Archive: Issue No. 98, October 2005

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Brett Kebble

Brett Kebble and last year's joint winner Phillip Rikhotso

Brett Kebble

Curatorial team at selection centre in Thohoyandou Arts and Culture Centre in Limpopo


The Kebble Awards to take place as planned
by Linda Stupart

A few weeks ago everyone was talking about Jeff Koons and what it means to have this art superstar co-judge the Kebble Awards. What would my entry have been if I'd known he was coming? Nathaniel Stern asked on his website.

After Brett Kebble's sad and shocking death last week, however, the South African artworld was, and remains, stunned by the loss of its most ambitious and generous patron. His father Roger's statement, just days after his son's death, 'The Awards were very close to Brett's heart; he had a great passion for art and going ahead with the current Awards is the best possible tribute to him', came as relief not only to the hundreds of artists to have been shortlisted for the exhibition, but also to the thousands of South Africans planning to visit it.

The curatorship of the exhibition is being handled by 2004 curator Clive van Den Berg and Kathryn Smith. They are assisted by Nandipha Mntambo, recent Michaelis graduate and the recipient of the 2005 curatorial fellowship.

This year the awards money has grown, with five top artists receiving R60 000 each, and one exceptional work earning its creator R200 000. In addition, merit awards of R10 000 are to be allocated by the judges at their discretion, and a further R 60 000 will be awarded to a work that best explores and addresses idea of 'Beauty'. Such a broad and highly contentious theme is bound to cause controversy and, we can hope, will create an exciting discussion on its award to any work.

This last award becomes even more complex considering it will be decided in part by Jeff Koons. Koons has often argued that beauty is, in fact, the most banal thing of all and through his trademark valourisation of the pretty kitsch to intensely desirable artwork, he certainly has a firm and profitable hold on this banality.

The other judges this year are artist and lecturer Frank Ledimo and Julia Charlton, curator of the Wits Art Galleries. The Kebble Awards are unique, certainly in South Africa, in that they have no restrictions on size, medium nor theme, thus providing for artists working in New Media a much needed platform. This year van den Berg promises that 'it is already clear that we will be setting a new standard in the next exhibition. We have had proposals for installations and interactive art works that are world class. South Africa can look forward to a superb show.'

The exhibition will again take place at the Cape Town International Conference Centre in February 2006.


 


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