Javett Art Centre at UP becomes new home to African art

Is the capital city establishing itself as SA’s art centre?

While Cape Town and Johannesburg have their own namesake art fairs and many artists establish themselves in these cities with specific dedication to development and investment in art, the ace up Pretoria’s sleeve is an active art community and its status as a university city means emerging talent is constantly showing new work.

This week, the University of Pretoria opened its latest expansion, the Javett Art Centre, which offers complete immersion in a global, forward-thinking approach to art.

“We’re excited,” says founding director Christopher Till. “The curators have been working for months to get the most amazing artworks to the Javett-UP from private and corporate collections across South Africa. They are now all installed and waiting to be enjoyed in this celebration of our South African heritage. It’s an incredibly special moment.

Javett Art Centre at UP. Picture: Supplied

“Art is for everybody. It tells the story of where we come from and why we find ourselves right here, right now. The Javett-UP is, and will always be, a home for the art of Africa.

“In the best tradition of warm and welcoming African hospitality, the doors are wide open so all people can come and learn more about this continent, its triumphs, tragedies and its deeply layered, but fascinating, complexity as expressed through African artists, both ancient and modern.”

The centre was completed about three months ago. It links the Hatfield campus of the university to the eastern district of the city.

The Javett-UP bridge, which spans Lynnwood Road and houses the Bridge Gallery, has been designed to throw an ever-shifting pattern of light and a shweshwe-like shadow on Lynnwood Road and adjacent walkways.

The Javett-UP bridge. Picture: Supplied

Javett-UP comprises 13 distinct spaces. It includes a 117-seater auditorium, the 265m² space that permanently houses the Mapungubwe Gold Collection, a double volume gallery, a print gallery, a sculpture deck and a restoration studio.

Pretoria also has an active community sharing artists’ work, with the Pretoria Arts Association leading the pack. Last Friday, the association opened two contrasting yet cohesive exhibitions by three artists.

The first, Krokodil kan nie cuddle nie (Crocodile can’t cuddle), by Sybrand Wiechers plays on the whimsy of cold-blooded animals.

A chance interaction with a tortoise on a cold, rainy day brought home to him the truth that one should not try to impose a preconceived idea on something if it is not in its nature. A hug is wonderful, but cold-blooded beings will never fully appreciate it because things are what they are, and the result is a collection of works based on that theme.

One of the pieces in the ‘Krokodil kan nie cuddle nie’ exhibition. Picture: Supplied

Joining Wiechers until yesterday, artist couple Danelle Janse van Rensburg and Nico Prinsloo presented The Confession Room which was created specifically for Pretoria Arts Association’s Black Box.

This dark, intimate space contributes to the title and concept as they opted to create a moment of peace, with a single seat that invites you to sit and reflect.

Van Rensburg’s work has always carried a strong female voice. Prinsloo creates thought-provoking art, often associated with social injustice, inequality and consumerism.

‘The Confession Room’ installation. Picture: Supplied

Together, the deconstructed and tied up animal parts – in both the embroidered and sculptural pieces – signify a type of bonding. And that’s just what happened this week.

The past few weeks saw the Pretoria Art Museum hosting the latest Sasol New Signatures exhibition. Thabiso Thabethe presented Messages in a Bottle at the French Alliance in Pretoria.

The exhibition features a series of red wine portraits with a message about alcoholism in South African communities.

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