StateoftheART is pleased to announce the winner of the StateoftheART Gallery Award 2021.

The Award aims to champion contemporary art by emerging artists resident in South Africa, increasing exposure for their work, and encouraging further professional development opportunities. Entrants were asked to submit work to the theme ‘On The Brink: Visualising Climate Change’ and were challenged to engage with the reality of climate crisis and its impact within a South African context.

The 2021 Award recipient is Sylvester Zanoxolo Mqeku, who is currently studying towards his Masters degree at the Central University of Technology in Bloemfontein.

The ten shortlisted finalists were selected from hundreds of entries by artists from across South Africa. Two works by each of the finalists went on show earlier this month for the final round of judging in a group exhibition. This year’s panel of esteemed judges are Ashraf Jamal, writer and art critic; Strijdom van der Merwe, Africa’s foremost land artist; Nadja Daehnke, Director of the Irma Stern Museum; Lucinda Jolly, arts lecturer, writer & academic - and Jennifer Reynolds, owner of StateoftheART.  The Award Finalists exhibition reflects a broad range of media. As well as sand-cast ceramics by Mqeku, the show features the work of: Janet Ormond, Theophelus Rikhotsu, Rozelle Greyling, Tumelo Mphela, Kristen McClarty, Given Muronga , Mfundo Sizwe Ziphozonke Mngomezulu, Liesl Roos and Dominic de Villiers.

The judges highly commended Janet Ormond and Theophelus Rikhotso whose artworks highlights the talent, variety of mediums, and ideas in contemporary art practice.

As the winner of the 2021 Award, Mqeku receives a cash prize of R40 000 to support the development of new work, and a solo exhibition with StateoftheART Gallery in 2022.

Gallery owner Jennifer Reynolds said, “In its third year, the Gallery Award continues to raise the profile of contemporary artists working at the vanguard of their discipline. As the only artist in Africa with a ceramic studio dedicated to the use of sand-casting, Mqeku fully embodies the spirit of the Award.”

The Award Finalists Exhibition concludes Saturday 30 October 2021.

StateoftheART is pleased to announce the winner of the StateoftheART Gallery Award 2021

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About StateoftheART

StateoftheART is an innovative boutique-style gallery and e-commerce platform representing selected emerging and mid-career visual artists from across South Africa.Established in 2010 and a pioneer in the online art market in South Africa, StateoftheART showcases a carefully curated collection of affordable contemporary art conveniently available through their 'click-to-buy' service for collectors unable to visit the Cape Town gallery in person. StateoftheART opened its physical doors in the center of Cape Town in 2013 with two objectives: to meet the desire of artists for their works to be seen in 'real-life' and to reassure buyers of the quality of artwork, giving them peace of mind when investing online.

The gallery hosts an exciting program of exhibitions by up-and-coming local artists at their Cape Town gallery located at The Square, 50 Buitenkant Street, in the trendy east precinct of the city center.

For more information visit the website or contact:Jennifer Reynolds

E: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
T: +27 (0)61 129 1899

STATEOFTHEART GALLERY AWARD 2019 FINALISTS ANNOUNCED

Cape Town based gallery StateoftheART is pleased to announce the 10 artists shortlisted for the second edition of the StateoftheART Gallery Award

After careful consideration of several hundred entries by artists from across South Africa, the judges have shortlisted 10 artists working in a number of mediums including painting, photography, digital art and printmaking. The work of the shortlisted artists will go on show in a special exhibition at StateoftheART’s Cape Town gallery from 27 August to 14 September 2019, and the winner announced at the Award Ceremony on 05 September 2019. The winner will be awarded a R20 000 cash prize and a solo exhibition with the gallery in 2020.

For further details on the Award, to be invited to Award Ceremony or to arrange a viewing, please contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Shortlisted artists:
Nonkululeko Sibande; Simon Venter; Laurette de Jager; Balekane Legoabe; Natasha Brown; Minenkulu Ngoyi; Larissa Mwanyama; Christelle Viviers; Damian Osborne; Monique Day-Wilde.

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Notes to the editors:
The members of the StateoftheART Gallery Award 2019 jury are Mirjam Asmal, director of the AVA; Chris Denovan, visual artist; Carol Hodes, curator and collector; Jennifer Reynolds, founder of StateoftheART. 

About the Award
StateoftheART launched the inaugural StateoftheART Gallery Award in February 2018, to unearth undiscovered talent by artists from across South Africa and provide a platform for artists to gain industry recognition and boost their career. The 2018 Award winner Jo Roets held her acclaimed  debut solo exhibition ‘Mʌn.tɹə Mãe’ in May this year. 

About StateoftheART
Established in 2010, StateoftheART is a boutique gallery specialising in affordable contemporary art by early and mid career South African artists. The gallery offers an online ‘click-to-buy' service for collectors unable to visit in person. 

For further media information/interview opportunities please contact: Jennifer Reynolds or Andrea Stallbom

A Feast of Flight’s third annual pole dance production presents a twist on the classic “The Wizard of Oz”, as we follow Doug on a journey to complete transformation after running for number one spot in the Emerald City Drag Race. This July join Doug on a trip down the yellow brick road and meet all the weird and wonderful characters he runs into along the way.

From his encounters with the Scarecrow, the Tinman and the Cowardly Lion, to Glinda the Diva of Oz, the Wicked Witch and the Wizard; Doug experiences a new lease on life when he realises his true self, Doris. A Feast of Flight is a one of a kind extravaganza created and produced by The Pole Project (in Woodstock), presented in collaboration with instructors and students from numerous studios around the city: AIR Fitness Studio (in Bellville), Pole Dance Cape Town (in the CBD), Vertical Secrets (in Table View) and Wild Pole Flow Movement (in Bergvliet).

The first of its kind, A Feast of Flight 2017 was a contemporary play on Lewis Caroll’s Alice in Wonderland, where we followed Alistair down a rabbit hole of dubious choices and bad influences until he eventually slayed his "jabberwocky" demons. In 2018, we met the peculiar confectionary maven, Willy Wonka and his famous Oompa Loompas as we followed five competitors battling it out to be the new “face” of the brand.

This year’s show is set to be just as fabulous as years past and the storyline just as quirky. Director of A Feast of Flight and owner of The Pole Project, Kathy Lee, says; There’s no shortage of familiar classic stories and fairy tales to choose from when we start conceptualising a theme.

The trick is to choose a storyline that can be updated to be made more accessible and relevant to a modern-day audience, but that’s also fun and creative to keep the audience enthralled. This year, ‘The Wizard of Oz’ came to mind”. “Of course, every production has its challenges. Trying to bring a story to life through dance and costumes alone is not an easy task.

Then it’s trying to coordinate routines and intense practice sessions between five different studios and performers who are just everyday individuals with full-time jobs. I believe that it is our extreme passion and determination that allows us to produce such a professional production year after year”, Lee continues.

Of the growing contribution of studios from across the city Lee says, “A Feast of Flight was essentially created in order to promote and showcase the artistic and athletic side of pole dance, because not many people regard the art form as such. And it was an opportunity for our students to show off their strength and abilities in front of a captivated audience. However, the event has grown to such an extent that we now have a number of studios on board that share the same vision. The fact that we have other studios expressing an interest in taking part each year is a real testament to the ever-expanding pole dance community and to what we’ve created”.

A Feast of Flight: Doris and the Wizard of Oz will take place on Friday, 26 and Saturday, 27 July from 7pm at the Joseph Stone Auditorium, corner of Protea and Klipfontein Roads in Athlone. Tickets for the event cost R255 per person and can be bought via Quicket (https://qkt.io/doris). Drinks and snacks will be on sale at the event. There will be secure parking provided around the Stadium. The show contains adult themes and parental guidance is advised.

Follow the event on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/events/2231347646955118/ or follow The Pole Project on Facebook @The Pole Project, Twitter @thepoleproject and Instagram @thepoleproject.

For more information contact The Pole Project on 021 461 0215, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or visit www.thepoleproject.co.za.

In 2019, UJ Arts & Culture embraces the power of the arts to ignite the passion of its students and audiences.

A division of the Faculty of Art, Design and Architecture (FADA) at the University of Johannesburg (UJ), the Arts & Culture department is gearing up to present another exciting programme set to appeal to audiences with diverse sensibilities.

“Few things in life is as passion-driven as the practice and enjoyment of the arts. Creativity is not the preserve of artists alone. The arts form the social fibre of our nation and deserve to be elevated and nurtured as part of the holistic human experience,” says Head of UJ Arts & Culture, Pieter Jacobs. “It is rare for students from across a university to have access to participate in the arts in the way they are able to do at UJ. Generally, these opportunities are exclusively reserved for students registered for undergraduate courses in the arts. UJ takes the holistic development of its students seriously and recognises the value of student engineers, teachers, accountants, economists, and many more, developing the soft skills required to thrive in the ever-changing world,” he continues.

Over the past 14 years, UJ Arts & Culture has earned its spot as one of the key role players on the arts and entertainment landscape and prides itself on numerous awards. In 2018, this legacy continued with UJ Choir being crowned world champions in the Folk Music category at the World Choir Games while its student production Choir Boy received an Encore Award at the National Arts Festival as well as a nod for best student production by the South African Theatre Magazine. Its flagship interdisciplinary project that involves more than 300 FADA students received nine Broadway South Africa awards for its rendition of Reza De Wet’s African Gothic.

Through the UJ Arts Academy a range of free opportunities to develop creative skills are made available to students, staff and alumni. A key component of the Arts Academy is the 66-member UJ Choir. Other music opportunities offered include the UniJoh Chorale, Jazz Band, Drumming Group and Orchestra. Dance classes in latin, ballroom, ballet, hip hop, afro-fusion and contemporary dance are offered as well as acting classes and poetry sessions.

UJ Arts & Culture hosts University events and external events including large meetings, strategic breakaways, conferences, lectures, concerts, festivals and theatre productions at its venues. Facilities operated include the Art Centre on the Kingsway Campus with a 428-seater Theatre, an 18-seater conference room and two studios; the Experimental Theatre, also on the Kingsway Campus, is a flexible space primarily used for and by students; and the 180-seater Con Cowan Theatre with adjacent studios is based on the Bunting Road Campus. Venue bookings for 2019 and 2020 is currently open.

The 2019 #FollowYourHeART programme includes an exhibitions programme, a stand-up comedy series, theatre and dance seasons, a music concert series, UJ Weekend of Jazz, UJ Youth Arts Festival and the Izimbongi Poetry Festival: 

#LoveYourHeART Exhibitions ProgrammeA partnership with the Embassy of Brazil will see UJ Art Gallery host Rodrigo Petrella’s photo exhibition, Mekaron, in February.  Following Farieda Nazier’s 2018 PhD residency at UJ Arts & Culture, Post Present Future, will be hosted at the Apartheid Museum and the popular PPC Imaginarium will return to the University’s Gallery in April. Curating the Cube is a 21-year retrospective exhibition, reflecting on Curator Annali Dempsey’s tenure at the Randse Afrikaanse Universiteit and then UJ after its amalgamation. Yannis Generalis’ solo exhibition will be followed by another 21-year celebration presented by the Ampersand Foundation. South African heavyweight Diane Victor’s solo exhibition will be followed by a collaborative showcase comprising works of both the UJ and MTN art collections. 

#ListenToYourHeART Music Concert SeriesKicking off the series is the popular South African songstress, Anna Davel in collaboration with the Bruckner University Big Band, followed by the avant-garde duo, La Musa, from Vienna. UJ Choir will join forces with South African gem, Gloria Bosman and will tour to Potchefstroom, Nelspruit and Sasolburg and will mark the end of the year with its customary Celebration Concert. The UniJoh Chorale will present a Mother's Day concert and participate in the City of Johannesburg Choral Festival. The music programme will end on a high note with the hugely popular gala fundraiser, A Grand Night for Singing, in support of the Dean’s Bursary Fund.

#CelebrateYourHeART Festivals ProgrammeUJ Arts & Culture’s urban music offering, UJ Weekend of Jazz, will return in 2019 as well as the UJ Youth Arts Festival and the Izimbongi Poetry Festival. UJ Arts & Culture’s offering at the National Arts Festival will include Kafka’s Metamorphosis adapted for the stage by Steven Berkoff, directed by Alby Michaels with Khutjo Green, Ameera Patel, William Harding and Craig Morris as well as a new one-man production developed in residence, iNDUKU. UJ Arts Academy students will present the classic, Lord of the flies, under guidance of debut-director Ayanda Bulose.

#MakeYourHeART Theatre and Dance SeasonsOut the Box Comedy, presented in partnership with POPArt and Goliath and Goliath, is a series of stand-up comedy shows leading up to Out the Box Comedy Special, bringing together some of South Africa’s funniest comedians to the Art Centre Theatre in October. The theatre line-up includes seasons of Metamorphosis, iNDUKU and Lord of the flies.Let the right one in, an ambitious project undertaken as part of the FADA interdisciplinary project, will enjoy a development run in October. Moving into Dance will be hosted at the UJ Art Centre Theatre for two weeks bringing the company’s 40th year celebrations to a close. This will be followed by an international collaboration between Tribhangi Dance Theatre and a UK-based dance company. 

#LiveYourHeART Residency ProgrammeRight of Admission, a collaborative work between Alberta Whittle and Farieda Nazier, will be developed in residence at UJ Arts & Culture during 2019. Performance Artist, Kieron Jina, will create a new piece entitled Rise of the African Queer Deities and Ayabonga Makanya, a new creative voice, will collaborate with award-winning director and UJ Arts & Culture Production Manager, Jade Bowers, on iNDUKU.For more information visit UJ Arts & Culture website and venue booking system at www.uj.ac.za/arts. 

NOTES TO THE EDITOR

About UJ Arts & CultureUJ Arts & Culture, a division of the Faculty of Art, Design & Architecture (FADA) produces and presents world-class student and professional arts programmes aligned to the UJ vision of an international university of choice, anchored in Africa, dynamically shaping the future. A robust range of arts platforms are offered on all four UJ campuses for students, staff, alumni and the general public to experience and engage with emerging and established Pan-African and international artists drawn from the full spectrum of the arts.In addition to UJ Arts & Culture, FADA (www.uj.ac.za/fada) offers programmes in eight creative disciplines, in Art, Design and Architecture, as well as playing home to the NRF SARChI Chair in South African Art & Visual Culture, and the Visual Identities in Art & Design Research Centre. The Faculty has a strong focus on sustainability and relevance, and engages actively with the dynamism, creativity and diversity of Johannesburg in imagining new approaches to art and design education.   

StateoftheART is pleased to announce the winner of the StateoftheART Gallery Award 2018.

The Award aims to champion contemporary art by emerging artists resident in South Africa, increasing exposure for their work, and encouraging further professional development opportunities.

The winning artist, Jo Roets, is based in Cape Town, and her light relief clay sculptures reference the various cultures of South Africa: symbolic patterns and shapes inspired by Islamic prayer mats, Ndebele aprons and neck pendants, Zulu earplugs and beer pots - and patterns from her grandmother’s doilies.

The ten shortlisted finalists were selected from hundreds of artists from across South Africa who applied for the Award. Two works by each of the finalists went on show earlier this month for the final round of judging in a group exhibition held at StateoftheART in Cape Town. Mirjam Asmal, Director, AVA; Mandy Conidaris, Director OOTC Gallery and artist; Carol Hodes, Curator and Collector; Macx Ncevu, Award Winning Photographer and Jennifer Reynolds, Director of StateoftheART, comprised this year’s panel of respected art professionals who named Roets the overall Award winner.

The Award Finalists exhibition reflected a broad range of media. As well as Jo Roets, the show featured the work of: Adele van Heerden, Chloe Obermeyer, Lebogang Mabusela, Anina Deetlefs, Janna Prinsloo, Tina Teles, Anna-Carien Goosen, Nadine Hansen and Lezanne Kotze.

As the 2018 winner, Jo Roets will receive a prize of a solo exhibition in 2019, and a R10 000 cash award to support the development of new work.

Jo Roets said, “Entering this competition connected me with fellow artists and like-minded people. StateoftheART did not follow the typical art competition model but invented a fresh and creative way of presenting this competition, changing the typical format and chronology of events. This meant that finalists had the opportunity to meet each other on social media before meeting in real life. This distinct characteristic of StatetoftheART sets them apart from other galleries. They really do value the importance of online presence highly. To have your work and name be seen by thousands of people is a win in itself - a spin-off of being a finalist.

As an artist it is one thing to set out goals. The challenge comes when action needs to be taken towards achieving these goals. Part of the process is working long hours, fighting through self-doubt and hoping that my work would be good enough. This is why I am extremely grateful for winning this award and gaining the recognition that it has afforded me. It is a self-doubt eliminator. My excitement for my very first solo exhibition cannot be contained. I can hardly wait to start the process and to begin planning towards the show.”

Director of StateoftheART, Jennifer Reynolds said, “We are thrilled to be working with Jo Roets and we hope the solo exhibition will present Jo with a fabulous opportunity to develop her work and career, and it will be a real treat for our audience in May 2019.

The quality and standard of work submitted to the inaugural StateoftheART Gallery Award was outstanding and we congratulate the winner and all the entrants on their inspiring artworks. We look forward to following their developing careers, and wish them and each of our shortlisted entrants all the success for the future."

Jo Roets air-dryed clay sculptural pieces are currently on display at StateoftheART.

Join the conversation by using the hashtag #SOTAAward on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. You can discover more about the exhibiting artists by visiting the Gallery’s website: www.stateoftheart-gallery.com

Cape Town based gallery StateoftheART is pleased to announce the 10 artists shortlisted for the inaugural StateoftheART Gallery Award 2018.

After careful consideration of several hundred entries by artists from around South Africa, the judges have shortlisted 10 artists working across a number of mediums including sculpture, painting and printmaking. The work of the shortlisted artists will go on show in a special exhibition at StateoftheART’s Cape Town gallery from 06 – 22nd September 2018 for the final round of judging.

The winner will be awarded a R10 000 cash prize and a solo exhibition with the gallery in 2019.

For further details on the Award, to be invited to the opening event or to arrange a viewing, please contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Shortlisted artists:

Jo Roets; Janna Prinsloo; Anna-Carien Goosen; Nadine Hansen; Lezanne Kotze; Adele Van Heerden; Anina Deetlefs; Lebogang Mabusela; Tina Teles; Chloe Obermeyer.

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Notes to the editors
The members of the StateoftheART Gallery Award jury are Mirjam Asmal, director of the AVA; Mandy Conidaris, visual art consultant, art writer, and visual arts educator; Carol Hodes, curator and collector; Masixole Ncevu, award-winning artist and photographer; Jennifer Reynolds, founder of StateoftheART. 

About the Award
StateoftheART launched the inaugural StateoftheART Gallery Award in February 2018, to unearth undiscovered talent by artists from around South Africa and provide a platform for artists to gain industry recognition and boost their career. Five respected people involved in the art industry have selected the shortlist of 10 finalists whose work shows originality, a strong signature in a South African context, and technical skill.

About StateoftheART
Established in 2010, StateoftheART is a boutique gallery specialising in affordable contemporary art by early and mid career South African artists. The gallery offers an online ‘click-to-buy' service for collectors unable to visit in person.

For further media information/interview opportunities please contact
Jennifer Reynolds on 072 4709272 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Andrea Stallbom on 061 129 1899 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Johannesburg 09 July 2018 – Shango Publishing and Gudani Raulisa are proud to offer the latest work from Gudani Raulisa, The Year of Fire, hitting bookstores in Johannesburg from 25 August 2018; launching at Skoobs Theatre of Books in Fourways.

The Year of Fire is a compelling tale, unpacking the deepest issues of rape culture, misogyny and student politics in a narrative by Victor.

“Patriarchy and rape culture, like racism or homophobia, are not merely a blip on the screen of human existence. They’re deeply ingrained in us, like an indelible stain on a precious garment. Only two things could be done with and to such stains: spread the stain throughout the garment with a dye or cut it out. If you spread the stain, it can no longer be seen as a deviation, because the whole garment will now bear the same colour attribute.

If you cut it out the garment will lose its elegance and value, but this is what the military would term an acceptable loss. This man had done neither, instead, he had disaffected me from himself and other men, like a leper he wanted to be driven out of society to rot alone in the wilderness” –

Gudani Raulisa weaves a heart-wrenching tale of gender disparities against an apprehensive backdrop of cataclysm and student politics, eliciting key reflections on the state of gender relations in our society. 

2018 marks ten years since the University of Johannesburg’s (UJ) Department of Jewellery Design and Manufacture (in the Faculty of Art, Design and Architecture), embarked on a new mission – to develop self-starting designers with a competitive advantage in the challenges of the 4th Industrial Revolution.

In that time, the programme has evolved and blossomed, through a focus on the production of original work, into one of the most advanced jewellery design programmes in the country.In collaboration with the UJ Art Gallery and UJ Arts & Culture, the University of Johannesburg’s Jewellery Department brings you our most innovative exhibition yet: The 300 Art Ornaments Exhibition. This is a showcase of all levels of student work, where the viewer has the unique experience of being able to contribute to the experiential learning of each student, while buying original and interesting jewellery pieces at affordable prices in all manner of different materials, and aesthetics. Three of the department’s well-respected alumni, Maryse Castel (of MYCreations), Reon Davids (designing for Zurie Designer Jewellery), and Cailin Ernst (of Cailin Ernst Handmade Designer Jewellery), will be adding their current work to the exhibition, allowing the viewer to see first-hand the progression of their unique design styles.

Joining this endeavour is the Thuthuka Jewellery Project, spearheaded by Carola Ross. Thuthuka introduces a fun and fresh opportunity for new and different designs from Further Education and Training (FET) colleges and skills development incubators around the country.

The exhibition will open at the UJ Art Gallery on the 16 May 2018 at 17:30 for 18:00, with an all-black and no jewellery dress code, and will then run until 30 May 2018, with opportunities for walkabouts with the curators.

For more information, please feel free to call the UJ Department of Jewellery Design and Manufacture on 011 559 1125 or the UJ Art Gallery on 011 559 2099/2556.

About UJ Arts & Culture

UJ Arts & Culture, a division of the Faculty of Art, Design & Architecture (FADA), produces and presents world-class student and professional arts programmes aligned to the UJ vision of an international university of choice, anchored in Africa, dynamically shaping the future. A robust range of arts platforms are offered on all four UJ campuses for students, staff, alumni and the general public to experience and engage with emerging and established Pan-African and international artists drawn from the full spectrum of the arts.

In addition to UJ Arts & Culture, FADA (www.uj.ac.za/fada) offers programmes in eight creative disciplines, in Art, Design and Architecture, as well as playing home to the NRF SARChI Chair in South African Art & Visual Culture, and the Visual Identities in Art & Design Research Centre. The Faculty has a strong focus on sustainability and relevance, and engages actively with the dynamism, creativity and diversity of Johannesburg in imagining new approaches to art and design education.  

#METAMORPHOSIS is UJ Arts & Culture’s 2018 programme of change.

“Looking at our creative programme through this thematic lens is the ideal stimulus for alignment with the University’s drive to participate meaningfully in decolonisation and transformation,” says Pieter Jacobs, Head of Arts & Culture (a division of the Faculty of Art, Design and Architecture) at the University of Johannesburg.

Drawing inspiration from the theme of #METAMORPHOSIS has seen UJ Arts & Culture plan to change more than its content. The 2018 programme features two brand new festivals as well as new partnerships that will increase opportunities for the university community, creative industries and the public to experience and participate in the arts. The programme is diverse, ranging from jazz, poetry and youth arts festivals to a music concert series, stand-up comedy shows, drama and dance seasons and an exhibitions programme.

"It is a great responsibility to play a role in shaping leaders of the future. And what better tool than the arts to develop the emotional and cultural intelligence to harness the knowledge and skills we acquire as we go through life,” says Jacobs. To this end, UJ Arts & Culture offers students and staff a robust programme to participate in the arts. Through the UJ Arts Academy, students, alumni and staff have access to a range of free dance and acting classes, poetry and drumming sessions or they could audition for theatre productions, the UJ Choir, UniJoh Chorale, jazz band, wind band or orchestra. Its student offering would not be complete without the hugely popular student talent competition presented annually and group tours to festivals and celebrations.

A key component of UJ Arts & Culture’s activities is its annual interdisciplinary collaborative FADA programme, launched in 2017 by the Dean of the Faculty, Professor Federico Freschi. Once again, this programme will see more than 300 students from departments across the faculty get involved in different design aspects of a UJ Arts & Culture-produced play as part of their course work.

“UJ Arts & Culture’s #METAMORPHOSIS programme is designed to advance the University’s vision of an international institution of choice, anchored in Africa, dynamically shaping the future. Bolstered by PhD residencies, local and international performing arts residencies, lectures, workshops and conferences, the Division strives to offer world-class opportunities to experience, participate in, and for empowerment through the arts,” concludes Jacobs.

#METAMORPHOSIS promises to appeal to art lovers with diverse interests:

VISUAL ART

Exhibitions Programme
For the fourth year in a row UJ Arts & Culture’s exhibitions programme will feature the PPC Imaginarium Awards. These awards, established by PPC Ltd, offer emerging designers and artists a platform to showcase their talent and creativity through the use of cement as a primary medium.

In May, the 300 Art Ornaments exhibition will showcase over 250 pieces collected by the UJ Jewellery Design and Manufacture Department over the past 10 years.
UJ Art Gallery in partnership with the Bag Factory will play host to Brazillian curator Daniella Géo, who delves into the Bag Factory’s alumni archives. TRANS will showcase the impact Bag Factory’s alumni have had on the art scene and the role it played in connecting the Johannesburg with the rest of Africa and the world.
UJ Arts & Culture, in collaboration with the MTN Foundation SA, presents Continuing Conversations, following the 2017 collaborative Shifting Conversations exhibition. The conversations continue in 2018, with works derived from both the MTN and UJ art collections as well as emerging artists with an addition of a mentorship and educational programme.
The 2018 UJ Arts Gallery calendar is set to close on a high with the celebration of 21 Years of The Ampersand Foundation, which rewards excellence in the visual arts by granting fellowships to young professional South African contemporary visual artists. Curator Gordon Froud brings works completed by such fellows together in this exhibition.

MUSIC

UJ Concert Series
Kicking off the UJ Concert Series is the re-launch of the University’s Steinway Concert Grand with Steinway artists Christopher Duigan, Charl du Plessis and Jill Richards featuring the rising star, Sulayman Human, in concert.

Presented in partnership with Pro Helvetia Johannesburg, Swiss group Hildegard Lernt Fliegen (Hildegard Learns to Fly) is a Swiss formation of avant-garde jazz, headlined by singer Andreas Schaerer. In 2014, the band received the BMW Welt Jazz Award, and subsequently toured Switzerland, Austria, Germany, Czech Republic, Slovenia, Estonia, Lithuania, Russia, Luxembourg, China, Italy, Finland, UK and France.

The programme will culminate in FADA’s major fundraising drive in support of the Dean’s Bursary Fund. Presented annually on the first Saturday of November, A Grand Night for Singing will feature familiar and new voices, the UJ Choir and the Johannesburg Youth Orchestra.

UJ Choir

In addition to performing at more than 20 graduation ceremonies and special events, the UJ Choir will perform alongside Hope College (USA) at the Rosebank Catholic Church and with Akustika Chamber Singers at SABC's M1 Studio in May. The highlight for UJ Choir's 2018 calendar includes, competing in the much-anticipated World Choir Games in early July.

UJ Choir, Tuks Camerata, and Puk-Koor will be performing in Koorkaleidoscope at the University of Pretoria's Musaion in August. UJ Choir's annual programme wraps up with its customary end year Celebration Concert at the end of October.

FESTIVALS

UJ Weekend of Jazz
Presented in celebration of Africa Day, the inaugural UJ Weekend of Jazz, is scheduled to take place at the UJ Art Centre from 24-26 May. This urban jazz experience, is set to cast a spotlight on exceptionally skilled emerging jazz musicians who are not afraid to experiment or disrupt the notion of jazz.

National Arts Festival
Keeping up the tradition, UJ Arts & Culture will present a substantive programme at the National Arts Festival with the translation of Reza de Wet’s iconic African Gothic (translation of Diepe Grond) headlining the UJ programme, which includes Choir Boy by Tarell Alvin McCraney, a music concert and STAGED, a new play development showcase.
UJ Youth Arts Festival
The new festival will cast a spotlight on some of the best new creative voices with students from other institutions, colleges and youth groups joining UJ Arts & Culture students in a showcase of acting, singing, dancing and making music. The festival will be hosted at the UJ Art Centre as well as at the Con Cowan Theatre in August.

Izimbongi Poetry Festival
UJ Arts & Culture’s grand finale after a year-long slam poetry programme with students, school learners and the public will take shape in the form of a week-long poetry festival featuring performances by professional and amateur spoken word artists, book launches, lectures, forum discussions and workshops.

THEATRE

Out the Box Comedy
Back by popular demand, UJ Arts & Culture will again team up with POPArt and Goliath & Goliath to present the Out the Box Comedy shows, culminating in a marathon of 20 comedians performing 5-minute sets each.

Choir Boy
Comprising a combination of student and professional actors, the play tells the story of a young man who wants nothing more than to take his rightful place as leader of the school's legendary gospel choir. Can he find his way inside the hallowed halls of this institution if he sings in his own key? After its premiere at the National Arts Festival, Choir Boy will be performed at the UJ Youth Arts Festival in August.

African Gothic
Set against the backdrop of a farm in desolate ruin, Reza de Wet’s, African Gothic (translation of Diepe Grond), tells the story of the complicated, passionate, and troubled relationship between two siblings. Presented in partnership with Joburg Theatres, the play will be presented at The Fringe following its run at the National Arts Festival in July.

Metamorphosis
As Gregor Samsa awoke one morning from uneasy dreams he found himself transformed in his bed into a gigantic insect. The staging of the play will be the culmination of a year-long process that involves more than 300 students and lecturers from different departments in the Faculty of Art, Design and Architecture (FADA) working on various design and development aspects of the work as part of their course work. Kafka’s Metamorphosis, adapted by Steven Berkoff will be tested in October with a view of undertaking full runs in 2019.

DANCE
MIDM’s 40th Anniversary Celebration Season proudly hosted by UJ Arts & Culture at the UJ Art Centre will comprise two programmes – the first will run from 14 to 16 September 2018 and the second in the following week from 20 to 22 September 2018.

SWAN, inspired by the famous ballet, Swan Lake, and the Japanese social phenomenon Hikikomori, the dance piece was built by Hannah Ma and Kesuke Mihara on Tchaikovsky’s music. SWAN will perform at the Con Cowan Theatre from 21 to 23 September 2018.

For more information visit UJ Arts & Culture’s new user-friendly website and booking system at www.uj.ac.za/arts

About UJ Arts & Culture

UJ Arts & Culture, a division of the Faculty of Art, Design & Architecture (FADA) produces and presents world-class student and professional arts programmes aligned to the UJ vision of an international university of choice, anchored in Africa, dynamically shaping the future. A robust range of arts platforms are offered on all four UJ campuses for students, staff, alumni and the general public to experience and engage with emerging and established Pan-African and international artists drawn from the full spectrum of the arts.

In addition to UJ Arts & Culture, FADA (www.uj.ac.za/fada) offers programmes in eight creative disciplines, in Art, Design and Architecture, as well as playing home to the NRF SARChI Chair in South African Art & Visual Culture, and the Visual Identities in Art & Design Research Centre. The Faculty has a strong focus on sustainability and relevance, and engages actively with the dynamism, creativity and diversity of Johannesburg in imagining new approaches to art and design education. 

Eight gorgeous life-sized Rhino sculptures are wowing the crowds at the V&A Waterfront and Cape Town International Airport this January through to February 2018.

The Rhinos Are Coming!!! have announced that their Sponsors’ Rhinos are getting fantastic exposure in the many places they have been since they embarked on their Great Rhino Roadshow in April 2017. The main event is the three-month long world-class outdoor art exhibition which will be coming to Cape Town from mid-December 2018 to mid-March 2019. It will feature 60 or more life-sized painted Rhino sculptures which will be exhibited on street corners, parks and public spaces all around the city centre and surrounds. The exhibition will raise funds and spread awareness for the plight of South Africa’s endangered rhinos.Talented artists from our local communities transformed the first nine pioneer life-sized blank Rhino sculptures into valuable works of art.

Eighteen Sponsors have already signed up. The City of Cape Town supports this initiative by enabling Art Rhinos to be exhibited at many of the most-visited iconic tourism sites in Cape Town. The first nine painted Rhinos are already creating huge exposure for their Sponsors with the Sponsor’s brand name and mission statement emblazoned on a plaque attached to the heavyweight base on which the Rhinos are anchored.  These famous, as well as up and coming artists volunteered to paint the pioneer Rhinos: Beezy Baily, Lionel Smit, Nardstar*, Jade Waller, Nasser Zadeh, Peter Gray, Andrew Hart Adler, Clair Homewood and the children of the Lalela Project.

These Rhino ambassadors have already been doing the rounds at well-visited events such as the 2017 Gartner Symposium held at the CTICC, where they were hosted by MTN Business SA. The Rhinos started on their travels with their spectacular presence at the Cape Town Stadium for five days by the invitation of the Organisers of the We Are Africa conference in August 2017. Then they moved to Spier for three days. The ‘Penguin Rhino’ is gracing the entrance to The Two Oceans Aquarium. The other four can be seen at the Flag Pole and the Watershed areas located inside of the V&A Waterfront.

The Radisson Hotel Group have been using their Rhino since December 2017 to be on display at the entrances to their various hotels during the run-up to the Exhibition in December 2018, enhancing their social media and PR presence.These first nine Rhinos were sponsored by The One & Only Hotel, Belmond Mount Nelson Hotel, The Radisson Hotel Group, African Secrets, Timeless Africa Safaris, The Alphen Boutique Hotel, Welgevonden Game Reserve, Motswari Game Reserve and Pamela Isdell, in her private capacity. Janice Ashby, Founder of The Rhinos Are Coming!!!!, is appealing to organisations and individuals to get involved by sponsoring a Rhino. There are great marketing benefits for sponsors.

The Rhinos are Coming!!! Exhibition will promote Cape Town as a top tourist destination and an international centre for the arts. It will offer local artists the opportunity to showcase their work to an audience of hundreds of thousands while inviting the general public to join the war on poaching and to save our rhinos. In the first quarter of 2018, eight of these uniquely painted sculptures will make their appearances at The Cape Town Carnival on Saturday 17 March and at the World Travel Market Conference at the CTICC from 18 – 20 April. 

If you want find out more about this great initiative and how it works, you can do so by following on social media, reading more on the website or making contact via email. Details below.

• Website: http://www.therhinosarecoming.org
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/therhinosarecoming
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/therhinosarecoming2018/
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/27153920/
• Email to: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.