Johannesburg in South Africa has been an insiders' tip for a casual, intellectual atmosphere and contemporary art for quite some time now. But it doesn't necessarily require taking a trip to the football world championships to realise that this reputation is entirely justified because art KARLSRUHE, taking place in spring, provides an opportunity to satisfy any curiosity at an earlier date: a special exhibition, featuring works from a whole row of stars, such as William Kentridge to name but one.
The galleries from the metropolis of 3.5m residents on the Cape are the "in" thing at present. The boom they are experiencing is reflected particularly in the "Joburg Art Fair", putting on show the very latest from the Black Continent since 2008. Ever since the great success of protagonists such as Marlene Dumas, Robin Rhode, and Guy Tillim the country simply cannot be overlooked. The coming art KARLSRUHE also acquaints its visitors with artists lesser known in Europe, among them Dumile Feni (1942 to 1991), one of South Africa's past masters.
New talents are represented as well. Lyndi Sales, born in 1973, centres her work around natural forms and organisms mostly on handmade paper or with found objects. She uses classic printing and cutting techniques. The contradiction between the world the colonially-oppressed lived in and the luxury enjoyed by their oppressors is reflected in the pictures of Mari Sibande (born in1982). 32-year-old Nontsikelelo "Lolo" Veleko presents the urban lifestyle of today with her photographic portraits of stylish, young South Africans. Amongst the other exhibitors are Gabrielle Goliath and Zwelethu Mthethwa.
An additional special exhibition is being held to attract greater attention to video art. Well worth a visit in Baden's El Dorado for art is "Looping Memories - Works from a Swiss Collection of Video Art". The Bern collector couple Carola and Günther Ketterer-Ertle are opening their extensive collection of moving images. The focus is on Swiss artists but attention is also placed on international talent. They own works by Pavel Büchler, Costantino Ciervo, Zilla Leutenegger, Franziska Megert, and other artists. The art fair's curator Ewald Karl Schrade sums up by saying: "Karlsruhe is simply upgrading all the time".
By the way: the fair set a new record in spring this year with 40,200 visitors. At the coming seventh art Karlsruhe from 4-7 Match 2010, a total of 200 exhibitors will be presenting paintings, sculptures, editions, photography, objects and installations.
The galleries from the metropolis of 3.5m residents on the Cape are the "in" thing at present. The boom they are experiencing is reflected particularly in the "Joburg Art Fair", putting on show the very latest from the Black Continent since 2008. Ever since the great success of protagonists such as Marlene Dumas, Robin Rhode, and Guy Tillim the country simply cannot be overlooked. The coming art KARLSRUHE also acquaints its visitors with artists lesser known in Europe, among them Dumile Feni (1942 to 1991), one of South Africa's past masters.
New talents are represented as well. Lyndi Sales, born in 1973, centres her work around natural forms and organisms mostly on handmade paper or with found objects. She uses classic printing and cutting techniques. The contradiction between the world the colonially-oppressed lived in and the luxury enjoyed by their oppressors is reflected in the pictures of Mari Sibande (born in1982). 32-year-old Nontsikelelo "Lolo" Veleko presents the urban lifestyle of today with her photographic portraits of stylish, young South Africans. Amongst the other exhibitors are Gabrielle Goliath and Zwelethu Mthethwa.
An additional special exhibition is being held to attract greater attention to video art. Well worth a visit in Baden's El Dorado for art is "Looping Memories - Works from a Swiss Collection of Video Art". The Bern collector couple Carola and Günther Ketterer-Ertle are opening their extensive collection of moving images. The focus is on Swiss artists but attention is also placed on international talent. They own works by Pavel Büchler, Costantino Ciervo, Zilla Leutenegger, Franziska Megert, and other artists. The art fair's curator Ewald Karl Schrade sums up by saying: "Karlsruhe is simply upgrading all the time".
By the way: the fair set a new record in spring this year with 40,200 visitors. At the coming seventh art Karlsruhe from 4-7 Match 2010, a total of 200 exhibitors will be presenting paintings, sculptures, editions, photography, objects and installations.
