Two beautiful exhibitions at The Living Heritage Women’s Museum in Pretoria
By Edward Tsumele, CITYLIFE/ARTS Editor
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If you went to The Living Heritage Women’s Museum Pretoria’s Sammy Marks Square, right now, you would find yourself immersed in beautiful things in the exhibition hall, but as well as being greeted by images of courageous women of South Africa whose work has left a mark on the country’s politics and march to democracy from apartheid.
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I found myself not only admiring the beautiful things that are being exhibited in this place, but also taking a moment to contemplate the role of these women who came from all races and marched to the Union Buildings in 1956, demanding that the Pass Laws be gotten rid of. Yes, they did not force the Apartheid fathers to change the offending laws but their brave action set a benchmark of how people can actually come together from all races to fight for a common good.
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These images of these women are in the form of different mediums, such as photography and sculptures and they are really evocative. It is not easy not to be touched by this exhibition. And so If you went there right now, you would enjoy these two exhibitions running aside by side to each other. On the other hand the Beautiful Things exhibition which was officially opened Cynthia Khumalo Acting Director General of the Department of Sport, Arts and Culture, standing in for Minister Zizi Kodwa, is an eye opener to the kind of craft products that artists around the country created and submitted to the curators for consideration for this exhibition. The products are indeed beautiful.
This South Africa’s premier exhibition of handmade crafts, Beautiful Things, was opened on Thursday, 30 March 2023, at The Living Heritage Women’s Museum Pretoria’s Sammy Marks Square. Presented by the Department of Sports, Arts and Culture, and the Department of Small Business Development, the exhibition showcases a wide range of high quality handmade products by talented crafters from the country’s nine provinces.
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The annual exhibition that runs until September, not only celebrates the crafters, but it also brings about awareness of the rich potential for entrepreneurship in the craft sector of the creative industries. ‘The Beautiful Things Exhibition’ is open daily from Monday – Friday 08h30 – 16h30 and Saturday 09h00 – 13h00.
The exhibition will work under the title ‘Hands On,’ the theme, the curators say, will be the guiding philosophy for thinking beyond and creating space for the creative exchange of ideas. Thus, the works on display are for the purpose of education, preservation of history, culture, heritage and public enjoyment. It will be inclusive and reflective of the diversity of South Africa.
Crafters include Alex Ceramic Art in Design Studio, Keiskamma Art project and Kgotso Pati amongst others selected from across the country.
This insight gives into the curatorial vision of Andile Magengele where the crafters and craft products are selected and represent a new generation of crafters who have borne witness to political, economic and cultural transition.
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Magengelele explains, “’Beautiful Things’ embraces and celebrates shifts in social realities via the creation of an artistic language – thus expressing the world through creative visions informed by the changes the country has seen. In so doing, we try to capture the contemporary thirst to discover alternative histories and embrace the unpredictable trajectory of cultural narratives in post-apartheid South
Africa. The new vision of arts and culture goes beyond social cohesion of nourishing the soul of the nation. We believe that arts and culture play a vital role in economic self-determination and skills development of people.”
Exhibition goers can expect the display of the craft objects to be in a manner that they are “breathing and have poetic balance and flow. The space will be contemplative so as it engages with the audience, thus creating a narrative between the crafts and the viewer. The craft exhibition will be conceptualised to provide a cognitive experience and enhance the senses of the viewer. ” Adds Boerma.
Says Joseph Mathe Deputy Director: Craft at the Department of Sport Arts and Culture, “The Beautiful Things Exhibition is an exhibition design concept through which we want to raise the profile of South African handmade products. The concept was used for the first time in 2002 when South Africa hosted the World Summit on Sustainable Development. Since then, the exhibition has been used occasionally with the last edition at the Graskop Gorge in Mpumalanga in March 2022.”
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The 2023 edition will be at the Women Living Heritage Monument (WLHM) at the Sammy Marks Square in Pretoria, next to the South African State Theatre.
The WLHM was built by the Gauteng provincial Department of Sport Arts Culture and Recreation. “This edition has been conceptualized to be an ongoing exhibition, which will be operated alongside a craft shop and a six month long incubator programme.” Adds Mathe. The exhibition, shop and online store will be managed as part of the incubator programme coordinated by the South African Creative Industries Incubator (SACII). Nine crafters (one from each province) are being selected to be part of an accelerator programme where they will receive tailored business coaching, product development support and access to markets.
Project Director Tshepiso Mohlala of !Kauru emphasises that, “The goal is to establish sustainability and profitability for these crafters and makers, and enable them to run thriving businesses.” The programme includes mentorship from industry experts. There is also a series of business development workshops that will be run over six months in the provinces for crafters by the Incubator. Monthly activations will be taking place at the Exhibition and shop site to raise the profile of the exhibition and draw customers to the shop.
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“Craft is not only a vehicle for economic empowerment, but also carries our history, stories and traditions from generation to generation. An exhibition like this allows our unique design aesthetic to evolve as younger crafters and makers are emerging. It provides access to market as well as new networks for creatives from all over the country. By including the incubation angle, we are able to nurture new and older talent and ensure that these gems are being taken to global markets”, says chief curator Andile Magengelele.