Exhibitions
Artology: from the University of Pretoria Museums
This exhibition is inspired by a word not yet defined in any dictionary. The term Artology is a curatorial perspective and an investigative tool that probes into the University of Pretoria’s collections by actively researching its archives, conserving and curating its collections, and interacting with audiences within the framework of a university museum setting. It is through this tool of Artology, that the UP Museums continue to curate and collect in order to build and reimagine the future of the University of Pretoria’s permanent art collection.
Stellenbosch Triennale: From the Vault
Amarhoqololo:six feet away from illegibility. Amarhoqololo is an isiXhosa word denoting illegibility and or the unrecognisable. The works explore the inner universe, psychological or unconscious realm with the intent to delve into a child-like form of excavation to express the invisible and unseen. While this position intentionally expresses illegibility, it is also aware of the claims as contradictory while searching for meaning and sense making in what cannot be deliberately ciphered.
#FanFavourites
A collection rich in classical genres and themes that’s been collected since the 1940s, is sure to hold some of the visitor’s South African favourites. Now on show, the second of the #FanFavourites, chosen by you and exhibited by us!
Tracings
Tracings show part of researcher Richard ‘Ginger’ Townley Johnson’s (1911-1994) archive on southern African rock art. In the mid-70s, the Rembrandt van Rijn Art Foundation granted sponsorship to ‘Ginger’ who by then was retired to continue his various travels and explorations to trace rock art sites in Southern Africa.
JH Pierneef – The Johannesburg Station Panels
Jacobus Hendrik Pierneef (1886-1957), a notable landscape artist in the mediums of painting and printmaking was commissioned in 1929 to paint places of natural beauty and historical value for display at the Johannesburg train station.
STOREROOM SERIES
These are a few of my favourite things! Since the opening of the museum in 2005 visitors were overwhelmed and taken by surprise by a single gallery space filled with an extensive selection of artworks by five prominent South African artists – Irma Stern, Maggie Laubser, Cecil Higgs, Jean Welz and Anton van Wouw. Mrs Huberte Rupert felt a deep connection with this collective group of artists. It left a lasting impression on returning visitors, with many choosing either a favourite artist or work before they left, and an urge to revisit these time and time again.
STOREROOM SERIES
In order to shift the spotlight to artworks not included in other selected in-house and external exhibitions, the Storeroom Series is presented: Not just seen as highlights from the collection, but also to showcase the popularity of artists and artworks for visitors' enjoyment. The current rotation focuses on the faces and spaces Irma Stern encountered, mainly during the mid-1930s to the late 1940s, the highlight of her career known as 'The Zanzibar Years'.
DiVERSiTY
This diverse group exhibition of South African fibre artists is a collaboration with the National Quilt Festival hosted by the Good Hope Quilters Guild. This exhibition has been compiled by guest curator Dal Botha, known for her exceptional exhibitions at the FynArts Festival in Hermanus. Fibre art in general explores experimentation with textile manipulation, colour, texture and a diversity of mixed media, all applied and executed in an original way.
STOREROOM SERIES
The exhibition Storeroom Series celebrates African Modernism, a movement that appeared in the mid-twentieth century and was characterized by its innovative and experimental approach to artmaking. Some of the artists featured in this exhibition were part of two important collectives – The New Group and Amadlozi Group - that shaped the art movement in South Africa through their dedication in exploring African Art.
