Archive: Issue No. 88, December 2004

04.12.04 'Tangencya' in Durban
04.12.04 'The Affordable Art Fair' at artSPACE Durban

05.11.04 BUZZART: Shining stars at the NSA Gallery

Tangencya, a project by Create Africa South, is an inter-disciplinary arts-based initiative with site-specific interventions happening throughout Durban over the festive season. The project features artists from South Africa, Mozambique, Angola and Botswana .

Conceptualised and curated by Andries Botha (SA) and Miguel Petchkovsky (Angola/Amsterdam) the initiative aims to project the city of Durban nationally and internationally as a place of heritage and cultural and artistic significance. It also aims to develop Durban as a place that showcases African creativity as well as creativity that is drawn from the South geographic vector.

'Tangecya' is a synthesis of the English word tangency and Portuguese word tangencia and also embodies the Zulu word thinta which alludes to touch. Once two bodies touch, an essential part of our humanity is defined as interdependent. The initiative refers to how local creativity can be both a multidisciplinary cultural experience as well as a response to conceptual challenges at regional, national, international and global levels. Artists taking part include Maria van Gass (SA), Richard Shange (SA), Dineo Bopape (SA), Themba Shibase (SA), Fernando Mabota (Mozambique), Jeremy Wafer (SA), Miguel Petchkovsky (Angola/Holland), Greg Streak (SA), Gabi Ngcobo (SA), Fiona Kirkwood (SA) and John Monnakgosi (Botswana).

Partners of the initiative include the African Art Centre, NSA Gallery, Durban Art Gallery, artSPACE durban and KwMuhle Museum.

Interventions will take place at an inner city taxi rank, the Durban Art Gallery, Cato Manor, Documentation Centre, the kwaMuhle Museum, Wentworth, Umlazi and the Workshop shopping centre.

The work will be showcased in a way that will interrogate some fundamental and visceral aspects of African identity through public art and grassroots cultural practices.

From: December 16
Exhibition opens: December 31
Closes: January 7

'The Affordable Art Fair', now in its second year, is artSPACE durban's final show for the year. This group exhibition features a vast number of local artists and work ranging from paintings to sculpture, photography, prints and more. No work will sell for more than R2000.

Opens: November 29
Closes: December 24

BUZZART is an annual 'Christmas exhibition' held at the NSA Gallery Complex where innovative, original, quirky, affordable selection of stunning festive season gifts are available under one roof.

Taking up the challenge the NSA has decided to offer something quite different from other retailers and has taken the idea of Christmas shopping and placed it into an art gallery context. Dozens of outstanding artists and crafters are producing ceramics, jewellery, woodwork, wirework, mosaic and beadwork.

This is complemented by the 'Shining Star' exhibition of artworks and collectables in the Mezzanine and Park Galleries, featuring top crafters including Johnny Foreigner, Monkeybiz, Tim Dlamini, Trayci Tompkins, Martha Zettler, Chris de Beer and Barry Hartley.

Opens: November 21
Closes: January 10