Cape Town - Seventeen Gugulethu homes were transformed into art galleries showcasing a variety of art works by local artists on Sunday.
Bold murals, street performances as well as beautiful art works were on display at the Maboneng Township Arts Experience held over the weekend.
One of the home owners was Pretty Phakathi, who said over the two days (Saturday and Sunday) people from around the world visited her home to admire the beautiful artworks hanging on her living room wall.
The 54-year-old cleaner said she enjoyed being a “gallery owner” for the weekend.
“The arts is something that our children don’t think of a lot. They want to be mostly nurses or teachers, this has showed them that there are other careers they can follow,” she said.
“I had people from France and America sitting in my living room. People I wouldn’t have met otherwise, sitting and chatting to me.”
The public art initiative, launched in Joburg three years ago, sees township houses converted into galleries and the streets into vibrant stages and performance spaces.
A section of the township’s NY147 street was closed off as tourists and locals enjoyed live performances, traditional food and beer (umqombothi), as well as exhibitions. Vendors selling handmade beadwork and other goods also lined the street.
The brainchild of Gugulethu’s Theo Ndindwa and artist Siphiwe Ngwenya, the event creates a platform for artists to showcase their work as well as exposes the community to different forms of art.
Similar events have been held in other townships such as Kayamandi in Stellenbosch and Joburg’s Soweto and Alexandra.
Ndindwa explained that the event also empowered the communities as they take full ownership of the event by selling their goods, and they also get an opportunity to tell their stories to tourists visiting their homes.
“The event also educates residents, who normally don’t have access to art, others who would have grown old without getting an opportunity to visit an art gallery. This brings art into their homes,” he said.
“The tourists got to interact with locals in their home while enjoying art… it’s more than what you get from your usual guided Gugulethu township tour.”
But convincing some of the residents to open their homes in the name of art was not easy at first, said Ndindwa.
“Most of the people were just not exposed to art and didn’t understand why people would want to come into their homes to view paintings. It took some explaining to get them to understand that they will be creating an opportunity for people in their community to learn about art.”
When the Cape Argus visited Gugulethu, the street was buzzing with tourists and locals alike. For R100 visitors got a guided tour. The “gallery owners” shared the profits.
German exchange student Jonas Wolterstorff saw the event as an opportunity to visit the township and meet the people on a more personal level.
“It’s better than a tour where sometimes you are intruding on people’s homes. I had the opportunity to see some really amazing art works and meet the locals.”
Cape Argus