Nature turned into art
EMMARENTIA – Nature and art are combined in the annual Jozi Land Art exhibition.
Art does not have to be displayed in a gallery. It can be something you could take away with you. It can also be formed from anything, even nature.
Site_Specific hosted the fourth annual Jozi Land Art opening on 1 May at the Johannesburg Botanical Gardens in Emmarentia. South African artist, Gordon Froud said that people often think that it cannot be art as these artworks won’t last in a gallery, but he explained that Site_Specific aims for people to capture the art in their memories as well as on their cameras.
“Some of the artworks are more subtle than others. If people walk over them, that is fine, as it is part of the experience,” said Froud. Critic and doyen of arts, Johan Myburg said that culture and nature is combined in the Jozi Land Art and gives people the chance to celebrate the nature that sustains them. The Jozi Land Art opening began with a performance by Soweto art group Ubuhle Bobuntu Arts, who also displayed their sculptures of ants.
Thulani Zondo from the group explained that ants are very important for the sustainability of nature. Vanessa Tembane, a fine arts student at the University of Johannesburg (UJ), created a spiderweb out of different berries and spiders out of pine cones. “I decided on the spiderweb as I am very afraid of spiders, but I love the webs that they create,” said Tembane.
Lebohang Kganye, another fine arts student at UJ, explained her artwork, Migration. She painted the outlines of her family members on trees and explained that it was inspired by a photography project that she had to complete.
Marina Walsh showed her sculpture inspired by the blankets that people need to keep warm in winter. She made a mold out of her mother and used it to make the sculpture of a women out of sand. The woman is covered in a blanket of a variety of natural materials.
After the tour, the attendees of Jozi Land Art could enjoy nature further with a picnic basket and memories of the art they just saw.
Details: Johannesburg Botanical Gardens, 011 782 0517.
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