If art is your thing, or if you want to get into collecting, the annual Turbine Art Fair (TAF15), brought to you by The Forum Company, is the place to be.
Held at the iconic Turbine Hall in Newton from Thursday to Sunday, TAF15 is a platform for galleries, curators and other art organisations to promote emerging and established talents in an accessible and enjoyable way, so as to promote new work and talent and create a new art audience and collector base.
Exhibitors, whether galleries, collectives or dealers, have been invited to exhibit contemporary artwork priced below R40 000. Individual artists are able to participate either as part of a collective or by applying to one of the special projects.
Now in its third year, TAF15 has become a notable event and applications have been carefully considered to ensure compliance with its core values.
“Visitors to TAF15 can expect to see over 40 galleries and exhibits showcasing the best contemporary and emerging African talent. TAF is not just an art fair, though. Also on site is live music daily, artisan food and drink, publications and books, children’s programmes and more,” says Glynis Hyslop, the managing director of The Forum Company, a Joburg firm for upmarket events and main sponsor and organiser of TAF15.
There is also a daily talks’ programme which will be interactive with influential speakers in the world of art collecting and design.
Staedtler will again host TAF’s children’s area, allowing young budding “artists” to be creative while their parents enjoy the TAF.
“Turbine Art Fair is not just an art fair, but a lifestyle event. A fabulous showcase of the talent we have in South Africa and a great way to start collecting art in a unique and undaunting way, bringing the best galleries and artists under one roof,” explains Hyslop.
Projects at TAF 2015
Curator Zanele Mashumi has selected works by young artists from around South Africa.
l Fresh Produce 2015: “The Fresh Produce exhibition is focused on giving emerging artists the opportunity to exhibit among established artists, galleries and art platforms.These artists were chosen based on the presentation of work, quality and their professionalism. The important thing was to take these artists and be able to broaden their network through giving them the opportunity at TAF,” says Mashumi.
l Emerging Painters: The Graduate Show: it features some of the best post-graduate painting from fine arts’ departments across South Africa.
The following departments are being represented: Michaelis Art School (UCT), Rhodes University, Stellenbosch University, Wits School of Arts (WSOA) and University of Johannesburg (UJ). This will be the first time since 1988 that a graduate exhibition has been done.
l JAG exhibition in association with Strauss and Co and Artinsure: This is an Exhibition of International Works on Paper from the Johannesburg Art Gallery with Pablo Picasso, Lucien Freud, Salvador Dali, Roy Lichtenstein and Damien Hirst among the big-name artists featured. Included are original drawings, mixed media works and multiples by some of the greatest and most influential international artists of the 20th and 21st centuries.
The exhibition shows jewels from the museum’s own exceptional collection in a celebration of the genres and scope of paper works, which are often more affordable and accessible to collectors.
Talks programme:
l THE ART OF COLLECTING – modern and contemporary art and popular culture
A personal discussion between different South African collectors and their captivating anecdotes around their own collections and approach to art. The conversation will take place in two separate talks, when they will switch roles of interviewer and interviewee.
Speakers: Warren Siebrits and Fred Scott.
l JAG ACQUISITIONS – exhibition at TAFA discussion around the exhibited work and current acquisition strategy of JAG. The direction and growth of the existing collection and how the collection has taken shape over the past 100 years.
Speaker: Karel Nel.
l RE-APPRAISING PIERNEEF
The talk will refer to the dedicated Pierneef Exhibition running concurrently at the Standard Bank Gallery Background to the Exhibition, and the process of bringing it together. This is a discussion on the historical and current values of Pierneef’s work and why it has remained relevant. Speakers will differentiate values within an artist’s body of work – from medium (works on paper, editions vs oil on canvas) to period and subject matter.
Speakers: Wilhelm Van Rensburg (curator of exhibition) and Ruarc Peffers (Strauss & Co).
l CREATIVE COLLABORATIONS – art and popular culture:
Art breathes new life into design and vice versa, intersections between the visual arts and other creative disciplines
l MULTIPLES AND EDITIONS: Lithography and the Artists Press:
History, journey and objectives of the organization. Talk to outline the creation of original prints, as well as elaborate on the collectibility of works on paper.
Speakers: Mark Attwood with Artist Colbert Mashile.
l #UNPLUGGED: Young artists and art professionals in conversation: personal stories:
A discussion facilitated by Hlengiwe Vilakati that aims to give insight into what motivates young art professionals. This talk will be supported by interactive social media engagement and loosely takes the form of a Q&A.
Panel: Vilakati (curator and gallerist), Benon Lutaaya (artist, Bag Factory), Senzo Shabangu (artist, DKP) and Louis Olivier (artist and owner of Workhorse Bronze Foundry).
l THE TAF and SYLT EMERGING ARTIST RESIDENCY AWARD (Tasa):
Sarah Biggs has been awarded the 2015 TAF and Sylt Emerging Artist Residency Award (Tasa). She will take up her residency at the Sylt Foundation’s head-quarters on the island of Sylt, Germany early next year. She will also show her work at next year’s Turbine Art Fair.
This residency is awarded annually to an emerging artist living in South Africa. The first winner, in 2014, was artist Setlamorago Mashilo from Pretoria. The Tasa prize will be officially presented during the Turbine Art Fair.
Sarah Biggs’s award includes a two-month residency on the Island of Sylt as well as return airfare to Germany, a subsidised apartment with a generous allowance to cover her stay.
Dates and times of TAF15:
Thursday: from 6pm to 10pm: opening preview evening.
Friday: 10am to 8pm: public, pensioners, scholars and students. Live music and street-style food from 5pm to 8pm.
Saturday: 10am to 6pm; Sunday; 10am to 5pm.
Tickets: R85 at the door.
Weekend passes: R180.
Preview cocktail event: R495 a person (includes welcome drink, wine and cocktail dinner).
l To book, visit www.webtickets.co.za. For more info, visit www.turbineartfair.co.za. Event hashtag: #TAF15. Facebook: www.facebook.com/turbineartfair. Twitter: www.twitter.com/turbineartfair.