(The late Reinhold Cassirer)The Reinhold Cassirer award at the Bag Factory, funded by Nadine Gordimer, offers an emerging South African artist under the age of 35, in the field of drawing or painting, the opportunity to spend a period of approximately three months at the Bag Factory's studios.
The award will provide the recipient with the opportunity to interact with the established artists resident at the Bag Factory and consequentially offers the opportunity for an expanded professional network and a greater understanding of art in Johannesburg and in South Africa.
This programme is intended to help stimulate growth in the awarded artist’s career. It does not offer financial profit.
Reinhold Cassirer was born in 1908 in Berlin into a distinguished family. His father, Hugo Cassirer was an industrialist. Hugo's brothers were Ernst Cassirer, the renowned philosopher, and Paul Cassirer, an art dealer and collector who introduced the French impressionists to Germany. Reinhold and his wife immigrated to South Africa in 1935. He worked then with a mining engineering firm that had been a client of his father's factory.
In 1939 at the outbreak of war, he volunteered to join the South African army, eager to fight against the Nazis. He did not yet have South African citizenship but was accepted on guarantees from the eminent South African lawyer, Vernon Berrange. On his return to South Africa he ran a mining engineering business for some years until the chairman of Sotheby's in London, who knew of the Cassirer family's knowledge of art, appointed him to open a branch of Sotheby’s in South Africa. He worked there for 10 years, from February 1969 through 1979.
A year later, in 1980, he opened his own gallery, Cassirer Fine Art and exhibited the work in particular of a number of South African artists, black and white until his retirement. These included William Kentridge, David Koloane, Sam Nhlengethwa, Deborah Bell and Karel Nel. Cassirer also played a major role in bringing Gerard Sekoto's work to South Africa. Reinhold and Nadine Gordimer were married in 1954. He died in October 2001.
To apply for the Cassirer award, applicants will be expected to submit (preferably by email):
- a single A4-page typed motivation, including personal details and outlining reasons why the artists believes he or she deserves the award.
- - a representative portfolio of the artist’s work including at least three original works and no more than 15, preferably by email. Images should not be larger than 300 kilobytes and each email no larger than two megabytes. (Please note that the Bag Factory does not accept responsibility for loss and damage of applications received by post and courier, and will not return slides unless accompanied by return postage and a suitable envelope/package. Please do not send original works.)
- the artist’s curriculum vitae
- a copy of the artist’s South African ID
The closing date for entries is February 24 and the winner of the award will be announced on March 20, 2012. More information at www.bagfactoryart.org.za
The award takes place between April 12 and June 29, 2012, and applicants MUST be able to take up the award during this time.
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