Berni Searle’s new show, Shimmer, includes her hard-hitting Black Smoke Rising trilogy (2009-2010), a body of work sparked by the escalating levels of discontent among the poor in the country.
■ Anyone looking for deeper, more subtle insights into the complex conditions that informed the results in the local government elections should pay the Stevenson Gallery a visit. Its two new exhibitions turn the gaze away from the hype and electioneering to bring into focus issues on the ground. Berni Searle’s new show, Shimmer, includes her hard-hitting Black Smoke Rising trilogy (2009-2010), a body of work sparked by the escalating levels of discontent among the poor in the country. Sabelo Mlangeni’s Ghost Towns focuses on South Africa’s changing social and political landscape brought about by urbanisation and migrant labour. It brings together two bodies of work: his recent photographs of abandoned and forgotten small towns and his At Home series, which focuses on rural areas where breadwinners have left in search of work, leaving behind the young and the old.
Stevenson Gallery, ground floor, Buchanan building, 160 Sir Lowry Road, Woodstock, Cape Town, both until July 23.
■ Considering South Africa’s vast natural resources and growing focus on ecotourism, it is surprising that land art, a genre that uses art to heighten awareness of our place in nature, is not bigger. Site Specific, South Africa’s first international land-art event, aims to change that. Tapping into the natural beauty of Plettenberg Bay, the event will bring together the work of land-art stars such as Urs Twellman from
Switzerland and South Africa’s Strijdom van der Merwe, as well as that of 14 conceptual artists including Marco Cianfanelli and Angus Taylor. There will be guided tours of the 3km land-art trail along Plettenberg Bay’s central beach and the Milkwood trail. A festive launch including live music and a discussion session with the artists will take place on May 28 from 11am.
Visit www.sitespecific.org.za for more information.
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