Unframed Podcast

In this final episode of the season, we delve into the multifaceted world of art prizes. with two remarkable artists – Bulumko Mbete and Buhlebezwe Siwani, each bringing their unique perspective and experiences to the table.

Bulumko, the 2024 Absa L’Atelier Gerard Sokoto Award winner and 2023 recipient of the Cassirer Welz Award, is currently doing her MFA at Carnegie Mellon University in the US. Her practice reflects her deep exploration of craft and design methodologies, particularly those traditionally performed by women in Southern Africa. She offers candid insights into the transformative potential of art prizes in shaping artists careers, alongside a nuanced reflection on the uncertainties and complexities they entail.

Amsterdam-based Buhlebezwe was the recipient of the prestigious Standard Bank Young Artist Award in 2021 and has recently been shortlisted amongst 21 artists from all over the world for the 2024 Future Generations Art Prize. Buhlebezwe, whose practice explores spirituality through performance, installation, photography, and more, shares insights into the impact of these awards on her practice, and offers advice to emerging artists on applying for prizes while emphasizing the importance of resilience and kindness in the art world.

In separate conversations with each artist which will feature in two parts in this episode, we examine the implications, benefits, and challenges of both grassroots prizes and highly esteemed prizes. In both interviews, we navigate a spectrum of perspectives, embracing both the optimism surrounding artist prizes' potential to elevate artist visibility and the healthy skepticism that prompts us to critically examine their broader implications.

Season 4 is made possible by the generous support of the PESP funding by the National Arts Council and Department of Sport, Arts and Culture.

Subscribe, review, like and follow @unframedpodcast

Production for Season 4:

Anthea Pokroy (Project Lead & Host)

Nkgopoleng Moloi (Co-Host)

Niamh Walsh-Vorster (Project Manager)

The Audio Room & This Audio is Visual (Sound Engineers)

Alyx Carolus (Social Media)

Sanele Balintaba (Design) Instagram

In this episode, we delve into the role of the Biennale, a pivotal contemporary art exhibition in the global art landscape. We are joined by Clive Kellner, Executive Director of the Joburg Contemporary Art Foundation, whose career spans 25 years and holds significant involvement in South Africa's art history since the country's democracy in 1994, notably, and pertinent to this conversation, with the historic Johannesburg Biennale. Also with us is Ame Bell, Director at David Krut Projects and curator of the South African Pavillion at the 2022 Venice Biennale.

Clive brings insights into the historic 1995 and 1997 Johannesburg Biennale, reflecting on the impact, significance and challenges of these events. Ame shares her experiences and perspectives from curating the South African Pavillion in Venice, offering insights into the contemporary dynamics and global influence of biennales.

Together, we explore the meaningful contributions and limitations of biennales within both local and global contexts, from accessibility and representation to the broader impact of large-scale exhibitions on the global stage and the diverse participants they attract.

Season 4 is made possible by the generous support of the PESP funding by National Arts Council and Department of Sport, Arts and Culture.

Subscribe, review, like and follow @unframedpodcast

Production for Season 4:

Anthea Pokroy (Project Lead & Host)

Nkgopoleng Moloi (Co-Host)

Niamh Walsh-Vorster (Project Manager)

The Audio Room & This Audio is Visual (Sound Engineers)

Alyx Carolus (Social Media)

Sanele Balintaba (Design) Instagram

In this episode, we are joined by special guests Storm Janse van Rensburg and Kutlwano Mokgojwa to delve into the pivotal role museums play in shaping South Africa's arts landscape.

Kutlwano, an art curator, writer, and administrator at the Wits Art Museum or WAM in Johannesburg, provides an insightful overview of WAM, tracing its funding journey and commitment to conserving, exhibiting, and democratizing contemporary and historical art.

Storm is Senior Curator and Head of Curatorial Affairs at Zeitz MOCAA in Cape Town. With over 25 years of experience, he shares his firsthand accounts of South Africa's vibrant art scene during the mid-90s, reflecting on the transformative power of museums in fostering creativity, imagination, and storytelling.

The conversation navigates through WAM's evolution, Zeitz MOCAA’s impact, and their enduring influence on South Africa's cultural narrative.

Season 4 is made possible by the generous support of the PESP funding by National Arts Council and Department of Sport, Arts and Culture.

Subscribe, review, like and follow @unframedpodcast

Production for Season 4:

Anthea Pokroy (Project Lead & Host)

Nkgopoleng Moloi (Co-Host)

Niamh Walsh-Vorster (Project Manager)

The Audio Room & This Audio is Visual (Sound Engineers)

Alyx Carolus (Social Media)

Sanele Balintaba (Design) Instagram

In this episode, we unpack the gallery's role in the art landscape, considering diverse gallery models, their operational dynamics, and their modes of engagement with artists, collectors and audiences. Joining us, with their unique experiences and insights of the gallery space, are Lerato Bereng and Banele Khoza.

Lerato is a Johannesburg-based curator and director at Stevenson Gallery which has spaces in Johannesburg, Cape Town and Amsterdam. She holds a BA Fine Art and an MFA, majoring in curating.

Banele is a Johannesburg-based artist and gallery director. He obtained a BTech in Fine Arts and has won multiple awards for his artistic practice. In 2018, Banele opened doors to his gallery BKhz in Braamfontein, which now operates from the iconic Keyes Art Mile in Rosebank.

In the episode, Lerato reflects on the role of a gallerist as a creative problem solver. She provides a valuable perspective on the gallerist-artist relationship, emphasizing the importance of collaboration and the joy of working closely with artists. Banele sheds light on his journey in founding BKHZ and his innovative strategies that empower artists to direct their own careers. The conversation emphasises the human connection and how it contributes to a healthy and sustainable gallery practice.

Season 4 is made possible by the generous support of the PESP funding by National Arts Council and Department of Sport, Arts and Culture.

Subscribe, review, like and follow @unframedpodcast

Production for Season 4:

Anthea Pokroy (Project Lead & Host)

Nkgopoleng Moloi (Co-Host)

Niamh Walsh-Vorster (Project Manager)

The Audio Room & This Audio is Visual (Sound Engineers)

Alyx Carolus (Social Media)

Sanele Balintaba (Design) Instagram

This episode brings together two South African curators, each contributing their unique perspective to contextualize the role of the curator as a cultural broker within the art landscape. We welcome Sven Christian and Jana Terblanche, both accomplished curators and creatives, to share their insights on the evolving nature of curatorial work.

Sven, based in Johannesburg, is a writer, editor, and curator with a BA Fine Art and an MA in Contemporary Curatorial Practices. Currently, he serves as the curator of NIROX Sculpture Park and the Villa-Legodi Centre for Sculpture.

Jana, located in Cape Town, has curated extensively across galleries and independently, showcasing her expertise in exhibitions for platforms like FNB Art Joburg, Investec Cape Town Art Fair, 1-54 London, and Art Rotterdam. She now holds the role of curator and director at Southern Guild Gallery.

In this episode, Sven emphasizes the significance of shared thinking and scholarship, influencing curatorial practices rooted in care. He advocates for a deliberate approach to knowledge production and circulation. Jana explores the importance of aligning gallery and artist goals through interpersonal skills and relationship-building. We delve into curatorship, dissecting power dynamics and historical contexts within the local art scene.

Season 4 is made possible by the generous support of the PESP funding by National Arts Council and Department of Sport, Arts and Culture.

Subscribe, review, like and follow @unframedpodcast

Production for Season 4:

Anthea Pokroy (Project Lead & Host)

Nkgopoleng Moloi (Co-Host)

Niamh Walsh-Vorster (Project Manager)

The Audio Room & This Audio is Visual (Sound Engineers)

Alyx Carolus (Social Media)

Sanele Balintaba (Design) Instagram

In this episode, we delve into the inner workings of the Artist’s Studio, exploring it as both a physical space and a conceptual framework. Joining us are artists Penny Siopis and Nolan Oswald Dennis, each offering unique insights into their artistic practices.

Penny, based in Cape Town, has been a pivotal figure in the South African art scene since the 1980s. Her diverse body of work, spanning painting, film, photography, and installation, delves into themes of identity and memory through what she terms the 'poetics of vulnerability.'

Nolan, based from Johannesburg, is dedicated to exploring a 'black consciousness of space' in his para-disciplinary practice. With participation in renowned events like the Berlin and Lagos Biennales, he interrogates hidden structural conditions through diagrams, models, and installations.

In this episode, Penny emphasizes the importance of embracing chaos in the studio as a catalyst for creativity, while Nolan reflects on the transformative impact of his return from the US, highlighting the role of community, cultural encounters, and rituals.

Season 4 is made possible by the generous support of the PESP funding by National Arts Council and Department of Sport, Arts and Culture.

Subscribe, review, like and follow @unframedpodcast

Production for Season 4:

Anthea Pokroy (Project Lead & Host)

Nkgopoleng Moloi (Co-Host)

Niamh Walsh-Vorster (Project Manager)

The Audio Room & This Audio is Visual (Sound Engineers)

Alyx Carolus (Social Media)

Sanele Balintaba (Design) Instagram

After a long hiatus, Unframed is back with Season 4 and host, Anthea Pokroy is joined by arts writer Nkgopoleng Moloi to co-host this season. Discover the intricate layers of the South African contemporary art scene, as they navigate through the diverse facets of the art ecosystem, from the artist studio to the gallery, the curator to the museum. Through considered conversations with established artists and industry experts, each episode delves deep into the complexities that shape the cultural narratives of South African art. In this introductory episode, Anthea and Nkgopoleng explore the fundamental question: What is the art world? Reflecting on personal journeys, critical perspectives, and the evolving landscape of contemporary art, they challenge conventional definitions and invite listeners to join them on a journey of exploration and inquiry.

Season 4 is made possible by the generous support of the PESP funding by National Arts Council and Department of Sport, Arts and Culture.

Subscribe, review, like and follow @unframedpodcast

Production for Season 4:

Anthea Pokroy (Project Lead & Host)

Nkgopoleng Moloi (Co-Host)

Niamh Walsh-Vorster (Project Manager)

The Audio Room & This Audio is Visual (Sound Engineers)

Alyx Carolus (Social Media)

Sanele Balintaba (Design) Instagram

In this episode, I chat with Lucy MacGarry - independent curator, arts advisor and Co-Director of Latitudes Online: a new online marketplace for contemporary art from Africa. In September 2019, MacGarry launched Latitudes Art Fair at Sandton City with partners Roberta Coci, Makgati Molebatsi, Nokwazi Zimu and Anthea Buys. Prior to this she has held positions as - the Curator of the South African Pavilion at the Venice Biennale; Curator of the FNB Joburg Art Fair; Curator of the Spier, Nando's and Hollard Collections and Gallery Director of David Krut Projects. She holds a Masters from Wits and an Honours from UCT's Commerce Dept.

Latitudes Online launched on 15 July 2020. Go check it out on latitudesartfair.com

Enjoy my conversation with Lucy MacGarry. Instagram

In this episode, I chat with new media artist and independent curator Brooklyn J. Pakathi. Brooklyn J explores the relationships we manifest with technologies, and through his practice, examines the formations of, enactments with and responses to those manifestations. Working within the fields of mixed realities at Johannesburg's TMRW, his practice merges into the collaborative nature of contemporary art-making centred around the use and inclusion of digital tools. TMRW is a gallery space currently in Keyes Art Mile in Johannesburg and also, as The Mixed Reality Workshop, is a multidisciplinary arts and technology space that engages with the creation, development, production and dissemination of mixed reality art experience. TMRW currently has two virtual exhibitions on, which have emerged as a necessity during this COVID19 pandemic and national lockdown.

View the exhibitions here:

Refiguring Space: https://nationalartsfestival.co.za/show/refiguring-space-exhibition/

Coexistence: https://tmrw.art/coexistence

Enjoy listening to my conversation with Brooklyn J. Pakathi and follow @brook_flowers on all social platforms. Instagram

In this episode, we listen to an online panel discussion hosted by VANSA, the Visual Arts Network of South Africa.

At the beginning of June, VANSA hosted an online dialogue with arts practitioners whose practices span various disciplines. They shared their thoughts and experiences of this moment, their reflections on navigating precarity, how they are surviving creatively, and what new or different possibilities exist for us as a visual arts sector.

The panel was hosted by VANSA director Refilwe Nkomo @flokomo, with panelists:

Naadira Patel (Artist | Researcher | Designer | Project Manager | Sessional Lecturer) @studiostudioworkwork

Mika Conradie (Curator | Researcher | Project Manager) @soft_wave

Masimba Sasa (Photographer | Filmmaker | Lecturer | Trainer) @masimbasasa

Thato Mogotsi (Curator | Scholar | Lecturer | Trainer) @mogotsi.thato Instagram