Lutaaya and Dingwall attempt to change perspectives about the way we see
SA Taxi Foundation Art Award announces the Top 5 Finalists and Winner
The overall winner, five finalists, and the merit award winner of the 2016 SA Taxi Foundation Art Award have been announced amidst a globally developing trend towards displaying and using art in mobile environments.
Illustrator, curator, and independent artist, Audrey Anderson, took the first prize of R50 000 with her ink on paper work entitled ‘Commute Quest’, which depicts daily commuting by minibus taxi as a quest for new direction and insights.
As finalists, Steven Bosch, Nkosinathi Khumalo, Wandile Mashaba, Lekau Matsena, and Wesley van Eeden each won R10 000. Mashudu Nevhutalu’s work was recognised with a merit award. Centered on the competition’s theme of ‘routes’, all the works demonstrated a positive view of South African society.
“We were enormously encouraged by the solutions-based emphasis shown by all the competition entrants,” says SA Taxi Foundation director, Kalnisha Singh. “It indicates that South Africans between the ages of 25 and 35 are upbeat about this country’s future and have the determination to address the challenges confronting our society.”
Entries for the Art Award almost doubled (from 80 to 140) from its first year (2015), with its unusual requirements of artists acting as a significant attraction. The competition differs from others in that emerging visual artists must produce a work of art and then convert it into a decal that can be used on a mini bus taxi. It therefore highlights the ability of artists to work to a commercial brief.
It also takes art to the people in an innovative way, exposing the man and woman in the street to work that they would otherwise not see. In doing so, it exposes society as a whole to creative views of its issues and triumphs.
“Another reason for more artists entering this time, is that art is becoming mobile in other regions,” Singh says. “In India, for instance, a movement has developed in which art is depicted on furniture. Also, in places like London and New York, underground rail services have begun to exploit and exhibit art in mobile ways.
“Artists are very trend aware and our award positions them to be globally relevant in a frontier space.”
In addition, the first year of the competition boosted the careers not only of the winners but of all entrants whose work was displayed at the Lizamore Gallery, which curates the Award on the Foundation’s behalf.
Singh explains that artists have seen that the value of the work of those initial entrants has increased and that this is causing ordinary South Africans to see such work as a form of affordable investment.
“Artists have understood, too, that the minibus taxi industry is an empowering environment - for commuters and operators, obviously, but also for everyone who seeks to touch the minibus community in positive ways.
“Having your art seen on the streets by thousands of people who would never have the opportunity to go to an art gallery quite literally enables you to enrich their lives and change their perspectives. That’s what artists live for.”
Singh says that the Foundation has had an increase in requests from minibus taxi operators to have the decals from this year’s winners displayed on their vehicles.
“Vehicles carrying the 2015 decals were sought out by commuters, who wanted to be seen riding in them. The decal taxis were also the focus of discussion at taxi ranks. Operators realised that the art works are a powerful form of branding and marketing.
“For us, the popularity of the taxis carrying the decals indicates that the Award is achieving its objectives of enabling art to reach a mass audience and of illustrating the transformative role the taxi industry plays in society.”
Lizamore announces Banele Khoza as the new Johannes Stegmann mentee
In March 2016, Lizamore & Associates announced that emerging artist Banele Khoza is the new Johannes Stegmann Mentee.
Banele Khoza creates ghostly works in watercolour and sharper, yet still surreal, digital illustrations. Though his images contain elements of escapism and fantasy, they speak to his own experiences – primarily in relation to identity issues and the way gender is presented and performed. Khoza is currently being mentored by acclaimed artist Colbert Mashile, who is mentoring him for is solo exhibition in March 2017.
Born in 1994, Khoza holds a BTech in Fine Arts (2015). He has participated in various group exhibitions and has been a finalist in various art competitions such as the Sasol New Signatures (2014), Thami Mnyele Fine Arts Award (2014), South Africa Taxi Foundation Award (2015) and the Barclays L'Atelier (2015).
He has also completed various commissions and projects, including an artwork for the Tshwane BRT A Re Yeng bus station (2015), a USA ambassadors residential mural drawing (2014) and an illustrated book cover for Edward Nkosi's The Bearer(2014).
Click here for more information on the Programme
The SA Taxi Foundation Art Award
After a 40% increase in entries and two gruelling selection and judging rounds, the SA Taxi Foundation Art Award has announced their Top 30 Finalists. Congratulations to each and every selected artist on the outstanding works!
These artists are in the running for the overall prize, worth more than R600 000,00. This includes a R50 000.00 cash prize, the transformation of a fleet of 10 taxi's into the artist's public artwork and a pr campaign focused on profiling the winner.
We look forward to the announcement of the winners in April and the public opening of the Top 30 exhibtion at our gallery on Saturday, 9 April 2016 at 11:00.
Lizamore@Clairvaux launch
In February 2016 we launched our new contemporary sculpture garden - Lizamore@Clairvaux in the Western Cape. Finding it's home on the Clairvaux wine estate alongside the well-known Ceramic Factory, Lizamore@Clairvaux will host sculptural exhibitions with the idyllic scenery of Robertson as a backdrop. Lizamore@Clairvaux is the brainchild of our curator and director, Teresa Lizamore. “I have envisioned a sculptural project for a number of years” she explains. “When this opportunity arose to open a sculpture garden on the beautiful Clairvaux estate alongside Ceramic Factory, it was one I could not miss.” The combination between the scenic mountain range views, the beautiful Clairvaux estate and contemporary sculpture is an idyllic experience for any day visitor. Lizamore@Clairvaux aims to introduce contemporary sculpture to the Boland region and offer tourist and weekend visitors not only the opportunity to view pieces but also investment opportunities in contemporary South African sculpture. “Curating sculpture is an ongoing passion of mine, as it allows me to create interactive spaces that the viewer can engage in.” The sculptures relate to everything around it; the weather, the light, the vegetation and the changes in the landscape it creates, this is an active relationship between viewer, sculpture and environment.
The aim with the placement of sculpture is to highlight and flatter both the sculptural qualities and the gardens natural beauty. By viewing a sculpture in a natural environment, one is able to highlight elements of the sculpture like, material (surface, colour, texture) and space (line, form, volume, openings and frames and focus). Gardens and sculptures become equal partners in creating a new living environment for the viewer, this is completely opposite to the idea of a clean, white cube gallery. Teresa Lizamore adds that this space offers investors the opportunity to view bigger pieces outside in a space that is, at times, much better suited for a piece than a traditional gallery.
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Lizamore @ Clairvaux: Lizamore & Associates take contemporary fine art to the Boland
Lizamore & Associates are thrilled to announce that they will be launching a sculpture garden in Robertson in the Western Cape, early in 2016. Through devotion to consistent excellence, Lizamore & Associates are exploring transformative possibilities through contemporary art and are now taking contemporary art to the Boland.
Finding it's home on the Clairvaux wine estate alongside the well-known Ceramic Factory, Lizamore@Clairvaux will host sculptural exhibitions with the idyllic scenery of Robertson as a backdrop. The Robertson Wine Valley is concentrated along the Breede River Valley and the foothills of the surrounding Langeberg and Riviersonderend mountains. Located in the wine valley, Clairvaux is a beautiful fifth-generation family farm in Robertson. The farmhouse is a well-known landmark in Robertson and features in many books including ‘Great Houses of the Western Cape’.
The combination between the scenic mountain range views, the beautiful Clairvaux estate and contemporary sculpture is an idyllic experience for any day visitor. Lizamore@Clairvaux aims to introduce contemporary sculpture to the Boland region and offer tourist and weekend visitors not only the opportunity to view pieces but also investment opportunities in contemporary South African sculpture. Teresa Lizamore, director and curator of Lizamore & Associates says "We are excited to extend the gallery's reach with the launch of our new sculpture garden at Clairvaux. This sculpture garden extends the gallery's market in the Cape and offers exposure to participating artists. We are confident that visitors to Clairvaux will enjoy the sculptural exhibitions."
The Lizamore at Clairvaux sculpture garden will be launched alongside a new Ceramic Factory shop on 27 February 2016. Visitors can expect to see works by acclaimed South Afircan artists, such as Strijdom van der Merwe, Hannelie Coetzee, Uwe Pfaff, Collen Maswanganyi and Ruhan Janse van Vuuren, amongst others, when they visit the estate.
For more information on this project or media enquiries contact: Suen Muller at suen@lizamore.co.za or 011 880 8802.
