Media release: 12 August 2009
Visual feast marks 2009 Arts Alive
International festival programme
From legendary (some may say infamous) South African artist Braam Kruger to a fascinating schools printmaking workshop and a global multi-discipline initiative, the 2009 Arts Alive International Festival offers a visual feast during September.
The University Of Johannesburg Art Gallery is home to the Braam Kruger retrospective from September 2nd to 23rd and it showcases the work of this eccentric extraordinaire, prolific and multi-talented South African artist who died in 2008. His legacy of intense comment on the South African political and social landscape makes for essential viewing for anyone with even a passing interest in this country's visual landscape.
The emphasis on much of this year's Arts Alive visual arts programme is on the youth and empowerment and several compelling projects feed into this.
One of these is Fiona Pole Heartland/Handlines, which sees the artist facilitate linoleum printmaking workshops with young learners and high school students in the local community. These workshops will culminate in a steamroller printing morning at Gallery AOP, 44 Stanley Avenue, Braamfontein on Saturday 12 September at 11:00. Another initiative focused on high-school learners will see schools in all 7 of the City regions participating in a mural design competition. URBAN-EYES will result in a body of work that depicts the iconic buildings, spaces, places and people of the different regions. Joburg ARTS ALIVE has partnered with the IMBALI VISUAL LITERACY Project to realise this initiative and has received additional support from the ARTS & CULTURE TRUST.
The 1mile² project is a new and fascinating addition to the visual arts programme. A project of VISITING ARTS and the British Council this global arts programme asks communities to map the biodiversity, cultural diversity and aesthetic diversity of their local neighbourhood, working in collaboration with an artist and an ecologist.
Communities are then linked through an internet platform to share and challenge their findings, perceptions, ideas, experiences and creativity. This encourages new connections between the participating 1mile2 communities globally. Opening at the JAG is an exciting exhibition, which examines identity. Titled US it features both local and international artists. Curated by Bettina Malcomess and Simon Njami, the exhibition opens on September 20 and is also supported by the Goethe Institute.
The organisers of Joburg ARTS ALIVE 2009 will also facilitate a "Hands On Masks Off' programme with BASA, NAF, ACT and VANSA to open a dialogue with the City's Visual Artists to discover how they would like to see the Joburg ARTS ALIVE FESTIVAL supporting their needs and aspirations.
Note to editor:
The 2009 Arts Alive International Festival is a project of the City of Joburg's Arts, Culture and Heritage department and is being staged by Zanusi Brand Solutions. Festival partners are the SABC, the National Arts Council, Wits University (Department of Humanities), Royal Thai Embassy, Austrian Embassy, Indian Embassy, Alliance Francaise, Soweto Festival, Johannesburg Festival of Shopping.
