An exhibition: The Industrial Karoo – Fear & Loss opens in the South Gallery of the Pretoria Art Museum on March 4. We showcase the artists and their work
Karoo inhabitant and artist, Katie Barnard du Toit, is the curator of The Industrial Karoo – Fear & Loss which will be exhibited at the Pretoria Art Museum.
Because the Karoo is the love of her heart, the exhibition is driven by a passion to pursue a future that leaves the environment as pristine as is possible. The exhibition presents over 80 artists who probe themes of conflict, capitalism and environmental destruction in the Karoo all of which is driven by one word – fracking.
Barnard du Toit is an environmental activist and community art patron who is extremely involved in her community and environment and has found a way through art to make the voice heard.
It is the artists’ turn to speak their mind about what they perceive as resource exploitation in the Karoo with works spanning media including painting, photography, works on paper, multimedia and sculpture.
“These artists are investigating the environmental, geographical, political and social aspects of capitalism and its impact on the fragile ecosystem of the Karoo,” explains the curator.
The works on display respond to the theme from various vantage points, presenting direct testimonials, personal experiences or references to historical moments.
In case anyone doesn’t yet know, fracking, which is what instigated and drives this exhibition, involves the pumping of toxic chemicals and fluids under high pressure into Ecca-scale formations, about 5km deep into the earth, to break open seams in the layers of sediment for gas and oil extraction. Large volumes of water are needed for this of which, a huge portion of these fluids and chemicals cannot be recycled and stay behind in the earth, causing the possible contamination of the underground water supply.
An estimated 200 000 holes will be drilled during gas exploration in the larger Karoo basin, so as to provide enough gas for 200 years of energy use in South Africa.
This is what has turned people into activists including Barnard du Toit.
It is also the community’s state of apprehension around the sustainability of their present way of life, should fracking occur, that kickstarted the artist’s motivation for creative investigation. She is interested in the emotional factors of fear and loss, and uses material metaphors in her work to refer to valued aspects of community life. Her speciality are techniques including felting and printing suggesting processes of interrelationship, documentation and their history. Wool, which is a mainstay of the Karoo, is used as a medium, for example, to refer to both its importance as an economic resource in the region and the connectedness of families with the symbolism of protection and shelter.
• The Pretoria Art Museum. Open Tues to Sun, 10am to 5pm, and is closed Mondays and public holidays. Cnr Francis Baard and Wessels sts, Arcadia Park, Arcadia. Tel: 012 358 6750; Fax: 012 344 1809. E-mail: [email protected].
Eat, see, touch and taste the Karoo
Running in tandem with the Karoo Fracking Exhibition, chef patron Rachel Botes from Menlo Park’s Carlton Café Delicious, is creating three reflective chef’s tablers at the Art Museum in celebration of everything that represents the Karoo landscape.
“In creating a menu for this exhibition, my intention was to offer diners an experience that embraces the familiar and comfortable, but also engages and challenges them with sensory aspects of the landscape. The tacit addresses the comfort of the popular ingredients we easily and collectively associate with the Karoo: ostrich eggs, springbuck, figs, olives, the blue sky. Beyond that lies the tactile challenge: to taste Karoo veldkos, to eat with your hands, touch the Karoo soil.”
• The three tacit:tactile lunches, March 5, 26 and April at noon at R350pp. Bookings: Carlton Café 012 460 7996 or deli@ carltoncafe.co.za. Contact: Anneke.
Participating artists
Zyma Amien, Hubert Barichievy, Esmé Barnard, Katie Barnard du Toit, Vanessa Berlein, Kim Berman, Lynette Bester, Ingrid Bolton, Bowen Boshier. Willem Boshoff, Anoesjka Botes, Janet Botes, Lien Botha, Ben Botma, Mathew Brittan, Ingrid Coerlin, Michael de Jongh, Anthea Delmotte, Johanna de Meillon, Klara-Marié Den Heijer, Adriaan Diedericks, Loni Drager, Corlene du Randt, Guy du Toit, Larita Engelbrecht, Deryck Foster, Ben Fourie, Kay Fourie, Gordon Froud, Minnie Gerber, Dylan T. Graham, Sandra Hanekom, Deléne Human, Louis Jansen van Vuuren, Niel Jonker, Elize Jooste, Marlise Keith, Gregory Kerr, Noeleen Kleve, Grace Kotze, Roline Kotzé, Estelle Knoesen, Jean Lampen, Juria Le Roux, Aljo Lombard, Erica Lüttich,Helena Malan, Aneen Maskell, Madelein Marincowitz, J P Meyer, David Morris, Nicole Munro, Gina Niederhumer, Susan Opperman, Michele Rolstone, Mem Sevenster, Jaco Sieberhagen, Kennett Sinclair, Lyn Smuts, Anni Snyman, Frances Spangenberg, Marie Stander, Erika Suter, Hannalie Taute, Jeannette Unite, Paula van Coller Louw, Shany van den Berg, Jan van der Merwe, Strijdom van der Merwe, Annelie van der Vyver, Brahm van Zyl, Annelie Venter, Diane Victor , Hester Viles, Niel Visser, Hetta Vontsteen-Pieterse, Yolanda Warnich, Aidon Westcott, Judy Woodborne, Manfred Zylla.