Open Studios Joburg attracts art collectors and art enthusiasts to the city
By Edward Tsumele, CITYLIFE/ARTS Editor
From a distance his art works appear like a mat made of reeds on which figures of women in the form of photographs have been attached.
But as you get close, you start to realize that these are collages made from gloss magazine cuttings, and the women figures are also made from the same material.
“I am a friend of gloss magazines as I collect them, shred them and make art,” said Cameroun born and Johannesburg based artist Jibri Linjoum, who I found in his studio at August House on May 29, 2022. The artist told CITYLIFE/ARTS that this latest iteration of Open Studios Joburg, an initiate of Non Profit organisation Meta Foundation, was much better than the last time, which is last year. Linjoum was part of the over 100 inner city based studios and a selection of artists who took part in this art fair. Open Studios Joburg promotes artists and their art practice by connecting them to collectors and art enthusiasts.
Indeed from the look of things, Jibri is right to state that this year Open Studios Joburg was much better with regards to attendance and organisation. Crowds of art collectors and art enthusiast, from Johannesburg and as far as Pretoria, among other places immersed themselves in impressive contemporary art works on exhibit during that month end weekend at studios spread around the city.
On the Sunday visitors were transported by shuttles every 15 between Transwerke Studios at Constitution Hill in Hillbrow and Bag Factory Artist Studios in Fordsburg. These were the studios that were open to the public on that Sunday, and they teemed with visitors who viewed the art works and spoke to the artists in their studios who spoke about their art practice.
“I use walnut as paint to create these figures. I mix the ink myself,” interdisciplinary artist Henrieta Scholtz told CITYLIFE/ARTS. We found her in her Bag Factory Artist Studios based studio on that Sunday. She was talking about her attention grabbing abstract figures on display. One thing for sure that you will notice immediately about her art is the use of this unique material to create these stunning art works, opening new possibilities for the artist.
“For me Open Joburg Studios is very helpful. For example last year I connected with collectors who till this day continue to buy art from me. Today I have already sold one art work,” Jibri told CITYLIFE/ARTS.
And yes, the response from art collectors was also great, with some artists managing to sell their art works. I saw a few collectors myself on that Sunday at August House which houses End Street Studios packing their valued possessions into the boot of their cars. August House in Joburg CBD, Ellis House, Living Artists Emporium in Ellis Park and Victoria Yards in Bertrams were open to the public on that Sunday.
If anything Joburg Open Studios assists in attracting visitors to the city, something important especially after the damage to tourism as a result of the global Covid-19 pandemic, which affected the tourism sectors throughout the world the most.
The importance of Open Studios Joburg in revitalising the battered tourism sector in Johannesburg can never be over emphasized. This then raises the question of where is the public sector in this, particularly Joburg Tourism, whose involvement seems to be a perfect natural fit in Open Joburg Studios. The City of Johannesburg, was however conspicuous in its absence in an event that clearly promotes the city as an art destination for visitors from other parts of the country and the world.