Ever wondered what inspires the people who teach, research and create in Nelson Mandela University’s visual arts department?
At 10am on Saturday, you have the chance to find out — up close and free of charge — at a special artists’ walkabout at Central’s Bird Street Gallery.
The walkabout is part of “Trace & Transition: A Department of Visual Arts Staff Exhibition”, which marks the gallery’s 10th anniversary.
On show is an eclectic mix of staff work — from painting, sculpture and ceramics to photography, printmaking, textiles, video, fashion, graphic design and even 3D printing.
“This exhibition brings together a diverse group of artists who explore the passage of time, moving between states of being and the imprints we leave behind or carry with us through personal, cultural and environmental shifts,” School of Visual and Performing Arts director Prof Pieter Binsbergen said.
“The title, Trace and Transition, speaks to this duality.
“The trace suggests what remains — a mark, a memory, a residue — and the transition points to change, sometimes subtle, sometimes seismic, and the uncertainty of growth.”
The Bird Street Gallery itself has undergone its own transition.
Once the home of the NMU Business School, it was reimagined in 2015 as a dedicated art space.
Since then, it has staged nearly 100 exhibitions, becoming a fixture in the city’s cultural landscape.
“It is quite a vital gallery in the art community,” visual artist and lecturer Jonathan van der Walt said. He also curates the gallery.
“It allows for engagement; it gives our students outreach into the community and a chance to learn professional practice, engage with sales, and see what it’s like to be practising artists.
“It’s also a platform for national travelling exhibitions to come through, so our students and staff can experience what’s happening around the country.
“And it is a reminder of our history as an art school — the oldest in SA.”
For staff, balancing creative practice with teaching and research is no easy feat.
“A staff exhibition is always a reason to celebrate, as it’s almost impossible to be practising artists while also full-time staff members,” Van der Walt said.
So far the artists confirmed to speak are himself, Kader Abdulla, Micaela Scholtz, Bentley van Wyk, Jessica Staple and Salvelio Meyer — and there could be more on the day.
The works on show tackle subjects as wide-ranging as heritage and identity, migration, ecological consciousness, digital transitions and technological change.
Some pieces are deeply personal, while others invite reflection on broader cultural and environmental shifts.
The gallery’s first exhibition 10 years ago focused on African voices, a theme that continues to resonate.
“The gallery is still becoming, and acting, as a catapult and a space for African voices to deliver,” Van der Walt said.
For the public, this Saturday’s walkabout is a chance to hear directly from the artists about their inspirations and processes — a behind-the-scenes glimpse into the making of contemporary art.
The exhibition runs until Wednesday October 8, with weekday viewing hours from 9am to 4pm. Entry is free.
The Herald
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