OPENLab 2016

THE ART OF BEING SOCIAL

EXPLORATIONS IN SITE BASED PRACTICES

THE ART OF BEING SOCIAL: FOURTEEN OF SOUTH AFRICA TOP NEW EXPERIMENTAL ARTIST
HEAD TO BLOEMFONTEIN
Fourteen of South Africas most promising emerging and mid-career artists will take part in
OPENLab 2016, a national laboratory for creative practitioners interested in making art in the
public realm. OPENLab: The Art of Being Social, is an open and intensive artist residency platform aimed at generating new strategies and ideas in site specific, experimental and interdisciplinary practice. The Lab will be led by national and international facilitators including Paul
Gazzola (Australia), Ella Ziegler (Germany), Abrie Fourie (Germany/South Africa), Khanyisile
Mbongwa (South Africa) and Lesiba Mabitsela (South Africa).
OPENLab is a fantastic opportunity to meet and network with other artists. I look forward to
sharing ideas, developing my career and challenging myself. said Johandi du Plessis, one of
the artist participating in the Lab.
OPENLab 2016 will take place over ten days from 14 July 24 July 2016 at the University of the
Free State in Bloemfontein alongside Vrystaat Arts Festival. It will also involve a weeklong studio
held at Map (Modern Art Projects South Africa) in Richmond, Northern Cape.
Paul Gazzola lead facilitator says OPENLab is a place for free experimentation and open dialogue.
It is a nurturing, supportive and responsive space for artists and facilitators to share, exchange
and challenge each other. In the lab we will explore spaces for performance and installation;
interdisciplinary collaboration; concept development; audience interactivity and intercultural dialogue. OPENLab is an investment in future thinking, creative networks and professional development.
OPENLab is a national opportunity for participating artists to explore new approaches to site
based practices working across different communities, disciplines and geographical contexts.
The emphasis is on participation, critical thinking, discussion and the creation of new ideas.
OPENLab has been developed by Australian creative practitioners Paul Gazzola and Carli Leimbach as part of the Programme for Innovation in Artform Development (PIAD). PIAD is an initiative by the Vrystaat Arts Festival and the University of the Free State (UFS). OPENLab 2016 is generously funded by The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation and supported by Map (Modern art projects
South Africa), Open Space Contemporary Arts and Institut fr Auslandsbeziehungen.

Artists participating in OPENLab 16 are: Johandi du Plessis (Bloemfontein), Karin Tan and Skye
Qualding (Johannesburg-based collective), Scott Eric Williams (Cape Town), Kai Lossgott (Johannesburg), Kivithra Naicker (Durban), Wezile Mgibe (Port Elizabeth), Janet Botes (Cape Town),
Victoria Wigzell (Johannesburg), Kathleen Sawyer (Cape Town), Lehlohonolo Dube (Springs), Nomusa Mtshali (Cape Town), Yazeed Kamaldien (Cape Town), Sikelela Damane (Johannesburg).

SELECTED ARTISTS
Janet Botes (1984) is a visual artist working in various media, and
currently based in Cape Town. Janet works across disciplines,
which include Land Art, Installation Art, Drawing, Painting,
Mixed Media, Photography, Digital Art and Assemblage and
involves her working just as much in the outdoors than in the
studio. After obtaining her BTech qualification in Graphic Design
(Cum Laude) at the Vaal University of Technology in 2006 Janet
worked as a graphic designer in three different cities before
dedicating her working life to art making and projects relating
to art and the environment. Since 2007 she participated in
workshops in concept development, art therapy, performance
art and professional art practice. Since 2013 Janet has been
involved with Site_Specific, a volunteer run organisation that
aims to develop and support site specific and land art projects
in South Africa. In August 2015 she travelled to South Korea as
part of the Global Nomadic Art Project; and is currently assisting
in the coordination of the South African leg of this international
project. Janets first solo exhibition Wild & Still: expressions of
the landscape was shown in June 2014 by StateoftheArt Gallery
in Cape Town, who also hosted her second solo exhibition
ORGANISM in April 2016.

Johandi du Plessis completed her BA Fine Arts in

2014 at the University of the Free State, majoring in
sculpture and installation with distinction. Currently
she is lecturing part-time as a Junior Lecturer at
the Department of Fine Arts at the University of the
Free State, in drawing, sculpture and painting. She
is also reading for her Masters in Fine Arts.
Johandi has taken part in several group exhibitions,
which includes the Absa lAtelier in 2015 and 2014,
and the Sasol New Signatures in 2015 and 2013.
Her work stretches across various media, which
almost always culminate into large installations,
typically including sculptural, video, drawing and photographic material. Her art research entails
an interdisciplinary approach, crossing art with science, sociology and political science. Her artmaking process entails extensive research prior, during and after completion of the work, to the
extent that the research process itself becomes inseparable from the work: art as research and
research as art.

Kai Lossgotts work investigates questions of personal

and environmental health as human agency within the
socio-ecological crisis. It has been exhibited at venues
such as the Johannesburg Art Gallery and Museum Africa,
Johannesburg; Arnot Art Museum, New York; Whitechapel
Gallery, London; Museum of Contemporary Art Maracaibo,
Venezuela; Austin Museum of Art, Texas; Casoria
Contemporary Art Museum, Naples; Bell Roberts Gallery
and blank projects; Cape Town. His videos are screened
on local street corners, at international museum and
gallery events, as well as film festivals. He received the Barclays lAtelier Award 2015 for African

artists. Residency awards include the Sylt Foundation Residency (Sylt, Germany, 2013), Infecting
the City Public Arts Festival, (Cape Town, 2009) and Nirox Foundation (2008).His curatorial
ventureCITY BREATH(2010) initiated short interdisciplinary and experimental film collaborations
from four South African cities. A selection was screened at the British Film Institute in London in
May 2010, followed by an international tour, to popular and critical acclaim.LETTERS FROM THE
SKY (2011), is an artists film delegation screened in hotel lobbies at the COP17 global climate
summit in Durban. The artist is also known for his public performance collaborations. The artist
holds tertiary qualifications in dance theatre, documentary film, creative writing and fine art, all
cum laude, including an MA from the University of Cape Town. An environmental activist and
community arts facilitator, he has published and lectured at various South African universities,
most recently part-time at the University of Pretoria. German by birth (1980), South African by
upbringing, Lossgott currently lives and works in Johannesburg and the world.

Kathleen Sawyer attempts to marry the beautiful and the

grotesque in finely-detailed drawings rendered in ballpoint
pen. Her interests lie mainly in portraiture and the body,
fairy tales, and horrible death. Adrift in negative space, each
sensitively-observed drawing appears ephemeral; the figures
seeming introspective and lost. Individual pieces possess
a static poise which cements each character in an almost
sculptural stasis, trapping subjects in the picture plane and
reflecting the artists interest in emotional isolation. Her book
arts involve the intersection of drawings and cut-outs in a
narrative format that unfolds as they are read. Such works
require active exploration of each piece page by page, creating
an immersive experience that allows viewers to choose how
much or how little they wish to discover about the artwork.
This enables a more intimate relationship between artwork
and audience; yet this engagement is subjective in itself as
each book is best discovered on a private level. By making
the enclosed nature of personal experience transparent in her
drawings, Sawyer encourages the interrogation of the subjectivity which simultaneously unites
and isolates us all. She is currently in Grahamstown studying towards her MFA, which focuses on
the maintenance of socio-cultural norms through fairy-tale.

Kivithra Naicker is currently a Masters candidate in Theatre

and Performance at The University of Cape Town andis part of
the postgraduate programmein Live Art, Interdisciplinary and
Public Art by The Institute of Creative Arts. H
er area of interest
is around the exploration and interrogation of South African
Indian femaleidentity within performative spaces in postapartheid South Africa, drawing from her own heritage; focusing
on spaces in which transgression can occur.Graduating (cum
Laude) in Drama & Performance Studies from the University of
Kwa-Zulu Natal, Naicker designed and directedVenus (2011), an
abstract play by Suzan-Lori Parks, recounting the historical life
of Sarah Baartman. Through the construction of a carnivalesque
set, she sought to explore the tragedy and personal struggle
of Baartman as a South African woman in colonial South Africa. Choreographic work entitled
boy(2011), performed by Naicker and Ndabenhle Christopher Tobo;a piece exploringthe
relationship between an Indian female and black male in the context of madam and gardener/
boy, drawing from aspects of performance art to create a narrative, exploring the politics of
identity, power, sexual dynamics and modes of oppression between these two bodies.

Lehlohonolo Dube has been working with communities

for the past 8 years as performer, teacher and cocoordinator. Dube joined the Sibikwa Arts Centre in
2005 where he studied towards his NQF 4 in Performing
Arts which he successfully completed in 2006, in 2007
and then went through an internship which focused on
facilitating the arts and culture curriculum in schools
both courses were accredited by MAPPSETA. Dube
coordinated the SibikwaSaturdayArts Academy for 4
years, one of Sibikwas cornerstone project that offers
lessons to over 200 learners in the East Rand which have grown to understand how communities
function and how to facilitate programmes and coordinate programmes for participants from
different communities. Dubes responsibilities within the academy were to supervise teachers
and supporting staff members, train and facilitate induction on new staff and plan events for the
academy, write proposal to potential funders and do budgeting for events and the academy. In
2013 he was offered an opportunity to coordinate an international collaboration with the students
from the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama [London] where we conducted Applied
Drama & Theatre workshops for participants in Old Age Homes in Benoni and Daveyton and
the Johannesburg Female Prison which again added more knowledge and understanding on
what is community engagement. In 2014 he enrolled at the University of the Witwatersrand to
further his studies in Applied Drama & Theatre so he applied for an Advanced Diploma in Arts
which was for a year. From 2015 to date Dube has been working on a project called Artists in
Schools Programme which was about assisting teachers in the creative arts to unpack the CAPS
document.

Nomusa Mtshali is a full time artist based in Cape Town. She

was born in 1986 in Durban, South Africa. In 2008 she graduated
with the Fine Art diploma at Durban University of Technology.
Nomusa has worked professionally in the Art industry since
2008. She has worked as a gallery assistant for a number of
prestigious galleries. She has curated group shows at the BAT
Centre in Durban. She recently exhibited at THAT ART FAIR in
February 2016.

Scott Eric Williams is a self-taught artist born in December

1980, Cape Town. Williams uses diverse media, which
ranges from sculpture with recycled materials and
weaving to illustration and street art. Having experienced
a nomadic existence for most of his life his work reflects
on urban migrations, and contemplates experiences of
love, loss, depression, land, hope and trade within the
inner-city context with an intention to contribute to a
positive, proactive image of African identity. Through his
use of urban detritus he strives to make sense of the city
- as he knows it - by engaging with its leftovers. Scotts
current body of work embeds a sense of site-specificity
due to the nature of materials coming from particular
stores, locations which are more traditionally inhabited

by African foreigners. Cardboard, ropes, adverts, printed matter which originate from these
spaces are used to interrogate the welcome, or lack thereof with which people are received into
neighbourhoods and give it an alternative, Afrocentric identity. Scott was a founding member of
Burning Museum and has exhibited at Brundyn+, Gallery MOMO, and Centre for African Studies
amongst others. Williams has also worked as a Digital Research Assistant with ASAI.

Sikelela Damane is an artist born in Cape Town. He

received a BA Fine art from the University of Fort Hare
(2015) and attended the Market photo workshop (2015).
In 2014 he participated in a workshop/residency at the
Emthonjeni Artist residency, Hamburg, South Africa,
as part of the Arts and Ubuntu trust, titled the creative
journey; from idea to screen. He was recently part of
an inaugural group exhibition Otherwise at Sosesame
gallery (2016).His work explores and reflects on social,
economic and political ideas. He uses contemporary
and historical references to make statements in his
work. Damanes work draws attention to popular
culture while confronting conversations, controversies
and events. The artist uses materials such as acrylic
paint, oil paint, aerosol, paper, marks, earth, and
photography. He has participated in group exhibitions
both locally and internationally. He lives and works in Johannesburg.

Skye and Karin are Johannesburg based artists, who have

recently graduated from the WITS School of Art. In our practice
we attempt to harness the attitude of the place or subject matter
we are working with, extrapolating bits and pieces to inspect
their nuances and understand their idiosyncrasies in a broader
context.

Victoria Wigzell As an artist Ms Wigzell considers

herself to be in the business of making gestures
whether this involves her own body in direct action,
conceptual exercise, or the making of sculptural
objects and short films. Her work is concerned with
the ways in which class affects perceptions and
workings of culture, economy and infrastructure.
At the same time Wigzell is equally concerned with
the ability of her work to remain accountable to
her concerns while existing simply as one series of
gestures after another. Her ongoing project entitled

FREE LABOUR aims to unpack both her works concerns and her concerns about her work, by
giving up her labour to any person who may request it. The period and nature of work remain
negotiable at all times. As a recent masters graduate from ECAV Sierre, Switzerland, Wigzell
is a winner of the Prix ECAV de la Fondation BEA pour Jeunes Artistes. Focussed as much on
collaborative practice as personal research, Wigzell has enacted a number of recent collaborative
projects. These include Friends of Mine a curatorial project enacted in collaboration with
Argentinian artist Patricio Gil-Flood in 2015, and an ongoing artist interview series for Los
Individuos Situational Radio in collaboration with Canadian artist Natalie Boterman. Most recently,
Ms Wigzell staged a solo presentation at the Showroom Gallery of Sint Lucas School of Arts,
Antwerp. This exhibition was made possible within the context of an exchange project between
Sint Lucas Antwerp and ECAV Sierre, and was enacted at the end of a three month residency at
AIR Antwerpen earlier this year. Wigzell currently works and resides in Johannesburg.

Wezile Mgibe Theatre Performer. Born and

raised in Port Elizabeth, South Africa. An artist
who uses Music and Dance as a tool for a social
change. His First Professional Production was
in 2008 casted as a main Dancer in TIMELESS
Jazz Musical. Trained in Contemporary Dance,
Afrofusion and Jazz. Performed in Festivals
National Arts Festival, Dance Umbrella and
JOMBA! Contemporary Dance Experience.
Performer for #Darkroom Contemporary Dance
Piece. Worked with one of the Great South
African Artistic Directors and Choreographers.
He is currently working on his project called Dance Collective. He is also working on his second
theatre piece called Innocent Voices. His future plans is to create a brand and collaborate with
other Artists.

Yazeed Kamaldien is a journalist, photographer and documentary

filmmaker. He tells stories across platforms. He has held a number
of photographic exhibitions and screenings of his films in various
public and private spaces. He has also participated in art residencies,
particularly in Cape Town on site-specific projects.

LEAD FACILITATOR: Paul Gazzola

Paul Gazzola is an artist and curator working in the expanded field of contemporary performance
& visual arts. Over the last 20 years he has generated an innovative array of projects that have
been commissioned and presented in Australia, Canada, Japan, South Africa, South America, and
the UK and throughout Europe. He originally trained as a carpenter, has a B.A. in Performance
(Dance), is a qualified Feldenkrais practitioner and in 2004, commenced studies in architecture.
The culmination of these varied inquiries - each distinctly exploring the spatial and performative
relationships between the body, site, place and the built form - provide a unique platform of
knowledge in his working life. He was the inaugural Critical Path Associate Artist 2012/13, Live
Art Curator at Campbelltown Arts Centre from 2012 14 as is currently Artistic Director of OSCA
Open Space Contemporary Arts, in South Australia.
His extensive working practice includes leading roles in the development, coordination and facilitation of interdisciplinary arts labs in Australia, South Africa,
Germany and Montreal including Thinking spaces/ Active interpretations for Dance
in August, Berlin, 2007 / Generating the Impossible, Senselab, Montreal 2011 /
Splendid Arts Labs 2010 & 12, Lismore / SITUATE-Art in Festivals 2013, Hobart & Openlab14 & 16,
South Africa.

Presented by

Principal supporters

map-southafrica.org