Tears Become Rain is a newly released film and immersive online exhibition which illustrates the power of music in bringing together the community of Graaff-Reinet to sing for rain.

In February 2020, Tears Become Rain was announced as one of the grant recipients of the Social Impact Arts Prize. Drawing on the rich choral tradition of the Graaff-Reinet region, Cape Town based sculptor David Brits and his team’s winning project envisioned 2 500 people gathering for a mass-choir performance in the town square of Graaff-Reinet to sing for rain during the worst drought in a thousand years.

Less than a month after being announced as recipients of the Social Impact Arts Prize, the nationwide Covid-19 lockdown was declared. David and his team were forced to pivot. New constraints for creativity provided an opportunity to re-envision the project and tell the story through the medium of film.

This film, titled Tears Become Rain, was developed through a series of creative workshops with people from the coral-rich community of Graaff-Reinet. The film harnesses the uncanny ability of song to bridge the lines which divide us. The town’s choral tradition is one that transcends racial, political and economic boundaries in a dorp still haunted by the template of apartheid spatial planning.

The film’s narrative follows the journey of a young San boy, told by |xam rainmaker and master storyteller //Kabbo, in a time of great drought. Crying, his tears of grief turn into rain and restore abundance to the world.

Tears Become Rain is a story in the Bleek-Lloyd Archive of San oral history and was recorded by linguists Lucy Lloyd and Wilhelm and Dorothea Bleek between 1871 and 1873. The visual concepts, epic poem and the lyrical and musical compositions drew significantly from the archive to evolve into this moving film.

Award-winning Afrikaans poet Ronelda S. Kamfer was commissioned to interpret //Kabbo’s original story from the Bleek-Lloyd Archive into an epic poem. Connecting contemporary lives to a story from our shared past, through the series of community-based choir and music workshops, Kamfer’s poem became the basis for the lyrics and rhapsodic musical composition that lie at the heart of the film.

“The journey of Tears Become Rain started in September 2019, shortly after the Social Impact Arts Prize was launched.” recalls David. “As an artist working in the sphere of public art, I felt deeply moved to create a project proposal. I knew I wanted to work collaboratively, so I called up my friend of twenty years, Raiven Hansmann, an accomplished musician and music producer, and told him we were going to Graaff-Reinet on a research trip.”

“Arriving in the historic Karoo town, we began by talking with people. At the end of our ten-day trip, we had conducted over fifteen interviews with pastors, museum directors, teachers, shopkeepers, and archaeologists. Doing so we realised that the people of Graaff-Reinet were united by two things,” says the artist. “The townsfolk were living through the most catastrophic drought, and that everybody, absolutely everybody loves to sing”.

Coinciding with the lifting of South Africa’s hard lockdown and the suspension of the interprovincial travel ban, David and his team seized the opportunity and returned to Graaff-Reinet for a two-week-long creative workshop. The creative team hand picked twelve of the town’s best singers to form an all-star choir that reflected the many choirs, diverse choral genres and language groups present in Graaff-Reinet.

During the creative workshops, hosted at the John Rupert Theatre, the team facilitated a process whereby the newly-minted choir began to put Roldeda S. Kamfer’s poem to music. Different stanzas of the poem were given to choir members to interpret in their unique singing styles. These stanzas were put back together, forming a cohesive song which was rehearsed and then recorded in the mobile recording studio set up in the theatre. This was a remarkable feat considering that this choir had never sung together before, and that for the majority of the singers this was their first-time recording music in a studio.

Simultaneous to the musical workshop, David along with the very small film crew, worked with three first time actors from Graaff-Reinet to shoot a series of live action sequences in the surrounding landscape. Having never been in front of a camera before, these first-time actors transformed themselves into the film’s lead characters.

This film can be viewed on Latitudes Online from 16 June – 31 July 2021. The accompanying immersive online exhibition also chronicles the multifaceted community arts workshops out of which the film arose.

Looking for more on art? Take a look at the new Roger Ballen Centre for Photographic Art.

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The Bloemfontein-born, Berlin-based photographer Gabriella Pereira Achadinha is a sharpshooter with a background in film, specialising in production and direction. Here she shares some insights on what goes on behind her lens.

What is the main subject of your work?

Landscapes, features on musicians and performers, stylised urbanscapes with elements of the surreal via mixed media and collages. The subject matter I focus on has changed throughout the years, it’s been an ongoing experiment in pinpointing what it is I would like to say – or perhaps define a style that could be my own – but the direction is definitely more towards the abstract as of late.

What do you hope people feel when they see your work?

Curious, calm, nostalgic or thoughtful. Looking back on older works of mine, there’s a tendency to reflect the trend of the time – as is normal with the influence of social media – and quite a bit of that is problematic in terms of street photography and consent, the male gaze regurgitated in lingerie and swimwear shoots, etc. I hope most of all to rectify that older way of seeing and create work that is innovative and more thoughtful.

How would you describe your style of photography?

At times erratic, but most often influenced by the cinematic in terms of composition and always colourful.

What drew you to photography and what keeps you interested?

As with most visual art forms, there’s something so mesmerising about the way each particular individual sees a scene and decides to frame it through their lens. Photography has become increasingly more accessible, with the advent of cellphone camera technology, and this has allowed the form to include so many unique voices and viewpoints. This transition is both exciting and challenging – there’s a rise in saturation but also in novelty being represented. This is what keeps me interested, in not merely photographing what is there, but in developing a story.

What are you looking forward to next?

If the past year has taught me anything, it’s to surrender and allow the creative process to flow. Usually, with typical OCD problems, the focus has been on very clear-cut goals and milestones to reach (with the self-imposed pressure digging deep). For now, there are projects in the pipeline, but most of all I look forward to re-examining the way in which I photograph, research as much as possible and simply make as I move.

Keep up with the latest from Gabriella on Instagram.

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This short film by Nick Ballón for NOWNESS explores the grand Château de Fabrègues, home to French furniture and interior designer Pierre Yovanovitch.

Nestled in the countryside within a remote woodland area, the home combines elements of pared-back minimalism inspired by vintage design, contemporary art, the opera and architecture.

The turreted 17^th-century chapel forms the base of the home, decorated with frescos by artist Claire Tabouret.

The restored barn and farmhouse is home to heavy oak furniture, ornate fireplaces and basilica-inspired coffered ceilings.

Watch the video above to explore this serene home in more detail.

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The winners of the 2019 PPC Imaginarium Awards have been announced, with Eastern Cape artist Sonwabiso Ngcai winning the overall award.

Sonwabiso’s win was announced at UJ Gallery on 11 April 2019, where he received a R150 000 cash prize for his sculpture entitled Isigu, or The Snare.

Prizes are awarded across six different categories – Sculpture, Industrial Design, Film, Fashion, Jewellery and Architecture – with a brief to create a work within one of the categories using PPC cement as a material.

Sonwabiso won both the overall award, as well as the Sculpture category prize.

On the sculpture, he explains: “An isigu, in traditional African society, is a contraption used by young boys to hunt birds. It consists of a downward-facing bowl, with one side held open by an upright stick that has a string tied to it, with a few pieces of grain scattered underneath the bowl. Lured by the promise of food, a bird enters the area – the string is tugged, and the bird is captured. In this piece, the use of this simple but effective hunting tool is an analogy for the entrapment of people by religious cults.”

“In South Africa, recent exploitation has included feeding vulnerable congregants snakes and grass, making them drink petrol, sexual abuse, bullying and victimisation – all in the name of faith,” he continues. “Baited by the expectation of salvation and often seduced by promises of wealth, people are increasingly falling into religious cults. The use of concrete refers to the perceived power of faith and how congregants find strength in the Bible. The construction of the trap alludes to temporary church pop-up structures such as tents or rented buildings that appear in strategic places.”

Here is the full list of winners:

SCULPTURE

• Winner: Sonwabiso Ngcai
• Runner-up: Kenneth Shandu

Sculpture Runner-up: Kenneth Shandu

• Special Commendation: Prudence Magagula

Sculpture Special Commendation: Prudence Magagula

INDUSTRIAL DESIGN

• Winner: Jomar Dreyer

Industrial Design Winner: Jomar Dreyer

• Runner-up: Jon-Peer Bouwer

Industrial Design Runner-up: Jon-Peer Bouwer

FASHION

• Winner: Cow Mash

Fashion Winner: Cow Mash

• Runner-up: Cheryl Traub Adler
• Special Commendation: Itumeleng Ramakau

Fashion Special Commendation: Itumeleng Ramakau

ARCHITECTURE

• Winner: Wian Jordaan

Architecture Winner: Wian Jordaan

• Runner-up: Suzani van der Merwe

Architecture Runner-up: Suzani van der Merwe

JEWELLERY

• Winner: Khanya Mthethwa

Jewellery Winner: Khanya Mthethwa

• Runner-up: Joani Groenewald

FILM

There was no winner or runner-up in the Film category, but Nirma Madhoo received a special commendation.

For more information, visit ppcimaginarium.co.za.

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The creatives at NeoMam Studios have stripped away the special effects of six imaginative worlds in a new series that highlights the architectural brilliance of each.

The studio has produced a series of grayscale pen-and-paper illustrations showcasing the detailed architecture present in several of the most popular fantasy worlds, such as Game of Thrones, Harry Potter and Star Wars.

“In a world of CGI, the architectural landscapes created in the film, TV and gaming industries are now almost as realistic as the world outside your window. But strip away the special effects, and the architectural creations of Studio Ghibli, Skyrim and Marvel are no less impressive,” says NeoMam’s Luke Doyle.

Take a look at some of NeoMam Studio’s other featured projects, including ancient ruins reconstructed in the form of GIFs, what your bedroom would look like if designed by famous film directors and seven home office designs inspired by fonts.

(h/t) Angie’s List

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Applications are now open for the Emerging Creatives Class of 2019, the design platform created by Design Indaba, and supported by the Department of Arts and Culture, that showcases the country’s top young designers. 

Aspiring and unestablished designers from creative fields such as architecture, fashion, illustration, furniture design, art, jewellery, film and so on, are encouraged to submit their work for consideration before midnight on 10 September 2018.

Since 2005, the programme has helped launch the careers of the likes of Laduma Ngxokolo of world-renowned fashion label MaXhosa by Laduma, Katherine-Mary Pichulik of accessories brand Pichulik, and acclaimed ceramicist Andile Dyalvane.

This year, 40 young creatives will be selected to exhibit their work at Design Indaba Cape Town, which will take place from 27 February to 1 March 2019. Participants will be provided with return flights to Cape Town; accommodation for the duration of the event; a pre-exhibition workshop on marketing their products and services; tickets to attend the Design Indaba Simulcast; a profile on designindaba.com in the Designer Directory, as well as extensive media exposure. A further 10 young creatives will be chosen to exhibit at the Design Indaba Johannesburg Simulcast to be held at LISOF over the same dates.

We’re pleased to announce that applications for the #EmergingCreatives class of 2019 are open! Hit the link in our bio to apply. The Design Indaba Emerging Creatives programme is at the core of what we do as a platform that catalyses work in the creative industries. It’s the perfect place for South Africa’s rising creative stars to inject a boost into their careers.

A post shared by Design Indaba (@designindaba) on Jun 21, 2018 at 2:12am PDT

Here’s a recap of Design Indaba’s 50 Emerging Creatives from 2018. To find out more about the Emerging Creatives or to apply, click here, and follow @designindaba on Instagram.

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Kristen Lauth Shaeffer is an artist and filmmaker from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania who is behind the fascinating 349 project, a stop-motion animation showcasing a choreographed dance made up of more than 300 hand-drawn frames. 

The project was developed over two years with the help of more than 300 hundred people, each of whom added their own drawing to the animation by depicting their version of a personal relationship. The collaborative effort results in a thought-provoking piece.

(h/t) thisiscolossal.com

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The first-ever African edition of the international moving-image festival Ciclope was held in Cape Town at the glorious Zeitz MOCAA.

Ciclope festival and awards ceremony is hosted annually in Berlin, Germany, as a way to recognise and reward exceptional craft in moving image.

Now in its eighth year, it’s been held in major cities including New York, Los Angeles, Sao Paulo, Sydney and now Cape Town, and serves as a platform for directors, creatives, artists, producers and brands to celebrate exceptional work, share knowledge and be inspired.

The African festival, which received over 150 submissions across 16 categories, was hosted at the Zeitz MOCAA on 10 April 2018. Eighteen winners were awarded: 12 in the Branded Content category, which included sub-categories like Animation, Casting, and Cinematography; five winners in the Special Categories, which included Low Budget, Long Form and Music Video; and the Grand Prix winner, Beats by Dre, which was directed by Terence Neale, produced by Park Pictures and created by agency JohnXHannes New York.

Video credit: Beats by Dre on YouTube

The local jury was comprised of the likes of Fran Luckin, Chief Creative Officer of Grey Africa, Alistair King, founding partner and Chief Creative Officer of King James, and Mbithi Masya, Director at Fat Rain Films – all who spoke at the festival – amongst others.

Production Company of the Year was awarded to 03:07, who were also the production company behind the “On the Road” Volkswagen advert that won for Direction (90 seconds and over) recognising industry stalwart – and festival speaker – Kim Engelbrecht, known for his highly emotive ads.

Video credit: 0307 on Vimeo

“Jury members were impressed by the quality of work submitted across the continent; submissions which showcased not only innovative and creative execution – but importantly – technical expertise,” says Ciclope Director Francisco Condorelli. “This year’s entries have set a high benchmark for future regional legs, and we are encouraged by the success of the inaugural African edition of Ciclope, as well as the support received from the local industry.”

The winners in each category, as well as the Grand Prix winner, will receive an automatic entry to the flagship festival, which will be hosted in Berlin later this year. Read more and get a full list of the winners, here.

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The winners of the 2018 PPC Imaginarium Awards were recently announced at the University of Johannesburg Art Gallery.

The competition received 302 regional entrants and selected 62 national finalists. The overall winner, Chris Soal, is a 24-year-old sculptor and fine arts graduate from Wits University. Along with the coveted title, Chris receives a R150 000 prize.

His piece, titled Imposed Structure to the Detriment of the Members, was made using cement cast into the shape of a deflated and scuffed soccer ball. The piece depicts the dejected way that old soccer balls are discarded. It highlights the impact that the 2010 FIFA World Cup had on South Africa and the debate around how it’s actually benefited the country.

The judging panel of the PPC Imaginarium Awards included acclaimed contemporary artist Mary Sibande, renowned local artist Stephen Hobbs, UJ Art Gallery curator Annali Dempsey, and Daniel van der Merwe, who heads up the Awards.

The five winners in the five categories were:

Film: Phumulani Ntuli

Jewellery: Aleks Ashton

Aleks Ashton – Tiara of the Heart and Head

Fashion: Gabrielle Foulis

Gabrielle Foulis – The Art of Destruction

Sculpture: Chris Soal

Chris Soal – Imposed Structure to the Detriment of the Members

Industrial Design: Giovanni Zambri

All of the above winners were each awarded R50 000 in cash, while the runners up each won R15 000.

For more information, visit ppcimaginarium.co.za.

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This Oscar-nominated animated short film, directed by US filmmaking duo Ru Kuwuhata and Max Porter, is based on a poem by Ron Koertge and tells the story of a father and son’s relationship.

The father, a businessman who travels a lot, teaches his son about the art of packing, something the two bonded over, something that shaped the son’s relationship with his father.

The team behind the stop-motion animated film spent three months making every piece featured in the short, from tiny laptops to rolled-up socks. “It was really important for us to use the actual material… and give more life to the object,” says Ru in the above clip.

Watch the trailer for the short below and the fascinating making of clip above.

(h/t) thisiscolossal.com

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