SA art travels across Germany
LOCAL artists recently benefited from international exposure after their contemporary art was exhibited in three cities across Germany during June and July.
The Travelling Art Gallery – an initiative that aims to help South African artists take and sell their artwork abroad – recently received significant support from Ropelius, a branding and design company with offices in Hamburg, Germany, and Cape Town.
The sponsorship support enabled the initiative to host pop-up exhibitions featuring contemporary South African art in three cities in Germany.
The Travelling Art Gallery was started by German Barbara Lenhard, who has been living in Cape Town for 10 years, as a passion project.
Her team selected 12 local artists to present 80 stunning, fresh and exciting pieces of art.
The initiative has made its way to Kickstarter, the world’s largest crowd-funding platform for creative projects.
Ropelius chief executive Tom Leistenschneider hailed the event as “widely successful”.
“We are proud to have been involved in a project that has captured the imagination of the South African and German public and we are honoured to be able to play a role in helping local artists to not only get more exposure, but also to sell their artwork to an international audience,” said Leistenschneider.
Ropelius has deep roots in Germany and a relatively new presence in South Africa.
“As someone who spends a lot of time in both countries, it has been gratifying to not only raise the profile of South African art, but also the profile of the country,” said Leistenschneider.
“Many times, foreigners see South Africa as a holiday destination where they can journey on scenic routes among wine farms, go on a safari, or enjoy a round of golf on a beautiful golf course.
“The other end of the spectrum is people who see South Africa as an unsafe country or one that is in political turmoil.
“Initiatives such as the Travelling Art Gallery puts the country’s emerging talent in the spotlight. It’s one of the best ways to boost the creative industry and bridge the gap between local artists and international buyers,” he said.