alchemy of Life and Law by Albie Sachs (Oxford University Press)

SHORTLIST:

Ways of Staying by Kevin Bloom (Picador Africa)

A Fork in the Road by Andre Brink (Harvill Secker)

Begging to be Black by Antjie Krog (Random House Struik)

The Honour to Serve by James Ngculu (David Philip)

FICTION PRIZE:
(Judges: Victor Dlamini, Diane Awerbuck, Chris Thurman and Lebo Mashile)

WINNER:

High Low In-between, Imraan Coovadia (Umuzi)

SHORTLIST:

Summertime by JM Coetzee (Harvill Secker)

Saracen at the Gates by Zinaid Meeran (Jacana)

The Book of the Dead by Kgebetli Moele (Kwela Books)

Small Moving Parts by Sally-Ann Murray (Kwela Books) 

CERTIFICATES:
Johannesburg Transition-Architecture and Society from 1950 by Clive M Chipkin (STE Publishers)

Through my Lens by Alf Khumalo (Tafelberg)

Invaded: The Biological Invasion of South Africa by Leonie Joubert (Wits University Press). 

Editor of Jozilife Mark Wade first visited David Krut Arts Resource in Parkwood about two months ago, where he met David Krut and the team. In conversation, both parties established they had a common interest in disseminating information and educating the broader public about art, literature and culture and so, a collaboration was initiated.

DK Arts @ Jozilife will be a regular contributor to the publication of all things arts related.

Regular features will include books to add to your library, profiles of emerging and established creatives (artists, writers, educators), what’s on at ‘The Art Strip’ on Jan Smuts, SA artists and activities abroad, writings and reflections from practicing creatives, art education and a visual platform where emerging talent can showcase their work.

CONTENTS:

Page 1
• Books: Joburg Starter Library
• Sunday Times’ Literary Awards

Page 2
• Profile: Stephen Hobbs, Visual Artist

Page 3
• What’s on at ‘The Art Strip’
• SA in the Global Arena: New York

Page 4
• Inside Art: Divergent Thinking in Artmaking
• Visual Platform: Alexandra Makhlouf
• Art Education: The Martienssen Prize at the Wits School of Art

All of this will be published in the next issue of Jozilife which will be available from Thurs 5 August at stores and outlet points all around the city.