Moving with the times : a critical investigation into the socio-political and cultural relevance of the current collection policies and strategies of the MTN Art Collection

Abstract

The core of this research study is concerned with the importance of a strategically aligned acquisitions policy for a corporate art collection in order for it to remain relevant to and increase its value for the company as collector. The ontologies of corporate art collecting practice in South Africa are investigated with specific focus on the social and investment relevance of the Mobile Telephone Network's (MTN Group Limited) Art Collection. The main research question is whether the MTN Art Collection (MTNAC) can still be perceived as recognising enough of its current African identities and social concerns and has remained relevant and valuable to its owner. While the research presumes that MTN is the only South African-based telecommunications corporate that has yet to de-accession its art collection and so remains committed to its public arts and culture development programmes, it argues that its art acquisitions programme has not moved with the times and is in danger of becoming a stagnating relic. The postulated theories of the study are aligned with MTN's business strategy and culminate in a proposed acquisitions policy that accommodates the inclusion of voices that speak out against the 'New Struggle'; the voices of our continental and Middle Eastern neighbours; and develops platforms for the promotion of digital art forms as well as transnational cultural collaborations. The curated virtual exhibition, Moving with the Times, illustrates not only the premise of the theory in practice but also what such an acquisitions policy would look like if it were adopted by MTN.

Hierdie navorsing handel oor die noodsaak van 'n strategiese aankoopbeleid vir 'n korporatiewe kunsversameling sodat die versameling relevant bly en in waarde toeneem. Die ontologieë van praktiese korporatiewe kunsversameling in Suid-Afrika word verken. Aandag word aan die maatskaplike en beleggingsrelevansie van in die besonder die Mobile Telephone Network (MTN Groep Beperk) Kunsversameling bestee. Die hoofnavorsingsvraag is of die MTN Kunsversameling (MTNKV) steeds met hedendaagse Afrika-identiteite en maatskaplike vraagstukke rekening hou, en of dit nog relevant en vir MTN van waarde is. Aangesien aangeneem word dat MTN die enigste Suid-Afrikaanse telekommunikasiemaatskappy is wat nog geen kunswerke uit sy versameling onttrek en verkoop het nie ten einde tot sy openbare kuns-en kultuurprogramme verbind te bly, word aangevoer dat sy kunsaankoopprogram nie met die tyd saamgaan nie en gevaar loop om 'n stagnerende relik te word. Die gepostuleerde teorieë in hierdie studie vind aansluiting by MTN se sakestrategie en loop uit op 'n voorgestelde aankoopbeleid wat voorsiening maak vir stemme wat teen die "Nuwe Struggle" opgaan, vir stemme uit ons buurlande en die Midde-Ooste, vir digitale kunsvorme en transnasionale kulturele samewerking. Die virtuele uitstalling Moving with the Times illustreer nie alleen die premis van die teorie in die praktyk nie, maar ook hoe die aankoopbeleid daar sou uitsien as MTN dit sou aanvaar.

Umnyombo walolu cwaningo ucwaninga ngokubaluleka kwenqubomgomo yokuthengwa ehambisana namasu okuqoqwa kobuciko bezinkampani ukuze ihlale ifanelekile futhi inyuse inani layo lenkampani njengomqoqi. Ama-ontholoji womkhuba wokuqoqa ubuciko ezinkampanini eNingizimu Afrika aphenywa ngokugxila ngqo ekubalulekeni kwezenhlalakahle kanye nokutshalwa kwezimali kweqoqo lezobuciko le-Mobile Telephone Network (MTN Group Limited). Umbuzo omkhulu ocwaningweni ukuthi ngabe iMTN Art Collection (MTNAC) isengathathwa njengokwazisa ngokwanele ubunikazi bayo base-Afrika nokukhathazeka komphakathi futhi ihlale ibalulekile futhi iyigugu kumnikazi wayo. Njengoba ucwaningo luthatha ukuthi iMTN iyona kuphela inkampani yezokuxhumana yaseNingizimu Afrika engakaqedi ukuqoqwa kwayo kwezobuciko ngakho-ke ihlala izinikele ezinhlelweni zayo zokuthuthukisa ezobuciko namasiko, ithi uhlelo lwayo lokuthola ubuciko aluhambanga nezikhathi futhi lusengozini yokuba yinsali emile. Amathiyori asetshenzisiwe ocwaningo ahambisana necebo lebhizinisi lakwa-MTN futhi aphetha ngenqubomgomo ehlongozwayo \okXWhengZa eYXmela XkXfakZa kZama]Zi akhXlXma µnoM]abala]o OmXVha'; amazwi omakhelwane bethu bezwekazi kanye nabaseMpumalanga Ephakathi kZama]Zi akhXlXma ngokXmelene µnoM]abala]o OmXVha'; amazwi omakhelwane bethu bezwekazi kanye nabaseMpumalanga Ephakathi; futhi sakha amapulatifomu okukhuthaza amafomu obuciko bedijithali kanye nokusebenzisana kwamasiko omhlaba jikelele.. Umbukiso owenziwe kahle, iMoving with the Times, awukhombisi nje kuphela umbono wenkolelo eyenziwayo kepha nokuthi inqubomgomo yokuthengwa okunjalo ibizobukeka kanjani uma yamukelwa yiMTN.