Unleash the Beast - Emalyth Arts Expo VI

Image courtesy of Emalyth

Matte, semi-gloss, gloss or metallic ? 

A4, A3 or 12x16? 

Border or no border? 

These are the questions I’ve had to find answers to these past weeks. And as I drove from branch to branch without getting the exact product I wanted, and feeling ho-hum about the prints I walked home with, it became apparent that I had more work to do.

Why am I doing all this research about prints? It's not only because I've been watching a lot of Fro Knows Photo videos, especially the one on large photographic prints but also because of the 6th Emalyth Arts Expo which takes place from the 31st of January to the 2nd of February 2014 at Wolmer Bush Lounge in Pretoria. The theme is "Unleash the Beast". I'm very excited about the Expo and super stoked to be one of the exhibitors.

Image courtesy of Emalyth

The expo will feature 25 metal and progressive bands from South Africa and Botswana. There will be an exhibition of Fine and Print art as well as stalls selling a wide variety of band merchandise and the best in alternative clothing and accessories. This weekend will also feature a wide variety of entertainment such as a sword fighting tournament.

Official Emalyth Art Expo VI T-shirt, design by Bunny Corpse
Image courtesy of Emalyth

Get a weekend pass or a Sunday pass, whatever you do, don't miss it.

Fête de la Musique 2013-Melville

Fete De La Musique (Melville) is a free and fun annual event that allows the public to enjoy a wide range of live performances and food markets in a safe and musical environment. In Johannesburg, this event takes place on 7th Street in Melville and is organised by the Alliance Francaise of Johannesburg together with the French Institute of South Africa and the Melville Residents Association.

I attended this event again this year with a group of friends and these are some of the moments I captured.

Yummy food

Beautiful Jozi people

Dancing in the street

 Food stalls and candy floss, yum.

Mandela T-shirts in the style of Shepard Fairey's Obama "Hope" poster.

Epiphone Zakk Wylde Les Paul Custom "Bullseye" on the Renault Stage. She's quite a beauty.

 SwampHound Tritet performing on the Renault Stage. I was walking up and down 7th Street when I heard this interesting bluesy classical guitar mesh-up sound (that's how I can describe them) that captivated me until the end of their set. You can listen to some of their tracks on reverbnation. These guys are great at improv as well. They reminded me of how much I love the sound of the nylon string guitar.

Peacemaker

What comes to mind when you hear the word Peace? Antiwar slogans? Peace signs? Hippies and flower power? Violence? Protests? John Lennon’s “Give peace a chance” or “Imagine”?  

What does the word Peace mean to you? Do you find yourself reflecting on your state of being and your inner conscience as well as your recent behaviour and activities? 

21st September was World Peace Day, an annual day reserved for the observation of peace. Fast forward a few weeks and here we are: Yoko Ono relights the Imagine Peace Tower on the 9th of October, violent protests continue due to the several strikes taking place and the week when this years’ Nobel Price Laureates are announced.

I decided to visit the newly opened Peacemakers Museum at the Nelson Mandela Square in Sandton.  The museum displays all the Nobel Peace Price Laureates from the inception of the Nobel Price in 1901 until 2011. The 2012 Nobel Peace Price went to the European Union, I believe the museum will be adding the new receipient to the exhibition soon. I’m curious to know what your thoughts are about the EU receiving the Nobel Peace Price this year.

The museum also exhibits a detailed history of the South African Laureates and the role they played in bringing Peace to this beautiful country of ours: Albert Luthuli who received it in 1960 for his role in the promotion of non-violent struggle against apartheid, Desmond Tutu in 1984 as well as Nelson Mandela and F.W. de Klerk in 1993. 

If you ever find yourself in Sandton City or Nelson Mandela Square, maybe you can pop into the museum and spend a few minutes enthralled by the experience while thinking about all the individuals, famous and not famous who have put themselves at potential risk for the sake of the greater good of humanity.

Quoting the Dalai Lama, a laureate of the Nobel Peace Price in 1989, “if you think you're too small to make a difference, try sleeping with a mosquito". It is imperial that now, more that even, we take an active role in world activities. We live in “relatively” peaceful times compared to other periods in human history, and learning from history, things can turn around overnight. A question I pose is: what can I do today that will allow me to leave the world a better place than how I found it? Like the Nobel Peace Price recipients, they not only fought for peace, but fought for equality, solidarity, tolerance, world hunger while struggling against violence, intolerance, prejudice and hate. Our actions may not seem like a big deal on their own but everything counts. An important think to remember is that we should not only think about what the individual is doing but the impact the action may have on the next person and the next and the next. That's how social change starts. That's how we can get the ball rolling.

So, what small (and big) changes can you incorporate into your life that will contribute to Peace?

WAM opens its doors to the public

In the heart of Braamfontein, just a stone throw away from the Nelson Mandela Bridge, the Neighbourgoods Market and the Newtown Cultural Precinct lies the newly opened Wits Art Museum.

The impressive architecture with its glass walls on the ground floor has allowed passersby to have a glimpse of the 5000m2 exhibition space for the last couple of months and on the 19th of May 2012, the museum opened its doors to the public for the first time, presenting an opportunity for art lovers and curious minds to explore its collection.

The University of Witwatersrand has preserved a collection of 9000 pieces of art from across the continent for several decades including paintings, drawings, photographs, beadwork and wooden sculptures amongst others.

The museum’s first exhibition called “WAM! Seeing Stars” featured some of the most valued pieces of this collection including Jackson Hlungwani’s “The Altar of God”, a piece by Walter Batiss and the contemporary “Weather 1” piece by Gerhard Marx. Even Madonna makes an appearance on one of the artworks. There are also a number of pieces by unknown artists, an indication of the many nameless faceless individuals across the continent who may never get any recognition for their talents, but continue to produce artwork regardless.

Alexix Preller- Hieratic Women, c 1955-57
Oil on canvas

Judith Attwood- Christ at the Column, 1965
Oil,wire and cloth on board

Lucky Sibiya- Guitar Player, c1973
Incised and painted wood

Gerhard Marx- Weather 1, 2011
Plastic rulers on black wooden substrate

The opening exhibition was worth attending and I will definitely keep going back. Have you paid the museum a visit yet? How was your experience? 

Tales of stone from DTPE

Old building; from their intricate designs and faded stones to the stories that accompany them, some known while a lot more buried deep within the cement. How can one resist a chance to explore these sites. Thankfully, Down Town Port Elizabeth offered that opportunity. 

One thing I really loved about the city was how friendly and helpful all the ladies and gents from the Nelson Mandela Bay Tourism centres were. So, with map in hand (bag), Paul and I began our trek along the Donkin Heritage Trail that includes a few museums, view of the Opera House, City Hall, The Library and...a SARS building (huh? okay, the tax guys are not exactly part of the trail but they’re there and looked out of place).

Cathedral of St. Mary the Virgin

St' Augustine's Cathedral

Mosaic steps leading to the lighthouse

The bay in the background

Donkin Reserve Pyramid and Lighthouse

Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium from a distance

The view of the bay from the top of the lighthouse was breathtaking and the carrot cake from the coffee shop near the Donkin Memorial Pyramid was divine. 

Bensusan Museum of Photography

Situated on the top floor of the Museum Africa in Newtown, lies the Bensusan Museum of Photography which displays the history of this field and the evolution from black and white to colour photography. This part of the museum houses a wide range of cameras: from 19^th century studio cameras and Daguerreotypes to 35mm film cameras and the later 21^st century digital cameras.

Started by Dr. Arthur Bensusan, who donated his collection of antique cameras, photographs and books in 1968, the museum also houses a photography library and a collection of photographs which illustrate the vast historical, cultural and political landscape of the country.

It is definitely worth a visit for those interested in the history and evolution of the camera and a good way of passing time or spending a Saturday morning.