“Something to write home about” is the product of a 3 month period during which four incredibly distinct and equally talented visiting artists from across the globe were engaged in an intensive programme of research, exploration, exchange and creation.
Dennis Handschin (Switzerland), Du Yi (China), Maia Machèn (Netherlands), and Nomthunzi Mashalaba (South Africa), had the opportunity to work in the isolation of their own individual studios whilst simultaneously being in close proximity and involvement with various local resident artists as well as challenging and informative workshops and outreach activities.
The result is a vibrant and multifaceted fusion of Illustrative and investigative research material and work in progress on display in the artist’s open studios with finished work on display in the main gallery.
The show also incorporates HALFWAY THERE..., an Open Studio by visiting Artist Merel van 't Hullenaar (NL/ AMS); providing you with a glimpse of her project-research so-far.
She is halfway there.
We managed to grab a few of the artists and obtained these little slices of what you can expect: “The sound installation “Cosmotecho” consists of sounds created by translating electromagnetic wave radiation from stars converted into sounds and will be part of a live art event in 2012 where we are converting the sound back into electromagnetic waves to send back to the universe. I will also show a work where I have digitally morphed a paleoanthropological hand-axe, one of the first tools crafted by humankind, into a Mandelbrot Set fractal, questioning the development and ends of everything man-made and the dualism between nature and culture.” – Denis Handschin
“supernatural implies something different to the nature that we usually see, the super is like the soul inside the nature. Cape Town made me feel the soul of the nature. At last we forget the crises and enjoy the aspiration” – Du Yi
“As a comic artist, my work derives from real life experiences, I don't embellish my stories, I depict life as I am living it. My residency at Greatmore allowed me to soak up South African culture, to feel the strengths and weaknesses of this amazing country. I met some interesting characters which have brought colour and diversity to the pages of my comics. For the exhibition I will present my newsprint "KAK", a 4-page spoof on South African politics as well as a short story based in the jazz club, Tagore's. Another project, a work-in-progress, is the research I've been doing about my grandfather and South African artist, Bill Hart. My studio will be open to see the information I've compiled thus far and the artwork which relates back to him. “ -Maia Machèn
The exhibition will run till 29 March.
The Visiting Artist Programme has been made possible by HIVOS/Arts Collaboratory, Fonds BVKB and Pro Helvetia.
