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KekeTop: Artificial winter Malmesbury South Africa

 

THUPELO CAPE TOWN INTERNATIONAL WORKSHOP
GOEDGEDACHT CENTRE MALMESBURY - 29 OCTOBER 9 NOVEMBER 2001
EXHIBITION SOUTH AFRICAN NATIONAL GALLERY ANNEX - 11 18 NOVEMBER 2001

Thupelo Cape Town held an intensive 12-day workshop for 20 artists from South Africa, Africa and abroad at Goedgedacht Conference Centre near Malmesbury from 29 October 9 November 2001.
The workshop was attended by:
Alice Mc Cartney Northern Ireland | Ann Marie Curran Ireland | Baba Jakeh Zambia | Charles Kamangwana Zimbabwe | Buyisile Billy Mandindi W-Cape | Gabisile Ngcobo Kwa Zulu Natal | Mmakgabo Mmapula Sibidi Gauteng | Helena Wikstrom Sweden | KekeTop Finland | Lallitha Jawahirilal Kwa Zulu Natal | Lundi Mduba W-Cape | Magnus Bartas Sweden | Mongezi Gum W-Cape | Nomzi Kumalo E-Cape | Rene Korten Holland | Stephen Kasumba Uganda | Tamsin Relly W-Cape | Thando Mama Kwa Zulu Natal | Thembeka Qangule W-Cape | Wonder W-Cape.

The aim of the Workshop was to bring together artists from different regions of South Africa as well as artists from Africa and abroad, to work side-by-side without distraction for 12 full days of concentrated energy and creativity underscored by experimentation that is hardly present in conventional artists studios.

Largely because of the strong emphasis on process and experimentation, there were no intimidating hierarchies among artist and this created a non-judgemental working environment. The exchange of ideas among artists provided the basis of the workshop creating wider networks for artists to pursue into the future. Artists resided at Goedgedacht for the duration of the Workshop, sharing a communal studio space on the premises or working outdoors and interacting with the environment.

Communal meals were provided by Goedgedacht staff and evenings were spent watching slides presented by participants, and in deep discussions and debate relating to the artists and their various countries. These evenings were very much part of the process of getting to know each other and the building up of intense bonds/relationships within a very short period of time.

On Friday 2 November the Press was invited to meet the artists. Representatives from the Cape Times, Die Burger and Association for Visual Arts attended. On Sunday 4 November there was a walkabout where artists could discuss their works in progress with the entire group of participants.

After returning to Cape Town where all the participants from out of Cape Town were booked to stay at the Lighthouse Guest Farm in Oude Molen Village, the exhibition was hung on Saturday 10 November at the South African National Gallery Annex.

The exhibition was opened on 11 November by Garth Erasmus and was a huge success visited by over 200 people. Many of the artists sold works. We had groups of schoolchildren visit from Masibambisane Secondary School as well as Kleinvlei High School. Participants of the workshop spoke to the students explaining the workshop and their individual works, techniques, materials used and life experiences, the children thus becoming in a way, part of the process. A questionnaire was handed out with place for drawing some of their impressions of the show.

The Workshop was made possible through funding and support from the National Arts Council, Triangle Arts Trust, Arts and Culture Trust of the President, Association for Visual Arts, and International Artists Program in Sweden (IASPIS), Northern Ireland Voluntary Trust, Swedish Institute, Noord Braabands Fond voor Beeldende Kunstenaars, KC Nord, EV+A, Bell Roberts, South African National Gallery as well as an anonymous Donation.

The Workshop has been fully documented and we are in the process of putting together a catalogue. An intensive, creative environment was provided in which artists developed not only within their art but also within themselves as a whole. The workshop took on an energy completely unique to the group of artists attending. It was a very hard and intensive learning experience for all involved, especially within the organization and committee structures where we had placed very young and enthusiastic individuals into serious positions of responsibility within the workshop. We are committed at Thupelo to growing our youth into carrying the Triangle workshops into the future.

Thanks to all involved for contributing in many and varied ways for the success of THUPELO
Alex Mamacos artmore@mweb.co.za
Administrator Thupelo Cape Town 22 November 2001

 

Stephen Kasumba; Thupelo workshop report

 

 

"my imagination about the north"


Baba Jakeh


Mmakgabo Mmapula Sibidi


Jill Trappler


Lallitha Jawahirilal


Lundi Mduba


Mongezi Gum


Tamsin Relly


Thando Mama


Wonder

I was one of the participants in Thupelo workshop. I come from Finland, from the northern part of the World. I asked my southafrican colleaques to make a little artwork to me, something like "my imagination about the north". Somebody asked me about who's north I mean? It's up to you, I sayed. Well, after some days we got some fine artpieces "about the north" in the south. Have a look!

KekeTop


Kamangwana

For more info about Thupelo go www.greatmoreart.org

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