Young South African women artists embrace technology enhanced art making at Women’s Day exhibition in Johannesburg

This exhibition celebrating the works of womxn artists, including art talks and workshops are ongoing during this Women’s Month at USURPA Gallery 70A Oxford Road, Rosebank/Killarney.

(page lead, please use my author’s pic and all the pics provided)

By Edward Tsumele, CITYLIFE/ARTS Editor

When I arrived at the venue on Wednesday, August, 9, 2023, Women’s Day, there were several cars parked on the pavement with not even a few centre metres left to walk through between them.  When I eventually did, I was glad.

Other cars were parked on the greens hundred metres away, while some were taking a chance trying to park on the busy driving lane. But they were soon guided by those manning the entrance to avoid blocking one of the Oxford Road driving lanes for obvious reasons.

The foresighted however came by e-hailing transport. When I got through the gate more people were already inside.  Most were women, but with a significant number of men. But it became obvious that it was no place for men guest to walk with the usual swagger there.

We were content to play a secondary complimentary role to those taking centre stage –the women, rightly so as it was their event and their day. In fact we were their guests, and needed to behave as such.  It was obvious patriarchal behaviour was not welcome there.

Some guests were already in the gallery, SUPRA gallery a new kid on the contemporary art scene, viewing digital art prints adorning the walls of this Killarney based contemporary art gallery. This is a brand new home of digital art, I was briefly told by the people behind this new space. A number of guests mainly women – artists, businesswomen and even a marketing researcher I managed to speak to, were milling around the sprawling greens of this property.

Either gin in hand, clasping a plate of food or a cocktail. I went upstairs where I heard some noise. That is after feasting my eyes on the artworks of 10 participating artists in the basement where the gallery is and was in fact left with no doubt that digital art, no matter what you may think about it, is here.  In fact it is part of the future of art making and dealing.

Of course alongside traditional art, created in the traditional way of art making, such as drawing or painting by hand, a meticulous process that demands full concentration and technical skills of the artist.  But you see now with the evolution of technology, that process has become somehow easier for the artist as software can now guide an artist how and where to take their draft picture, if not creating it from the scratch. You see, clever technology can now do it, almost close to perfection.

But do not fear that technology will take over the work and role of the artist in art making dear artist -you still have a role to play, especially when it comes to conceptualisation. We were told all these things upstairs where a group of young women artists were in discussion about their art practice and how they are evolving with technology.

These are really clever, innovative young female artists that have found their space, visual voice and even a market in creating technologically enhanced art works.  These clever ones they have even learned new vocabularies in this new space of art making.

And the works I saw in the downstairs gallery are really stunning works of creation. Some of the prints even are in constant motion, a new thing in this evolving digital art space. If not globally, at least on the South African contemporary art scene.

You see, this is what technology is doing to art these days. And those young artists who spoke articulately and confidently about their art and who come from varied backgrounds –fashion designers, photographers, interior designers and even an economics drop out student, in favour of art, are fast embracing technology to create art that is starting to have traction with a certain type of collector not hesitant anymore to embrace technology enhanced art production as a legitimate and authentic art process that has a room alongside traditional methods of art creation.

You see an organisation called Art of Superwoman, which is known for organising a supercool festival at the Nirox Sculpture Park called Phenomenal Women Festival, that has now become an annual event, this year thought of this supercool idea.  

Together with its partners  After Paradise and USURPA Gallery, it extended the idea of celebrating phenomenal women in art by adding a phenomenal exhibition in which not only the participating artists are particularly young women, but artists who are embracing new technology to create art for a still small, but certainly growing art market.

Whereas in South Africa there is still a pocket of hesitance in embracing digital art among collectors, in overseas countries, particularly in the US, collectors are fast warming up to this kind of art, especially with the growing market of Blockchain Technology, particularly NFT technology now ensconced in the space of art making, enabling art collectors to own art, without necessarily hanging it on their walls. But still they own it and can trade it anytime they want to.

You can now even own a fraction of an art work, a percentage of it alongside other owners. This becomes a handy and convenient methods of owning a piece of the art work –literally, whose whole ownership you may not necessarily afford.

Can you imagine the prestige and even the financial possibilities that come with owning a fraction of the work of famous street artist Banksy, for example? Even better, our own internationally acclaimed multi-disciplinary artist William Kentridge.  Believe me you, with NFT Technology, a real possibility exists even with your own limited pocket. In fact these series of events that included talks and workshops fostering artistic expression by Womxn artists have been taking place since the beginning of August, Women’s month.

“Our Womxn Month celebration weaves together the threads of art, womxn, technology, and culture, encapsulating the spirit of South Africa’s remarkable womxns,” state the event organisers.

The second phase of the exhibition will take place on August 19, 2023, also featuring 10 participating women artists, also at the same venue. Among some of the features of this second phase is visual artist and art lecture Nandipha Mntambo, who will take audiences on a journey of her process and this will include talking about her future creative vision.

There will also be an intimate dinner with Mntambo with 20 guests and this dinner’s price details will be announced in due course, the organisers state.

Another event that should attract traction is an event that will see Latitudes Art Fair team talk about the work of female artists from the African continent. This is a three day event.

The series of events is sponsored by Samsung, African Technopreneurs, Meta Creations, After Paradise, Art of SuperWoman, Cape St. Blaize, Tanzaro Vermouth and Eat Your Heart Out.

Venue details:

USURPA Gallery is at 70A Oxford Road, Killarney/Rosebank.