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The David Krut Publishing: Fine Art and Books team in Cape Town was pleased to be able to attend the 24th Annual Conference of the South African Visual Arts Historians, held at Stellenbosch University between 4 and 6 September this year.

The team was invited by the organisers of the conference to set up a table with publications through which delegates could browse, serving a dual purpose as both a worthwhile distraction between sessions and an opportunity for the world of historians to become familiar with DKP as a valuable arts resource.

The theme of the conference, “Past the Last Post: The Posts in (South) Africa”, invited broad discussion with the general focus of developing an understanding of discourse around visual culture beyond nationalism, colonialism, apartheid, humanism. It was a great honour for the art historians to share ideas with Rasheed Araeen, who presented the keynote address - “Return to the Source: Art History as an Indicator of the Future” – and set the tone for sessions that were wide-reaching in their implications and nuanced in their assessment of where we stand in the visual arts today.

The conference began on the evening of Thursday 4 September and finished on Sunday 6 September. On each day, leisure outings were arranged for delegates. On Thursday evening, the Spit exhibition was opened at the Stellenbosch University’s Visual Arts building, accompanied by wine and a finger supper. Friday evening saw conference-goers enjoying cocktails at the Rupert Museum, a private collection recently opened to the public, which holds a very impressive body of work by important South African artists, such as Irma Stern. This was followed by the conference dinner, hosted by Cognito restaurant. On Saturday, a bus to a local wine estate was arranged, for an evening of wine and chocolate tasting.

The two full days – Friday and Saturday – of the conference were divided into themed panels, each running for about 2 hours. Sunday was more leisurely, containing a round table discussion with Andy Mason, Anton Kannemeyer and Jonathan Shapiro about South African cartooning post-Polokwane; a Wikipedia marathon, in which art historians raced to produce knowledge in their particular field that could be shared via the internet; and a screening of Bridget Thompson’s Ernest Mancoba at Home.

The papers presented on Friday and Saturday fell into the following categories:
o “Body and Embodiment”
o “Past and Post in Black and White”
o “Visual Media: Technologies, theories and analysis”
o “Postcoloniality in Nature and Art”
o “Miscellaneous Artists, Miscellaneous Posts”
o “Communities, markets and visual culture”
o “Visual Culture and Identities in South Africa”
o “African Art: Theoretical Frameworks”
o “Photography, Memory, Time”
o “Heritage, Museums, Memorials”

Though each paper varied greatly from the next in its particular approach, the underlying current that seemed to run throughout the panels tended away from any linear understanding of history. Emphasis was placed on multiplicity, diversity and a caution against trying to make sense of our current situation according to binary oppositions of right and wrong, black and white, good and evil. What emerged was a strong sense that the time for inclusive, as opposed to exclusive, analysis has come: the job of art historians today is to grapple with ways in which historically marginalised groups can be brought into the light. It is important to remember, however, that by bringing any one idea forward with too much force there is a risk that many other ideas may be quietened, if not silenced completely. Hence, the challenge is to view the components of our social climate as a constellation. Each story, no matter how personal or everyday, has as much importance as the grand narrative that is a symptom of linear history. In fact, it may indeed be the personal stories of everyday life that move people more toward developing ideas of transformation and creative sharing than the great stories that attempt to compensate for difficult times in our history.

The DKP team was delighted to be a part of this important event and have access to such a forum, through which ideas about the visual arts are shared and nurtured. We were lucky to catch up with some of the writers and artists who have worked with DKP before, such as Wilma Cruise, Elizabeth Rankin, Brenda Schmahmann and Karen von Veh, among others. We were also happy to make acquaintance with many other fascinating people in the world of art history with whom ideas may be shared in the future.

Keywords: David Krut Publishing: Fine Art and Books Cape Town, David-Krut, South African Visual Arts Historians, South-African