A special artwork is being created to mark the 20th anniversary of the Stellenbosch International Chamber Music Festival (SICMF).
The portrait of the late Archbishop-emeritus Desmond Tutu, a beloved patron of the festival will soon come to life at the US Konservatorium. The commemorative piece, created by renowned South African pointillist Gavin Rain, was commissioned by Professor Nina Schumann, the artistic director of the popular festival.
Rain, an artist from Cape Town, has held exhibitions in the Mother City, Johannesburg, Venice, Miami and other cities. As in a woodcut he transforms gradients into alternating light and dark planes.
Rain ordinarily works on a large canvas with small circles, each typically containing concentric circles in five different colours. The larger the circles the less the white of the canvas is visible and the darker the general image.
Based on the same principle of light and dark, the commissioned work will feature a new technique not seen anywhere else in the world. The work will be made up of 1 098 individual circles, each representing a dot in Rain’s signature style and engraved with a message from the SICMF community.
Instead of using colour the circles will all be mounted at mathematically calculated angles, in this way creating the shading needed to bring the face of Tutu out when viewed from a specific vantage point. The finished work will be roughly 3 m x 3 m in length and breadth.
Asked about the conception, Schumann said: “I was thinking about the sense of community the SICMF has created, how it resonates with so many people in such different ways, and I wanted to come up with something that reflected that togetherness and could be lasting. Then I thought of the Wailing Wall in Jerusalem and the idea of an artwork made up of messages popped up into my head!
“I met Gavin when I was at school and have been a huge admirer of his work. So I contacted him in January and pitched the idea. He told me it was impossible to do, but that he is all in! The artwork takes on special significance because it is the effort of every individual in the SICMF that contributes to the beauty of the whole.”
Messages from past participants, performing artists, regular audience members and supporters from the last two decades have been integrated into this one-of-a-kind tribute.
Peter Martens, SICMF director, expressed his thanks for the enthusiastic support for the unique project. “The project has also garnered the endorsement of the Archbishop Tutu Intellectual Property Trust.”
The permanent installation is being assembled outside the US Konservatorium building, at the base of the staircase leading to the Behrens Foyer over the SICMF, which runs until this Sunday (13 July). Many will be able to see “The Arch’s” likeness taking shape.
• Tickets for the festival are available online through Webtickets.
You must be logged in to post a comment.