adj.
1. Assembled into or viewed as a whole.
2. Of, relating to, characteristic of, or made by a number of people acting
as a group.
1. An undertaking set up on the principles or system of collectivism.
1. collective disagreement
2. assent
3. dissent
In light of the student protests it did not feel appropriate to simply continue to follow the blueprint of the previous Newwork shows. As a collective there were moments where the students felt that having a graduate show would not be possible and that canceling it altogether would be necessary. They felt that the protests had to be taken into consideration with regard to what a graduate show implies. The graduate show marks a break, an end-point with the university whereas in reality the situation is much more fluid, messy and unresolved.
This iteration of the Newwork graduate show is what the students thought would speak back to this current socio-political moment within tertiary education. They tried to reflect the urgency and instability of the current moment both in the form of the catalogue and the exhibition; undoing the singular opening night and a catalogue that documents individual works within a collective. The students have instead tried to produce a catalogue that focuses on the collective tensions and congruencies in the group; a reality for any graduate class.
The show hopes to address the issues of who the curriculum is aimed at and designed by; its political orientation and its geographical relevance; and the current ideological crisis which stands around us. While this exhibition is a break from previous Newwork shows, this is merely the student’s reflection of the moment and should remain as only that. They hope to prompt future Newwork shows to not simply reiterate previous versions, but to rather engage with their particular context.
Exhibition dates:
1 December 2016 18h00/18h30-21h00
The Point of Order | Corner of Berth St, and Stiemens St.
Wits School of Arts | 1 Jan Smuts Avenue
Wits Art House | 1 Jan Smuts Avenue
Art House Windows | 9 Jorissen St.
Wits Art Museum | University corner, Jorissen St & Bertha St.
2 December 2016 18h00/18h30-21h00
Anstey’s Studios | 59 Joubert St.
3 December 2016 12h00-15h00
Nothing Gets Organized | 127 Albert S, 28 Nugget Square
Each space will stay open until 8 December 2016 between the hours of 10h00-15h00, with the exception of Wits Art Museum that doesn’t open on Monday, 5 December and Tuesday, 6 December 2016.
Newwork_16 Catalogues and ‘UNTHINKABLE’ will be on sale at each event. Only Cash will be accepted.