(Michael Mpungose,
Soccer Player, wood)
An exhibition titled
The Art of Democracy: Twenty years of Collecting
opens in the Main Room of the Tatham Art Gallery in Pietermaritzburg on
December 9.
This exhibition
will remain in place until June next year. A selection of art works from the
permanent collection acquired since 1994 are displayed in all areas of the
Gallery. They are identified by coloured labels. Therefore patrons are invited
to reflect on what has happened in the Tatham Art Gallery in the past 20 years and
view the director’s choice. One will ponder in each and every work and start a
discourse within one’s mind.\
For the past 20 years, the growth of the Gallery's permanent
collection has been significantly affected by significant change in South
Africa. Political, social, and economic shifts have impacted on the Gallery's
acquisitions policy, as have developments in art making and theory. What has
been acquired for the permanent collection is the result of these shifts,
taking cognizance of the collection's growth from its founding in 1903. The
most challenging aspects of collecting during this period have been selecting
for inclusivity, the breakdown in barriers between so-called “high art” and
craft, and focusing the Gallery's role as a regional repository of visual art
heritage. This selection of art works acquired from 1994 onwards is both a
celebration and an opportunity for reflection.
The Tatham Art
Gallery is situated opposite the Town Hall in Chief Albert Luthuli Street,
Pietermaritzburg. It is open from Tuesdays to Sundays from 10h00 to 17h00. Café
Tatham is open on Saturdays. Safe parking with a car guard available. More
information on 033 392 2801 or visit www.tatham.org.za
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