Nataal partners with the inaugural Stellenbosch Triennale. We talk to its curators for the low-down
Stellenbosch is widely-known as the heart of South Africa’s award winning wine route. But this summer, the town plays host to the first ever Stellenbosch Triennale. The event will occur every three years and hopes to bring together the best of Africa’s diverse artistic talents - both now and in the future – with this inaugural event exploring the theme ‘Tomorrow There Will Be More Of Us’.
The programme, which kicks off on 11 February, has been curated by some of the best hands in the business, led by Khanyisile Mbongwa. A Cape Town-based independent curator, Mbongwa is also widely regarded as an award winning artist and sociologist. She is supported by established Ghanaian artist Bernard Akoi-Jackson, well known for his performance art which leans on its audience for implication and participation.
“The chief idea for this Triennale was the need for the Stellenbosch Outdoor Sculpture Trust (SOST), after having commissioned public art interventions successfully for a few years, to venture into a new stage of engaging with art, artists and the public on a global dimension,” Akoi-Jackson explains. “For this reason, they felt that a large-scale exhibition, which was focused on current practices on the African continent, was a most appropriate means to do this. In so doing, Stellenbosch opens up to the world through the eyes, skills and critical contact of contemporary African artists.”
“The Triennale offer us a creative glimpse of this huge, diverse and experiential reality called Africa”
Mbongwa and Akoi-Jackson lead the Curators’ exhibition, which examines notions of the here and now. Among the chosen artists are Bronwyn Katz, Patrick Bongoy, Athi-Patra Ruga, Nastio Mosquito and Stacey Gillian Abe. Elsewhere, the On The Cusp programme, a curation of ten young talents, features Ghana-based group Asafo Black Collective alongside Valerie Uche, Canon Rumanzi and Aaron Samuel Mulenga.
Along with Mbongwa and Akoi-Jackon is a team of curatorial experts, who have helped to devise a multi-layered experience, which includes the film-focused Concept of Freedom Festival, and an educative programme in the form of panel discussions and Q&As, as well as DJs Mighty, Zara Julius and Fosta presenting a musical programme of digital and analog sounds. It’s a buzzing and ultimately futuristic approach to the art experience, which will likely push the boundaries of what attendees may stereotypically expect from a showcase of African art.
Adjunct curator and Stellenbosch Outdoor Sculpture trustee Dr Tigere Mike Mavura and curatorial fellow Gcotyelwa Mashiqa are optimistic that the experience will make an impression on attendees. “We are excited about the Triennale offering us a creative glimpse of this huge, diverse and experiential reality called Africa,” says Mavura. “There is a conversation with Time; of past, present and future, that feeds into all the exhibitions offering a fully immersive experience at different locations within short distance to each other. Don’t only be ‘at’ the Triennale, be ‘in’ the Triennale and you will ‘see’ and ‘hear’ and ‘feel’,” shares Mavura.
For those nervous about how to navigate the Triennale, the team assures us that there are no right answers. Whether you’re the slow browser, the type who likes to talk and analyse, or the type to repeat an exhibition, the Triennale is intended to welcome anyone. Perhaps adjunct curator Silas Miami’s approach is one worth adopting: “The beauty of African art lies in its accessibility. Bring your community with you when you come... I love a good stop-and-ponder moment. It helps me to suspend my cynicism whenever I’m around creative work. It’s all too subjective to lie neatly in definition. I simply look to be moved.”
The Stellenbosch Triennale takes place in various venues across Stellenbosch from 11 February to 30 April 2020