Curated by Dirkie Offringa

Metalwork: Public Art in Stellenbosch II

CURATORIAL STATEMENT

Monuments, memorials and civic statuary are the oldest forms of officially sanctioned public art. The term public art refers to works of art in any media that have been planned and executed with the intention of being sited or staged in the physical public domain. It is often out of doors and accessible to all. Stellenbosch blazed the trail for outdoor art with local land artist Strijdom van der Merwe’s red-wrapped trees in the historic Dorp Street in 2008. Hot on his tracks came Dylan Lewis, also a Stellenbosch artist, who exhibited his bronze sculptures across the centre of the town until 2010.

In 2011 this art out-of-doors was followed by the exhibition 20Stellenbosch: South African Sculpture of the Last Two Decades, which included sculptures mainly from the NIROX Foundation, and which showcased the achievements of contemporary South African sculptors over the last twenty years.

The aim of the Stellenbosch Outdoor Sculpture Trust with Metalwork: Public Art in Stellenbosch II is to build on the success of these shows. Therefore, with the cooperation of the Stellenbosch Municipality, outdoor sculptures are again placed at approved locations in the historic town of Stellenbosch. By placing these works of art in unexpected places out of doors, the Trust aims to create public awareness of the interplay between art, architecture and public spaces, make art accessible to everybody, and bring established artists and new talent to the people. We hope that this will create a familiarity with and an appreciation of art, and also an awareness of heritage conservation in general.

Because some people appear to be afraid or apathetic to visit art museums, many public art initiatives are undertaken all over the world and also in South Africa, for instance in Johannesburg, Cape Town and Stellenbosch, so as to democratise art and aestheticise everyday life.

In an effort to turn Stellenbosch into an art destination, we at the Trust associate ourselves with the aims of Stellenbosch 360, as well as with the town’s brand identity and brand attributes. We are delighted to bring the mountain to Mohammed and hope that the sculptures will appeal to locals and tourists.

These outdoor exhibitions do not necessarily always have a theme because their main aim is to show the technical innovation and creativity of South African sculptors and the way they treat contemporary issues. This year’s exhibition does have a common denominator, namely metal or steel.

Metal as a medium might have restricted the supply somewhat, and the exhibition Metalwork: Public Art in Stellenbosch II will be smaller than the previous exhibition. Although the images in cold steel might not always be beautiful in an immediately heart-warming way, they are undoubtedly thought provoking, engaging and challenging. However, practical reasons, such as the medium’s sturdiness, prompted this choice. For me as a curator (curare means ”take care”), vandalism remains a concern, and this was the main reason why we chose metal as a medium. Until we have grasped the psychology of vandalism and found ways to educate potential vandals, we will do everything in our power to prevent damage and theft, and we put our trust in the cooperation of the community and the assistance of our stakeholders to allow these outdoor art projects to succeed.

The metal work exhibition will be concentrated in the centre of the town in order to facilitate guided walkabouts for schools and the general public. These guided tours target motivated visitors who want to learn more about the sculptures on show. The Stellenbosch Association of Arts will again be involved in training voluntary guides, and bookings for tours and small group visits can be made through the Stellenbosch Tourism Information Association.

There are several South African visual art ”rock stars”, and although we want to bring you these great sculptors, we also want to introduce you to the newcomers. In short, we want you to experience the sublimity, the inventiveness, and, yes, even the zaniness of the works produced by contemporary South African sculptors. If we can realise our dream of presenting an annual outdoor sculpture exhibition with the buy-in of our private, public and corporate supporters, we will see names being made and Stellenbosch starting to rock!

This year’s exhibition has been curated from solicited works, but the Stellenbosch Outdoor Sculpture Trust hopes to be swamped by proposals for future exhibitions and to find partners to make it an annual event.

We see public art as having the power to energise and transform the spaces where we live, work and play into more welcoming environments. By placing valuable artworks out of doors, we display our faith in the goodwill of the public. We believe that public art can enhance the quality of life by heightening our sense of place and pride. We hope that you will find it so.

Metaalwerk: Openbare Kuns in Stellenbosch II

VERSLAG DEUR DIE KURATOR

Monumente, gedenktekens en stedelike beeldhoukuns is die oudste vorm van amptelik goedgekeurde openbare kuns. Die term openbare kuns verwys na kunswerke in enige medium wat beplan en uitgevoer is met die doel om in die openbare domein opgerig te word. Dit is dikwels buite en toeganklik vir almal.

Stellenbosch het in 2008 die weg vir buitelugkuns gebaan met die plaaslike landkunstenaar Strijdom van der Merwe se rooigetooide bome in die historiese Dorpstraat. Vinnig op sy hakke was Dylan Lewis, ook ’n plaaslike kunstenaar, wie se bronsbeelde tot 2010 in die middedorp te sien was.

In 2011 is hierdie kuns-in-die-ope gevolg deur die uitstalling 20Stellenbosch: Suid-Afrikaanse Beeldhoukuns van die Laaste Twee Dekades, wat hoofsaaklik beelde afkomstig van die NIROX Stigting ingesluit het en wat die prestasies van hedendaagse Suid-Afrikaanse kunstenaars oor die laaste twintig jaar vertoon het.

Die Stellenbosch Opelug Beeldhou Trust se doelstelling met Metaalwerk: Openbare Kuns in Stellenbosch II is om op hierdie suksesvolle uitstallings voort te bou, en daarom word beelde weer op die goedgekeurde plekke in die historiese dorp van Stellenbosch geplaas, met die samewerking van die Stellenbosch Munisipaliteit. Deur kuns op onverwagte plekke in die buitelug te plaas, poog die Trust om die publiek bewus te maak van die wisselwerking tussen kuns, argitektuur en openbare ruimtes, om kuns vir almal meer toeganklik te maak, en om die werk van bekende en nuwe kunstenaars na die mense te bring. Ons hoop dat dit ’n bekendheid met en ’n waardering vir kuns en sommer ook vir erfenisbewaring sal skep.

Omdat sommige mense klaarblyklik skrikkerig of apaties is om kunsmuseums te besoek, word verskeie openbare kunsinisiatiewe oor die wêreld en ook in Suid-Afrika aangepak, byvoorbeeld in Johannesburg, Kaapstad en Stellenbosch, ten einde kuns te demokratiseer en ons alledaagse omgewing te verestetiseer.

In ’n poging om Stellenbosch ’n kunsbestemming te maak, vereenselwig ons by die Trust ons met die doelstellings van Stellenbosch 360 en die dorp se handelsmerk en identiteit. Ons bring graag die berg na Mohammed en hoop dat die beeldhouwerke in die dorp byval by die plaaslike mense en toeriste sal vind.

Die buiteluguitstallings het nie noodwendig altyd ’n tema nie omdat hul hoofdoelstelling is om die kreatiwiteit, vindingryke aanwending van mediums, tegniese vernuwing en hantering van eietydse vraagstukke deur Suid-Afrikaanse beeldhouers ten toon te stel. Hierdie jaar is daar egter ’n gemene deler, naamlik staal of metaal.

Die keuse van metaal as ’n medium het die aanbod van werk waarskynlik effens beperk, en die uitstalling Metaalwerk: openbare kuns in Stellenbosch II is kleiner as die vorige uitstalling. Die beelde in koue staal is dalk nie altyd mooi op ’n aandoenlike manier nie, maar hulle laat ons ongetwyfeld dink, daag ons uit en boei ons. Daar is om praktiese redes op metaal as medium besluit, soos die gehardheid van die materiaal. As ’n kurator (curare beteken om te versorg) bly vandalisme vir my ’n groot bekommernis, en dit is die hoofrede waarom hierdie besluit geneem is. Totdat ons die verskynsel van vandalisme kan verklaar en verstaan en potensiële vandale kan opvoed, sal ons ons bes doen om die beelde veilig te hou. Ons stel ons vertroue in die publiek deur die werke buite uit te stal en vra die gemeenskap se samewerking en belanghebbendes se bystand om die buitelugkunsprojekte te laat slaag.

Die uitstalling sal in die middedorp gekonsentreer wees ten einde begeleide toere vir skole en die algemene publiek te vergemaklik. Die begeleide toere is op die gemotiveerde besoeker gerig wat meer oor die uitgestalde werke te wete wil kom. Die Kunsvereniging Stellenbosch sal weer by die opleiding van vrywillige gidse betrokke wees, en toere en besoeke deur klein groepies kan deur die Stellenbosch Toerisme Inligtingsvereniging bespreek word.

Daar is verskeie groot sterre in die Suid-Afrikaanse visuele kuns, en hoewel ons die grootste en bekendste beeldhouers van ons land wil uitstal, wil ons ook nuwelinge aan die publiek bekendstel. Kortom, ons wil hê u moet die grootsheid, die vindingrykheid, en, ja, selfs die aweregsheid van die werke van hedendaagse beeldhouers ervaar. As ons ons droom kan bewaarheid om ’n jaarlikse opelugbeeldhou-uitstalling met die hulp van private, openbare en korporatiewe ondersteuners aan te bied, sal ons sien hoe naam gemaak word en Stellenbosch begin gons!

Vanjaar se uitstalling is uit die werk van genooide kunstenaars saamgestel, maar die Stellenbosch Opelug Beeldhou Trust hoop om in die toekoms met voorleggings oorval te word en om vennote te vind om dit ’n jaarlikse gebeurtenis te maak.

Openbare kuns het die vermoë om die ruimtes waar ons werk, leef en speel met energie te vul en in meer welkome areas te omskep. Deur waardevolle kunswerke buite uit te stal, toon ons vertroue in die gemeenskap se goedgesindheid. Openbare kuns kan ons lewensgehalte verhoog deur ons gewaarwording van plek en ons gevoel van trots te versterk. Ons hoop dat u dit ook so sal ervaar.