Entitled 'Swallow', Luan Nel’s most recent body of work presents the viewer with a ‘flock’ of prints of his watercolour birds. Painted with a lightness and brevity of hand, multiple impressionistic glimpses of the birds placed in organic rhythm conjure the idea of movement across space. This is further encouraged by the effective and rather quirky use of electric fans which cause the paper to literally flap in the breeze. The formal play of these elements in the work creates a graceful presentation suggestive of the lift and fall of wings of swallows in the configuration of their migratory flight.

Conceptually the visual vocabulary and symbolic potential of the natural world is not a new departure point for Luan Nel. In his previous exhibition, ’Aviary’, the rituals and habits of birds allude to our own and we are nudged towards this understanding through his personalised titles. Here the migratory patterns of swallows can become a way of speaking about human migration as a condition of contemporary life. However, on a different scale the imagery of these penguin-suited birds and the dance they perform can subtly refer to more intimate patterns of social ritual.

23 September - 10 October

’If you were in Stellenbosch, for the Two Decades of South African Sculpture art festival, on Wednesday night, you would have been met with a most curious sight. The Delta Soetstemme choir and Delta Langbroeke band were vying for superiority in a musical battle, up and down Church Street. The Langbroeke, in blue jackets, were armed with loud, shiny brass instruments, while the Soetstemme, in white, held red and blue flags on long dangerous poles.

In my opinion, the Langbroeke started it all; they taunted and teased the Soetstemme with a cacophony of loud off-key music played defiantly too close to the Soetstemme. The Soetstemme retaliated by lowering their flagpoles; and moving forward in formation and singing boldly, the Langbroeke were forced to retreat. The sides were evenly matched song for song, high note for low. Ground was gained and then lost, gained and lost. Colours were changed from one song to the next, as the Soetstemme and Langbroeke were ingeniously wearing reversible jackets. First they were blue then white, and in the heat of the clash it was difficult to keep up with who was who.

Tiring, and realising there would be no resolution to this conflict, the Soetstemme and
Langbroeke wisely decided to join forces. They intermingled and walked alongside each other, playing and singing the last songs in harmony. Their sweating. battle-weary musical leader was delighted that the conflict had been resolved, and that the Delta bands had showed such strength and spirit by joining forces, and in the end the winner was the music.’ Cathy Macfarlane. 26-1

The concept for the exhibition performance at NIROXprojects, Arts on Main, is a continuance of this musical performance piece that took place in Stellenbosch, 2011, and also the Guild Flag performance at the Johannesburg Art Fair, 2011. Musician Attie Brand (Sprinbok Nude Girls) will be performing a piece with an accordion that was used during the Q & A performance in Stellenbosch, and various objects will be on display.