Conversation to be had around works
IF YOU’VE been wanting to explore contemporary art in a welcoming setting, don’t miss The Summer Show at Casa Labia Gallery in Muizenberg which is on until February 24. The exhibition has been specially curated by Joao Ferreira to encourage conversation and to give viewers a better understanding of connoisseurship.
“It’s a continuation of the idea I had when we originally launched the gallery,” he explains. “To engage collectors in cultural discourse.”
Over the months Ferreira has monitored how visitors have reacted to the contemporary works on display to gauge who the viewers are and what appeals most. He discovered that the audience was fairly new and that there were very few collectors among them who really understood contemporary work. It led Ferreira to realise that it may still be too soon to mount an exhibition made completely of contemporary works.
The Summer Show includes a variety of media, and features different styles of painting, sculptures and installations.
“There is conversation to be had around every work,” he says, mentioning that an installation by Justin Fiske is bound to have a lasting impact on visitors. Fiske’s piece comprises sunlight captured on mirrors, reflected on to crystals and then on to embroidered lacework, creating a rainbow effect. The mirrors can be adjusted as the light changes through the day so that the rainbows are always visible.
One of the more cutting-edge pieces is by James Webb, who has created a piece that is light and sound based inside the house and out on the balcony.
Then Ferreira has used an upstairs room to showcase media that represent the vision of the gallery. It’s quite an “over-the-top” room, so he has had to carefully select works that would be compatible with the space.
“We’ve had a very good reaction to the exhibition so far. People like the diversity of it, but at the same time they can see that there’s a cohesiveness to it.”
In addition to the wood sculptures, bronze works and pieces crafted from blacksmith iron, the show features works by Judy Woodborne, Beezy Bailey, Eris Silke, Brett Murray, Julia Rosa Clark, Egon Tania, Lynette Bester and Robert Hodgins.
“The Robert Hodgins is incredible. It’s a very powerful work that will get a lot of attention. It’s not just a token Hodgins – each work was selected specifically for the exhibition.”
Ferreira also references Woodborne’s tarot series and Clark’s drawing derived from found objects.
Ferreira hopes that through the exhibition he will be able to develop a conversation with the visitors and grow the prominence of the gallery. At the moment a large number of people find the exhibitions while visiting Casa Labia to admire the architecture or have lunch or tea. “They find themselves venturing up through the space. But the number of people who come specifically for the art is growing quite rapidly.”
In the near future Ferreira is planning an exhibition of seascapes by Irma Stern as well as a solo presentation of works by Natasja de Wet. He plans to also hold a series of retrospective exhibitions.
Another goal of this show is to create a platform for other city galleries as well. Many of the works on display, which are for sale, were sourced from other galleries with which Ferreira has relationships. And if visitors are concerned about seeing works out of the context of their original exhibitions, Ferreira says that the gallery manager and assistant are on hand to help shed some light on each piece. There is also a catalogue available, and as the gallery collects more information about the artists and works, it shares this with the viewers.
The Summer Show is a good place to start discovering contemporary art and gain exposure to some important local artists. “It’s well worth a visit,” says Ferreira. “There are so many different media, current works and exciting pieces.”