Two exhibitions focus on familiar South African environments this week.
An intriguing photographic project, titled N1, undertaken by Dave Southwood from 2007 onwards, shows the journey by the photographer along national road one. The character of the country is revealed through stories in the form of photographs of events, personalities and traces of habitation encountered on the trip between Cape Town and Beitbridge, on the border with Zimbabwe. Southwood, who has been featured in publications such as Adbusters and Wallpaper and was awarded the International
Bauhaus Award in 2003, has started a nonprofit organisation — with other photographers — for street photographers in the Western Cape called Umlilo. Included in the N1 exhibition are texts, from aphorisms to longer captions, provided by Sean O’Toole.
Goethe-Institut, 119 Jan Smuts Avenue, Parkwood, Johannesburg. The exhibition runs until August 26. Attend a walkabout with Dave Southwood and Sean O’Toole on August 19 at 6pm for 6.30pm.
Tel: 011 442 3232.
Gallery Afronova relocated to Braamfontein last year. With other bright young things in the gallery system, Afronova owner Henri Vergon has been instrumental in founding a new party zone in what was previously a rather dead office zone. Vergon has always maintained that his gallery would be a ‘pan-African gallery for modern and contemporary art”. Last week he launched his new exhibition of major names, titled Photographs: 1959-2010. Works on show come from famous photographers, such as Malick Sidibé (Mali) Seydou Keita (Mali) and Ricardo Rangel (Mozambique). Works by a new generation include Mauro Pinto (Mozambique) and Musa Nxumalo (South Africa). The images show life in a contemporary African urban setting — claustrophobic, communal and gritty. A choice of rare books on African photography will be on sale.
Afronova, 155 Smit Street, Braamfontein. Exhibition runs until September 30. The gallery is open from Tuesday to Friday.
Tel: 083 726 5906.
n As part of this year’s Standard Bank Joy of Jazz Festival, there will be an exhibition on the life and work of veteran South African musician and jazz luminary, Jonas Gwangwa. Titled Kukude Lapho Sivelakhona: The Life and Times of Jonas Gwangwa, the show has been curated by the Nelson Mandela Centre of Memory, in collaboration with the Market Theatre, independent researchers Elinor Sisulu and Sam Shakong and designer Clive van den Berg. It opens at the Market Theatre on August 22 to coincide with the start of the Joy of Jazz festival and will run until the end of November. It is planned that the retrospective will tour the country in 2012. Gwangwa, who wrote the music for Richard Attenborough’s film Cry Freedom, was a protégé of the late legendary saxophonist, Kippie Moeketsi. The exhibition is based on original research, including interviews with Gwangwa, fellow musicians, members of his family, friends and political colleagues. It includes previously unpublished photographs, text, sound and film footage.
The Market Theatre, Upstairs Gallery, Newtown, from August 22. Entrance is free. Viewing daily from 11am. Tel: 011 832 1641.