Upcoming artists in Alexandra stand a chance to land lucrative awards.
This after the SA Taxi Foundation’s announcement of the launch of an art award for exceptional work by artists older than 21 years who have not yet had solo exhibitions.
The work will have to be original, informed by the idea of destination and the winners will be displayed as wrap-around decals on minibus taxis. There will be one winner and five finalists who will receive prizes in excess of R600 000, including a portion in cash.
Their work will be displayed for 60 months on 60 taxis, which will function as mobile galleries taking the artwork to the people.
Kalnisha Singh, foundation director said the award is a partnership with Lizamore & Associates Gallery in Johannesburg which will adjudicate the selections, display the work in April next year and produce a catalogue on all of them.
She added that the initiative was to nurture emerging artists and to provide the broader community with access to the visual arts. “It will drive the growth of visual arts in the country by taking them to the streets as decals on minibus taxis, making art accessible to all.”
She said that in the past, they used artists’ work which represented the social and cultural milieu of their operational areas. “This gave expression to the findings of a study into South Africa’s visual arts by the Department of Arts and Culture, which revealed that visual arts made a significant contribution to education, public health and urban development. “Also, they [arts] give all of us an insight into how we perceive ourselves in a society composed of multiple identities and realities in a complex world.”
Singh said the study also found there were less than 10 000 active visual artists mostly in urban areas and the award would help propagate art appreciation to 40 percent of the country’s population.
Details: www.sataxiartaward.co.za; artaward@sataxi.co.za; Lizamore & Associates; 011 880 8802.
