Local artists and fencing from Robben Island to feature in celebration of freedom and culture

Cape Town April 7, 2010: In the lead up to the FIFA World Cup and to celebrate the 20th anniversary of Nelson Mandela’s release from prison, the V&A Waterfront this week launched a unique arts exhibition that will run until Freedom Day on April 27th.  Entitled “Time on our hands”, this initiative forms part of the V&A Waterfront Expressions of Art exhibition and is a collaboration with local award-winning artist, Chris Swift and ten young artists from the Michaelis School of Art.  Entrance to the exhibition is free.

Featuring inspiring works of art made from the original prison fencing from Robben Island, which held Nelson Mandela, Tokyo Sexwale and many others captive for decades, each artist will develop pieces that present their unique interpretations of South Africa’s socio-political landscape in the context of their personal experiences and the legacy of Nelson Mandela.  These pieces will be constructed on-site during the exhibition period and completed pieces can then be viewed on the last day, April 27th.

Nelson’s Column (Ghost)
At the centre of the exhibition will be ‘Nelson’s Column (Ghost)’ by Cape Town-based artist Chris Swift, the 2009 recipient of the prestigious Michaelis prize and more recently a winner of the Spier Contemporary 2010 art competition for mixed media.  The sculpture draws its form from the guard towers from Robben Island prison and is the latest in a series of constructions utilising original fencing from this historically significant location.  (Now a World Heritage Site and tourism destination, Robben Island welcomes more than 1800 visitors per day during peak season.)  ‘Nelson’s Column (Ghost)’ is an extension of the award-winning piece ‘Nelson’s Column’, currently on display at City Hall as part of the Spier Contemporary Art Festival.

Annemie Liebenberg, V&A Waterfront’s tourism and communications manager says, “The V&A Waterfront is one of Cape Town’s oldest and most historic landmarks, providing an ideal backdrop for this very visual exhibition.  We welcome Cape Townians and others from around South Africa and the world to appreciate our country’s young and emerging talent in an extraordinarily beautiful setting”.

“Recycling discarded material for art – particularly inanimate objects as historically significant as fencing from Robben Island – is a way to turn an oppressive, limiting symbol into something that is freeing and hopeful,” says Christ Swift.  “The V&A Waterfront is the perfect venue for this initiative, as it is the launch point for Robben Island visitors and in the heart of the Mother City, a place of diverse cultures and numerous visitors from around the world.”

The exhibition will occupy the outdoor plaza in front of the Clock Tower at the Gateway to Robben Island and an empty retail space inside the Clock Tower mall.  Apart from viewing the exhibition, visitors will be able to purchase art produced by the students.

For more information about the V&A Waterfront, visit www.waterfront.co.za.

ENDS

About the V&A Waterfront
The V&A Waterfront is an historic landmark and one of Africa’s most visited cultural destinations. The oldest natural working harbor in South Africa with the iconic Table Mountain as its backdrop, it offers local and international visitors an array of cosmopolitan experiences ranging from tourism and leisure, retail shopping and exclusive entertainment. Its prime positioning, which boasts panoramic views of the ocean, city bowl and mountain peaks, has earned it numerous local and international awards and is among the reasons why up to 100 000 people visiting each day during peak season. With 22 official landmarks on-site, it is also part of South Africa’s historical legacy. The V&A Waterfront was developed in 1988 by the state-owned transport corporation, Transnet Limited, while official commercial trading commenced in November 1990.