Media release: 16 September 2009

2009 Joburg Arts Alive International Festival: Visual Arts Newsflash

The Visual Arts Strike Back is the title of a once-off public workshop aimed at promoting new thinking around the role of contemporary visual arts in arts festivals.

Taking place on Sunday September 20th at 14h30 at the Johannesburg Art Gallery, The Visual Arts Strikes Back forms part of the 2009 Joburg Arts Alive International Festival.

Partnering in this creative public discussion and networking session is the Visual Arts Network of South Arica (VANSA), which regularly runs 20:20 Networking events. Also throwing its weight behind the initiative is the 2009 Joburg Arts Alive International Festival, the Gauteng Provincial Government, the Johannesburg Art Gallery and the City of Johannesburg.

The impetus for The Visual Arts Strike Back stems from a historical position which sees the visual arts weakly profiled and poorly integrated into events that have a performing arts 'centricity' in terms of format, venues and expenditure.

The September 20th event will - appropriately - revolve around the visual image. Five leading figures in the contemporary visual arts and arts festivals industry will select and speak to 20 images for 20 seconds related to their professional practice - in the process provoking new ideas, propositions and possibilities.

The five speakers are:

  • Andrew Lamprecht (roving critic-cum-curator to the stars)
  • Brenda Devar (Arts Alive/Arts and Culture Trust)
  • Johan Myburg (visual arts curator, KKNK)
  • Bettina Malcomess and Simon Njami (US Project)
  • Musha Neluheni will also introduce the 1mile2, a public art and ecology project currently in development at JAG.

At 16h00, the exhibition 'US' will be officially opened at the JAG. Featuring both local and international artists, 'US' examines identity and is curated by Bettina Malcomess and Simon Njami and supported by the Goethe Institute.

The Visual Arts Strike Back is the first in a series of industry networking events set to take place over the coming months.

Inquiries: 011 833 7908