Joao Ferreira Gallery, Cape Town
Capitalising on the success of its spring series, the Joao
Ferreira Gallery is set to open a provocative summer show.
Beginning December 7, a selection of works from the gallery's
permanent collection - including pieces by artists like Dorothee
Kreutzfeldt, Ruth Sacks and Claudia Shneider - will be available
for public view.
These works challenge visitors in particular to move beyond
first interpretations of familiar looking objects and images, to
re-examine their contexts and the conditions that produced them.
At Ruth Sacks' exhibition, visitors were shown photographs of a
fading "Don't Panic" instruction written in the sky, bright
T-shirts printed with the names of symbolically significant
South African towns and school chairs that had been "vandalised"
with graffiti, begging the spectator for help. A video game, in
which two dancers battle to keep up with an ever faster beat,
added an intercultural twist and a sense of fun to the show.
Focusing on contemporary painting and sculpture, the summer show
will continue to explore the work of these artists, also
including works by Anton Karstel. For spectators new to the
South African art scene, the exhibit should provide a
carefully-designed introduction to the themes and artists
shaping the new national art scene.