(Un)earthed

The latest public exhibition by the Stellenbosch Sculpture Trust connects archaeological shards and contemporary works to explore ceramic art in South Africa.

For the last 12 years, the Stellenbosch Outdoor Sculpture Trust (SOST) has brought contemporary art to a broad audience of locals and international visitors in the historic Boland town by mounting a free annual, public art exhibition. To date, the SOST has brought more than 450 works of fine art by some of the most renowned artists in the world to the streets of Stellenbosch.

The 2024 Exhibition

Curated by Stellenbosch- based artist and educator Maryke van Velden with the help of assistant curator Pule Dlothi, the latest exhibition is called “(Un)earthed”, and revolves around identity and how ceramics – both current and unearthed – offer clues about the representation of our collective South African identities, both past and present. Over a number of years, Maryke has collected shards of ceramics long buried under the pavements of Stellenbosch, and used them to map a timeline of the town and its history.

This is part of a fascinating body of work that makes up the exhibition discussion series and education programme; a selection of collected shards is also on display at the outdoor and indoor exhibitions. The shards link to the contemporary ceramic works by eight invited artists – Wim Botha, Madoda Fani, Lucinda Mudge, Marlene Steyn, Gerhard Swart and Anthony Harris of Ceramic Matters, Githan Coopoo, Ben Orkin, and Maryke herself – and the ceramics, both past and present, are interwoven through stories
focusing on this medium’s fascinating history.

The Challenge

How does one exhibit ceramic artworks in a public space? Given their fragility and size, Maryke and the SOST needed an innovative solution that would both reveal the work to a wider audience and protect the pieces themselves. The answer was to install eight large-scale images on the streets of Stellenbosch, showing close-up details of each ceramic work. Without revealing all, each image is an intriguing glimpse, providing just enough detail to arouse curiosity and inspire a visit to the indoor exhibition at the Voorgelegen museum in Dorp Street, where all the contemporary ceramic works are on display.

Education

Education programmes are an integral part of each SOST exhibition, as well as of the Stellenbosch Triennale. School excursions, university engagements and workshops ensure that people of all ages are exposed to art of various mediums, teaching them essential 21st century skills such as curiosity, creativity and critical thinking.

Since 2012, more than 1 200 high-school learners have attended workshops and guided art walks to explore career opportunities in the creative industries. Over 10 000 primary-school learners have toured
the public artworks on school tours, and hundreds of students from tertiary education institutions have participated in workshops and lectures presented by participating artists from around the world.

Proud Patrons: Private Clients by Old Mutual Wealth

An association with the Stellenbosch Outdoor Sculpture Trust was a natural fit for Private Clients by Old Mutual Wealth. “The joy experienced in collecting, investing in and engaging with art in its many forms has an intangible value, and is one that fascinates and inspires us at Private Clients by Old Mutual Wealth,” says managing director Jean Minnaar. “We are delighted to be proud patrons of the Stellenbosch Outdoor Sculpture Trust.”

Through its personalised service, Private Clients by Old Mutual Wealth offers holistic, bespoke solutions for high-net-worth clients, providing an integrated plan for their clients’ financial affairs, including investments, wealth structuring and transfer strategies, proactive tax planning, and portfolio lifestyle and administration. The highly experienced team at Private Clients by Old Mutual Wealth has been involved in the finance industry for several decades, successfully working with individuals, families, entrepreneurs and trusts to manage their wealth. | oldmutual.co.za