South Africa is at an exciting new stage in their history. The 'born-frees,' those born after the fall of apartheid, are coming of age, graduating matric (grade 12), entering varsity, and beginning to shape the future of their country. What will this new stage look like?
From my short experience so far, South Africa seems to be a young nation that is finding its identity--what does it stand for? How will it achieve the things it wants to achieve? WHAT does it want to achieve? What is its relationship to its past?
At the beginning of December, I attended the Michaelis Graduate Exhibition put on by the fine arts students. For me, "Challenge" was the theme of the event. Many students chose to use their art to face their personal challenges, focusing on addiction or abuse. One exhibit, "dis"(place)ment, arose out of three stories--a memory of furniture falling on the artist, of her house burning down, and of constant moving from place to place--and rose for three stories up a stairwell. Furniture hung from the balustrade and ceiling so that it appeared to cascade down on the viewer at the same time as it seemed to swirl up--kitchen chairs, trellises, wicker chairs, small tables, and other wooden what-not.
Other exhibits challenged the viewers. Several addressed stereotypes of men, women and fashion, including a bridal-themed exhibit with a title "it's not all a garden of roses." This last one displayed complimentary and uncomplimentary wedding photos, as well as some pornographic images.
Some exhibits challenged our perception of the world. I almost walked out of one entitled "In Plain Sight," thinking it was a lounge area, until I all of a sudden noticed lamps curving in strange directions, the chandelier hanging at a rakish, unnatural angle, the rug lying bumpily on the ground, and the champagne table stopped mid-crash to the floor!
One young artist chose to face the challenge of how we view nature and cities. We all see them through a certain 'lens,' so she painted some with a 'looking-through-a-glass' effect. How we interact with and paint nature is shaped by our life and beliefs. It is interesting how different cultures interact and portray with nature--think of the nature painted by the Japanese, the Native American, Americans during the Industrial Revolution, the Impressionist Era, and then our own! I think this exhibit was my favorite.
Another artist challenged the waste and wealth of the society she grew up in, especially in the face of overwhelming poverty. She used food residue to form designs on paper, which I found thought-provoking but not particularly beautiful!
The only part that wasn't a challenge at the event was enjoying the free wine and cheese! But overall, I felt like I was watching a whole group of people question what they know and try to discover who they are and how they interact with their world and their past.
The role of the past in the present is an ongoing cause for much noise and excitement. Students at the University of Cape Town have been agitating for the removal of a large statue of John Rhodes on campus over the past couple weeks. John Rhodes was a British businessman in South Africa, founder of Rhodesia (modern-day Zimbabwe), and a hardcore racist. The debate has been going on for a while over his place on campus, in our memories, and in the future. His future on campus was sealed this past week, as the statue was taken down, beaten by students, and carted away.
Someone wrote on facebook that no one can tell others how to express their pain. There is a lot of pain here in South Africa... A lot of it that I will probably never experience or understand... We need to pray that people will learn how to face it well and to move forward with joy, purpose, self-sacrifice, and vision into the future. Pray for creativity in developing new jobs and in addressing the massive rich/poor gap. Pray that people will learn to forgive and break the cycle of vengeance and anger and bitterness.
From my short experience so far, South Africa seems to be a young nation that is finding its identity--what does it stand for? How will it achieve the things it wants to achieve? WHAT does it want to achieve? What is its relationship to its past?
At the beginning of December, I attended the Michaelis Graduate Exhibition put on by the fine arts students. For me, "Challenge" was the theme of the event. Many students chose to use their art to face their personal challenges, focusing on addiction or abuse. One exhibit, "dis"(place)ment, arose out of three stories--a memory of furniture falling on the artist, of her house burning down, and of constant moving from place to place--and rose for three stories up a stairwell. Furniture hung from the balustrade and ceiling so that it appeared to cascade down on the viewer at the same time as it seemed to swirl up--kitchen chairs, trellises, wicker chairs, small tables, and other wooden what-not.
Other exhibits challenged the viewers. Several addressed stereotypes of men, women and fashion, including a bridal-themed exhibit with a title "it's not all a garden of roses." This last one displayed complimentary and uncomplimentary wedding photos, as well as some pornographic images.
Some exhibits challenged our perception of the world. I almost walked out of one entitled "In Plain Sight," thinking it was a lounge area, until I all of a sudden noticed lamps curving in strange directions, the chandelier hanging at a rakish, unnatural angle, the rug lying bumpily on the ground, and the champagne table stopped mid-crash to the floor!
One young artist chose to face the challenge of how we view nature and cities. We all see them through a certain 'lens,' so she painted some with a 'looking-through-a-glass' effect. How we interact with and paint nature is shaped by our life and beliefs. It is interesting how different cultures interact and portray with nature--think of the nature painted by the Japanese, the Native American, Americans during the Industrial Revolution, the Impressionist Era, and then our own! I think this exhibit was my favorite.
Another artist challenged the waste and wealth of the society she grew up in, especially in the face of overwhelming poverty. She used food residue to form designs on paper, which I found thought-provoking but not particularly beautiful!
The only part that wasn't a challenge at the event was enjoying the free wine and cheese! But overall, I felt like I was watching a whole group of people question what they know and try to discover who they are and how they interact with their world and their past.
The role of the past in the present is an ongoing cause for much noise and excitement. Students at the University of Cape Town have been agitating for the removal of a large statue of John Rhodes on campus over the past couple weeks. John Rhodes was a British businessman in South Africa, founder of Rhodesia (modern-day Zimbabwe), and a hardcore racist. The debate has been going on for a while over his place on campus, in our memories, and in the future. His future on campus was sealed this past week, as the statue was taken down, beaten by students, and carted away.
Someone wrote on facebook that no one can tell others how to express their pain. There is a lot of pain here in South Africa... A lot of it that I will probably never experience or understand... We need to pray that people will learn how to face it well and to move forward with joy, purpose, self-sacrifice, and vision into the future. Pray for creativity in developing new jobs and in addressing the massive rich/poor gap. Pray that people will learn to forgive and break the cycle of vengeance and anger and bitterness.
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