‘Constructing S.A.’ is an exhibition of paintings and sculptures at the Durban Art Gallery (DAG) that investigates the history of constructing South Africa, chronologically, politically and culturally through the past century. The concept of this exhibition explores the changes South Africa has been through from 1907 to 2004.

The show is curated by 3rd year Fine Art students from the Durban University of Technology (DUT). The main purpose of this exhibition is to show the public a young and new approach to curating, which demonstrates the student’s new knowledge of professional curating, which is one of the possible career paths in this course. The work chosen ranges from modern, postmodern to contemporary South African Art.

“Constructing SA” is organised by Nirmi Ziegler, a theory lecturer at DUT and Dr Ilonka Czerny, a visiting professional curator from Germany.

The curators, Jenny Stretton from DAG and Nontobeko Ntombela from DUT’s Art Gallery (both also DUT Fine Art graduates) have offered their galleries and collaboration for this exciting project.

The oldest artwork, that of Van Wouw (1907), represents a commemorating aspect of political power, which then changes during the last three decades of apartheid into a critical approach and with the beginning of democracy in 1994 orients itself mainly to the global art world (Arenson, 2004).

Together with Anton Van Wouw and Ryan Arenson, the following artists’ works form part of the exhibition: Robert Hodgins, Hanna Lurie, Guy Du Toit, J. Segogela, J. Coetzee, Greg Streak, Johann Scott, Deborah Bell, Patrick O’Conner, John Kramer, Cliff Bestall, Hellen Timm, Elizabeth Vels, and Marianne Meijer.

The exhibition opening will be on 21 August at 17h:30 at the Durban Art Gallery, and will run until 11 September 2009.

For more information, please contact:
Nomusa Mtshali
074 639 5090
artnomusa@yahoo.co.uk