Nelson Makamo’s Human Grace 32, from a body of work created from a recent residency
Nelson Makamo, Human Grace
In this new body of work, created chiefly while on residency at Everard Read at Leeu Estates in Franschhoek early 2021, the deft mix of surface and interiority — the relationship between mark-making and psychology, form and heart — gives rise to devotional acts of love and records of human grace.
Details: The exhibition runs at Everard Read, 3 Portswood Road, V&A Waterfront, Cape Town until 30 April. For more information, go to the website.
RapidLion — The South African International Film Festival 2021
This year, the festival will screen feature films from the African continent and Brics countries, as well as documentaries and short films from across the globe, as usual. This year’s black carpet symbolises efforts to encourage filmmakers to use their platform to make films that raise awareness about gender-based violence.
RapidLion 2021 will open with the short film #WeDoCare by actor, film director and producer Sechaba Morojele. On seeing a torn-up shoe in the backstreets of Hillbrow, Morojele started thinking of the possible violence that might have led to the shoe landing in that spot.
This became the genesis of #WeDoCare, a film about a woman who is trapped in a violent relationship because of her love for shoes. “The film is an attempt to explore the danger inherent in transactional relationships,” says Morojele.
Details: The festival will take place at The Market Theatre, Johannesburg from 5 to 11 April. Tickets are available through Webtickets and at the door.
Face in the Hole, SA National Space Agency #1, Hermanus
Hemelliggaam or The Attempt To Be Here Now (The Hole)
Hemelliggaam or The Attempt To Be Here Now is a visual archive comprising photographs, video, installations, text and sounds, that constantly moves between the reality of significant scientific sites and the imaginative fragments of old Afrikaans science-fiction novels, with particular reference to one of the most existential and emblematic writers, Jan Rabie.
To look down is to look up, a selection from the Hemelliggaam archive is initiated by work from the Tswaing Crater and mining areas in Johannesburg. The Hole exhibition is a site-specific installation at the Pretoria Art Museum.
Details: The exhibition runs at the Pretoria Art Museum, corner Francis Baard and Wessels streets, Arcadia Park, Pretoria, until 25 April. For more information, call 012 344 1807/8 or send an email to [email protected]
Gin & Jazz Manyano
Sisonke Xonti and Tefo Mahola headline this first instalment of the Gin & Jazz Manyano on 2 April, as well as Nduduzo Makhathini and Muneyi on 3 April.
Details: The event takes place at Troyeville House, Johannesburg. Tickets cost from R350 to R800, and include a buffet-style Easter lunch and a complimentary Gin Africa cocktail. Book through Quicket.
A rare Chinese famille-verte dish, Qing Dynasty, Kangxi period, 1662-1722 (Property of a Connoisseur)
Strauss & Co auction
Two remarkable single-owner collections of Chinese porcelain and works of art, one assembled by a storied Plettenberg Bay family, the other drawn from the property of a connoisseur with an exclusive period focus, will go under the hammer in Strauss & Co’s first marquee sale of 2021.
The three-day sale, which will be livestreamed on Strauss & Co’s website, includes a day devoted to the decorative arts and jewellery. Highlights from the three sessions include an exceptional diamond ring featuring a flawless emerald-cut diamond weighing 2.55 carats and a Cape silver commemorative cup awarded to a Burgher Cavalry officer in 1805.
Details: The sale runs for three days from Sunday 11 April. For details, visit the website.