New Media Editor Chad Rossouw's Best of 2008
Best Solo Exhibition
Kathryn Smith's 'In Camera'.
Best Group Show
'Scratching the Surface Vol. 1' at the AVA.
While I didn't enjoy all the work or all the curatorial decisions, it was one of the few group shows in the year that explored a theme effectively as a curated show.
Curator of the year
Art Logic, the company responsible for the Joburg Art Fair. While not technically curators, or a curated show, they show the biggest understanding of contemporary art in this country.
Newcomer of the year
Rowan Smith's clever and subtle use of technology in his sculptures for his first solo show 'Future Shock Lost' makes him one to watch.
International Editor Rat Western's Best of 2008
Best Solo Exhibition
Lawrence Lemaoana 'Fortune Telling in Black, Red and White', Art Extra, September 25 - October 29.
It is often difficult for a young artist to live up to the expectations of so much attention so early in one's career. However, Lemaoana's recent solo demonstrates that he has been working intensely on developing his themes and has not slipped, as have many in his position, into the trap of exhibiting the exact same work on an endless tour of international exhibitions.
Best Group Show
'.ZA Young Art From South Africa', Palazzo delle Papesse, Siena, February 2 - May 4.
Curated by Lorenzo Fusi in collaboration with Marlene Dumas, Kendell Geers, Berni Searle, Minnette Vári and Sue Williamson, the show was unfortunately discussed very little in South African circles.
This collective exhibition was successful for two distinct reasons. Firstly, the level of professionalism in the installation of the artworks presented them to their best advantage. There was no lack of budget or experience that often dogs group exhibitions by young artists. The placement of work was well considered and flowed through what was a very difficult multi-levelled space, a 15th century Palazzo delle Papesse.
The second successful defining feature of the exhibition was the combination of six people's selections of artists. This combination, which might have been disparate, worked very well for such a broad theme as national identity and presented a diversity of artists far more representative than the lists of usual suspects frequently seen on international shows.
Curator of the year
Brenton Maart - KZNSA
Brenton Maart has brought an enormous amount of energy to the KZNSA gallery. The increasing number of events, workshops and exhibitions advertised in my inbox are not the only markers of this.
Attending exhibitions and walkabouts at the gallery, I was very impressed by Maart's enthusiasm for the work displayed and the conviction with which he speaks about the artists he chooses to represent. This, for me, represents a very keen curatorial vision and an individual who is not easily swayed by what (or who) is the fad of the moment.
Newcomer of the year
Carla Busuttil
I had to rack my brain for this one. In picking a newcomer, one is inclined to look for someone of whom we don't say next year: 'Sorry, who?' Not that this is investment advice.
She didn't occur to me immediately, perhaps because very little has been written locally about her, but it seems most obvious now to say: if you're going to watch someone, than Busuttil is the one to watch.
This South African-born, London-based painter graduated from Wits in 2004 and went on to study at the Royal Academy of Arts from which she graduated in 2008. In June, Busuttil joined the likes of Damien Hirst, Tracey Emin and the Chapman brothers when Charles Saatchi bought up her graduate exhibition. That probably says enough.
Venue of the Year
I'm just going to be completely non-objective here: The Bag Factory (AKA Fordsburg Artist Studios), where I work.
In 2008, The Bag Factory played host to 11 residency artists, ten exhibitions, seven workshops, two panel discussions, an auction for Gerhard Marx's legal fees and countless outreach projects. That's a lot more than your average white cube.
KZN Editor Carol Brown's Best of 2008
Best Solo Exhibitions
Cameron Platter held two exhibitions at the KZNSA last year. The first was a video installation with his characteristic cast of characters and the second called 'Studio' was even more exciting. At the Closing evening his chunky, large scale sculptures, which he built in the gallery, transformed into functional objects. The emphasis on the making and the rawness of the final product left no doubt as to the labour involved and their functionality reinforced the concept of usefulness which subtly critiqued a lot of art's highbrow pretensions.
Stephen Hobbs exhibited 'D'Urban' at the KZNSA and 'High Voltage' at the Bank Gallery simultaneously. His constant involvement with urbanity and the structures around which we construct our lives were the main theme of both shows. He interrogates the politics around architecture and the built environment with a keen eye for and a conceptual understanding of the dynamics of space, light, shadows.
I saw Athi Patra Ruga's work in several venues last year and his strong individuality and use of different media to express some really important issues impressed me. From making tapestries to designing fashion his creations all have an edge which challenges stereotypes of masculinity and social behaviour. His performances show a sophisticated understanding of how clothing and behaviour are interlinked.
On the international stage Mikhael Subotzky star is still shining bright. As well as earning the distinction of being the youngest photographer invited to join Magnum he was awarded the prestigious W Eugene Smith Grant in Humanistic Photography for 2008. He was also given a show at MoMA in New York and continues to exhibit far and wide.
Best Group Shows
The Joburg Art Fair was not strictly an exhibition but was, for me, the most exciting event on the art calendar in South Africa. The diverse and new (in many cases) audience gave it an energy which is often lacking in a strictly art environment where everyone is trying to be clever. The variety of well chosen artworks gave the audience an excellent overview of the contemporary art scene and, although not as prominent as originally billed, the relatively few works from other parts of the continent gave us a new perspective.
The Timbuktu Manuscripts at the Durban Art Gallery, was also not strictly an 'art exhibition' but was a memorable experience. The aesthetic quality of those ancient fragile manuscripts which had been hidden for centuries and which form part of our heritage brought home the importance of the human impulse to make things of beauty.
'Production Marks', curated by Brenton Maart, filled the space in the Round Gallery (which has as many curatorial challenges as opportunities) at the Monument in Grahamstown during the Festival in a most innovative way. The concept behind the exhibition was an inspired one which took the idea of mark-making to an elevated level. The unexpected juxtaposition of artists such as Andrew Verster and Stephen Hobbs could have been disastrous, but careful curation, a flawless display and understanding of how space works took care of that.
Curator of the year
Maybe it's an indication of the role of the curator which has changed somewhat in current times. Selecting artworks and displaying them has now become a much more complex process which demands a whole range of other skills such as public relations, project management, promoting and nurturing artists and holding it all together. So my choice for the most innovative curator of the year is technically not a curator. Ross Douglas pulled off the Joburg Art Fair which was one of the most successful large scale art events to happen in South Africa. He had to raise a large amount of money, take many risks and possibly fail. The detractors were waiting in the wings and even they had to admit that it was a success. And he did it all with chutzpah and a cool head.
Newcomers of the Year
Husain and Hasan Essop. I first saw their work at the Goodman Cape in a group show and was immediately drawn to it. These twins play games with their identity and in so doing challenge stereotypes of Islamic culture. They construct settings which are generally crowded with young muslim men but closer examination shows that they are all 'clones'.
Copy Editor Paul Edmunds' Best of 2008
Best Solo Exhibitions
Rowan Smith's 'Future Shock Lost' at Whatiftheworld. Possibly I'm showing my age, but all the redundant technology to which Smith's work made reference and utilises, really was on the bleeding edge in my day, and fills me with a kind of nostalgia which is not post-post-modern irony. Enough said about his conceptual cunning too, this kid has a bloody good pair of hands.
Best Group Show
I won't say I liked everything on the show and perhaps it was a bit sprawling, but the sheer scope and balls of rookie curator Joost Bosland's 'Disguise' which opened Michael Stevenson's new space was pretty impressive, and left many of the more institutional shows we see scarpering for cover.
Curator of the year
I'm not going to go for the young blood here, but would rather note the departure of two key figures in the landscape. Marilyn Martin who dragged the SANG with her on an inexorable march out of the old SA, has left her seat vacant. And Clive Kellner, the first of the new generation who really took the reins at JAG, departs that post too. Neither was universally praised or managed to entirely rid their respective institutions of their congenital torpor, but both will be remembered, I'm sure, more for what they did achieve. (Small point it may be and a little off-the menu here, but Ms Martin's grasp of Xhosa must not be understimated. In my completely unresearched and unscientific opinion, I reckon that such a thing could be one of the most powerful tools of reconciliation in the troubled land.)
Newcomer of the year
I'm going to go for Rowan Smith again, but maybe I don't get out enough.
Venue of the Year
I heard another gallerist in Cape Town refer to it as 'MoMA in Woodstock', and you really can't ignore 600 square metres of primo exhibition space - Michael Stevenson.
Founding Editor Sue Williamson's Best of 2008
Best solo exhibition of the year
Best? That's a hard call. How do you choose between old masters Robert Hodgins, and William Kentridge, both of whom had outstanding and highly accomplished exhibitions at the Goodman Gallery Cape? And all the other artists who soloed this year: not as consistent, not as assured, but often with all kinds of new ideas bubbling up?
Having said that, I choose Nicholas Hlobo's Kwatsityw'iziko, the show that closed the old Michael Stevenson Gallery space. The title literally means 'crossing the hearth' and refers to the initiation of lovemaking. This was Hlobo's second solo at the gallery, and what made it worthy of note was the way in which he continued and expanded his key themes of cultural pride and love between men, setting up large diaphanous installations, fabricating iconic sculptures in rubber and ribbon, stitching works on paper. Though some works were more resolved than others, all of them have a distinctive Hlobo look, and therein lies their success.
Best group exhibition of the year
'Power Play' at the Goodman Gallery Cape brought together an extremely interesting group of emerging and established artists who 'employ strategies of play, with serious or subversive intent'. The exhibition fulfilled its brief with edgy work all round.
The lineup included two pairs of artist twins - the young photographers Hasan and Husain Essop, and video artists Jean and Zinaid Meeran alongside the always powerful Moshekwa Langa, princess of play Anthea Moys, and the incisive Dan Halter.
Halter again focused on the plight of his native Zimbabwe with a single maize grain laser-etched with a slogan: 'When the belly is full the brain starts to think'.
Curator who did the most interesting things this year
The nod goes to Italian curator Lorenzo Fusi, who invited five established artists (Marlene Dumas, Kendell Geers, Berni Searle, Minnette Vári and yours truly) to select three under 35s each for an exhibition entitled 'za giovane arte dal Sud Africa' at the beautiful Centre for Contemporary Art at the Palazzo delle Papesse, Siena, thus eschewing the usual desire of curators to make all their own choices (though Fusi did add a few of his own picks).
Newcomer of the year
Michael MacGarry was a name which detached itself from his quirky group Avant Car Guard and drew my attention when I saw his piece Hu Jintao and the Scramble for Africa at David Brodie's gallery, Art Extra, early in 2008. MacGarry's fresh view on the commercial politics of Africa translated into an extremely witty piece.
Venue of the year
Not in my region, but definitely deserving a mention in the 'Best of' list is the Sandton Convention Centre, where the first Joburg Art Fair took place in March 2008. The thing about a venue like this is that it is crowd-puller by its very nature, introducing a whole new audience out for weekend entertainment to art. The second Art Fair is planned for early April 2009, and one hopes this event will grow from strength to strength.
Johannesburg Editor Cara Snyman's Best of 2008
Best solo exhibition of the year
'Marlene Dumas: Intimate Relations' finally opened in February 2008 at the Standard Bank Gallery in Johannesburg after its run at SANG, and the exhibition's importance is not easily overstated. This, the first major showing of our most famous art export, was expertly curated by Dumas herself with Emma Bedford, and proved to deliver more substance than pre-show hype. As noted by Virginia MacKenny and others, Dumas' work does not reproduce well, and its impact lies much in the sensuality of the painted surface. The show will no doubt prove influential for many young painters.
Best group/curated exhibition of the year
My award for best group exhibition goes to the series of performance works that was the Joburg Art Fair. One might have been forgiven for expecting group hangings of all sorts, but it turned out that everybody can play together rather nicely. Not without its garage sale moments, 'the first art fair on African soil', was nothing if not energetic. There was a quite sincere hopefulness about all of it - and in retrospect, so very well-timed - six months later the Fair would have been a bird of another feather altogether.
Best Group Show
Brenton Maart's 'Production Marks: Geometry, Psychology and the Electronic Age' show focused on art that uses mathematical principles to disintegrate and reassemble forms. It was tightly curated with great work by Retha Erasmus, Doung Anwar Jahangeer, Paul Edmunds and others. Pity the revolving stage and atmospheric lighting at Gallery in the Round at the Settler's Monument in Grahamstown did not also make the move north for the later showing at the Goethe-Institut Johannesburg.
Curator of the year
David Brodie here deserves a mention for Art Extra (now Brodie/Stevenson), which opened late 2007 and somehow managed to become such an instant fixture on the Gauteng scene, consistently delivering interesting and impeccably curated shows.
Newcomer of the year
Michael MacGarry might not technically be a newcomer, but with nominationas a finalist in the MTN New Contemporaries, with solo exhibitions at the KZNSA Gallery and Art Extra, as well as being included in a number of international shows, 2008 did seem like the official launch.
MacGarry might be better known for his shenanigans with the Avant Car Guard boys, but his first solo offering in Gauteng, 'When enough people start saying the same thing', in August last year at Art Extra, did much to cement his reputation as a solo act. It was a grounded, finely crafted and conceptually sound body of work, which nonetheless did not lose its sense of humour. For maturity and thoughtfulness, this would be my second best solo exhibition this year in Gauteng.
Venue of the year in your region
Many of the criteria that would decide a 'venue of the year', seems to unfairly privilege certain spaces over others, and become a bit of a goat vs sheep debate. So in lieu of a simple answer, coupled with the fact that I was not really blown away by any single 'venue', here follows a short list.
Brodie/Stevenson for excellent curating, overall consistency, and a programme that seems to manage commercial realities without compromising artistic concerns. Bonus points for good design and easily accessible information. In the same vein, Warren Siebrits, particularly for first rate publications and an archiver's attention to detail.
I also posthumously nominate The Premises for an interesting programme and in particular for the invaluable contribution it has made in forging links between all the seeming art world extremes, from public projects to commercial ventures and even to some sort of underground.
The Bag Factory seems to invariably fall below the radar, but their energy is commendable. The luxury of being able to put on purely experimental programmes is exceptional in Johannesburg and this year I have seen a number of things there that mightily impressed me.
Cape Town Editor Katharine Jacobs' Best of 2008
Best solo exhibition of the year
I couldn't have been happier for Nicholas Hlobo when he not only won the Standard Bank Young Artist Award but also copped a solo show at the Tate Modern last year. 'Kwatsityw'iziko' at Michael Stevenson in March was a highlight.
Best group/curated exhibition of the year
I was a bit disappointed by many of the group shows in 2008. 'Disguise' at Michael Stevenson and 'Power Play' at the Goodman had such great aspirations, but fell a little flat in the execution. The print shows at Whatiftheworld and Bell-Roberts weren't bad, but how hard can it be to curate a group of artworks around such a broad theme? Probably the most entertaining curatorial connections popped up in 'Come Again', the Michaelis MFA students' group show. Sex and violence linked Stuart Bird's Traditional Weapons to Linda Stupart's Wanted series, and there was some nice sexual innuendo going on in Justin Brett's drawings of stationery and Pieter Cilliers' Formwork, while Renee Holleman and Fabian Saptouw mirrored each other across the gallery with their text-based works.
Curator of the year
See above for general disillusionment on this point. Robert Sloon made his curatorial debut last January with 'Fresh Meat'. It would be nice to see some more of him.
Newcomer of the year
Georgina Gratrix's first solo show last year reminded me why painting is, actually, very cool. 'Master Copy' was filled with ballsy, fun painting: Doodleheads and the Cake Face paintings made me particularly happy.
Venue of the year
Whatiftheworld takes this one for me. Pretty much every show last year was a winner, quite a feat for a newish space. They're also taking more risks than some of the other, more established galleries. Let's hope this trend continues after they've been around for a while.
Best review of the year
Perhaps Ruth Simbao for reminding writers that placing abstract ideas in quotation marks makes zero difference to their meaning. She was writing on the particularly tired use of the term 'Africa', in a feature for Art South Africa. Though I'm probably guilty of similar atrocities, it is nice when somebody occasionally deflates art-speak.
