Barend J Williams
Three local Stellenbosch artists have recently been selected to showcase their work at And yet we imagine, a climate-awareness group exhibition in Cape Town.
The Desmond and Leah Tutu Legacy Foundation in District Six hosted the launch of the exhibits on Thursday 3 April.
And yet we imagine is a part of a project by Climate Lounge, an artistic endeavour that uses creativity to raise awareness of socio-environmental challenges. It was created in partnership with DearTomorrow, a digital and archival project that allows people to relate the issue of climate change through stories.
The exhibition is a participatory art show that uses the displays to envision a sustainable future. It brings together a diverse group of poets, painters, sound and performance artists as well as a collection of letters written by South Africans immersed in eco-justice.
And yet we imagine was co-curated by participating artists Sarah Robyn Farrell and Claire Rousell, and explores the intersection of art and socio-environmental concerns.
“Imagination is an individual pursuit, but collectively we can have significantly more impact,” said Farrell. “Creativity is often seen as a luxury, but may be our most effective antidote against climate change.”
Tiffani Kayler Dlamini, venue manager and theatre technician at Stellenbosch University’s (SU) Adam Small Theatre Complex, and Mmatumisang Motsisi, junior lecturer and PhD candidate at SU, combined their artistic forces to create “Calling the flowers home”.
Their installation is one of 12 artworks showcased as part of And yet we imagine.
The pictures are a part of the duo’s project exploring the relationship between people and flowers, and imagining a reality where flora and humanity physically interchange. By doing this Dlamini and Motsisi feel they are able to tell the true indigenous stories of these plants and the people who cared for them.
Exploration of nature
“We have called on the memories of the flowers that existed in District Six, and particularly those of the people who once occupied the land,” said Dlamini.
The pair was assisted by botanist Rupert Koopman and the pictures taken for the exhibition were by photographer Boipelo Khunou.
The duo further also acknowledges “Turning into flowers” editor and creative director Megan Nell, who selected the images for And yet we imagine.
Another artist, Ancia Cornelius, who has been based in Stellenbosch for the past four years, is presenting “Specimens of Wonder”, which comprises three miniature paintings of “magical creatures” native to the Cape.
The first is the “praying mantis”, which holds profound spiritual significance for the Khoisan. “Cape Cobra” is the second painting which is half snake, half plant. The final painting is the “Cape morel mushroom”, which was inspired by the recent discovery of Morchella capensis, the first morel mushroom endemic to Africa.
“Living in South Africa means constantly facing the contrast between loss and destruction, on the one hand, and the incredible beauty of our people and plant life on the other,” said Cornelius about the inspiration for her paintings.
The ethnobotanist said she is deeply honoured by the works’ inclusion in the exhibition, as the magical creatures have been living with her for years. She is appreciative of the opportunity to bring them to life for others to see at And yet we imagine.
The exhibition is on display at the Desmond and Leah Tutu Legacy Foundation in District Six until Sunday 4 May. It is open for everyone.
• For information, contact Sarah Robyn Farrell on 083 409 5557 or helloclimatelounge@gmail.com.
