Art acquisition policy of the University of South Africa (Unisa) Art Gallery during and after apartheid : a critical analysis

Abstract

In the thesis, I critically examine the art acquisition policy of the Unisa Art Gallery (UAG) during and after apartheid in South Africa. The Unisa Art Gallery acquisition policy (UAGAP) is investigated against the transformation imperatives as informed by national policies on arts and culture. I take the view that the process of art acquisition does not exist outside of the sociopolitical discourse. Although the thesis is registered in the subject of Art History, the research adopts a multidisciplinary approach as it straddles the domains of visual art and cultural policy. Therefore, its focus on acquisition policy requires a combination of methodologies that can accommodate the intended research objectives. The study is based on the hypothesis that the collecting of art and acquisition policies are still untransformed from the Eurocentric paradigm of thought. I adopt Afrocentricity and decoloniality as theoretical frames of analysis. University museums are public cultural institutions, and the South African Constitution guarantees the right to culture. Therefore, the reluctance of public institutions to uphold the imperatives demonstrates a level of resistance to transformation. In the study, I investigate circumstances that influence the positive or negative way the UAGAP seemingly responds to the socio-economic and political imperatives of national policies in post-apartheid South Africa. Data analysis shows that there is no explicit relation between the White Paper on Arts, Culture and Heritage (WPACH) (DAC 1996) and the UAGAP. Another finding is that artworks collected in the past were mainly informed by epistemologies which were predominantly Eurocentric, whereby especially the black society has little or no say in the development of university museum policies. Lastly, the perception of arts practitioners is that the pace of transformation of university art collection policies is slow. The findings give rise to a recommendation that government should go beyond “the arms-length approach” (Deacon 2010) in the transformation of arts institutions, and intervene. Another recommendation is that unless the government White Papers are translated into law, they will continue to be ignored by public institutions.

Kule thesisi, ngiphenya ngendlela egxekayo ukutholakala komsebenzi wobuciko. Umgomo omayelana nokutholwa komsebenzi wobuciko kwisikhungo Sombukiso Wobuciko saseNyuvesi yaseNingizimu Africa (Unisa Art Gallery) ngesikhathi sombuso wengcindezelo nangemuva kwesikhathi sombuso wengcindezelo eNingizimu Africa. Umgomo omayelana nokutholakala kwemisebenzi yobuciko yesikhungo Sombukiso Wobuciko eNyuvesi yaseNingizimu Africa uphenywa kubhekwe kwezinto ezinhle ezilethwa yizinguquko njengoba lokhu kugunyazwa yimigomo yezwe kwezobuciko kanye namasiko. Ngithatha umbono othi uhlelo lwezokutholakala kobuciko alwenzeki ngaphandle kwemithelela yezenhlalakahle yabantu kwezepolitiki. Yize ithesisi ibhaliswe kwisifundo soMlando weZobuciko, ucwaningo lwamukela indlela equkethe izifundo eziningi njengoba le thesisi ifinyelela emikhakheni yomsebenzi wobuciko obukwayo kanye nakumgomo wosiko. Ngakho-ke, impokophelo yale thesisi kumgomo wokutholakala komsebenzi wobuciko ifuna inhlanganyela yezindlela zokuhlaziya ezingaxuba phakathi izinhloso zocwaningo eziqondiwe. Ucwaningo lususelwa kwihayiphothesisi/isihlambiselelo esithi imigomo emayelana nokuqoqwa kwemisebenzi yobuciko kanye nokutholakala kwemisebenzi yobuciko ayikaguquki kwizimpande zemibono yaseNtshonalanga/yaseYurophu. Ngamukela imibono egxile kubu-Afrika nemibono eqeda ubukoloni njengezinhlaka zemibono yokuhlaziya. Izikhungo zokugcina amagugu asenyuvesi zingamaziko wamasiko omphakathi, kanti uMthethosisekelo waseNingizimu Afrika unikeza ilungelo lokwenza usiko. Ngakho-ke, ukuba manqikanqika kwamaziko ombuso ukuphakamisa ubuhle bamasiko ngokuhlukahlukana kwawo njengokomgomo kukhombisa izinga lokunqaba ushintsho. Kulolu cwaningo, ngiphenya izimo ezinomthelela phezu kwendlela enhle noma embi uhlelo lwe-UAGAP elibonakala libheka ngayo nezindaba ezimayelana nenhlalakahle yabantu kwezomnotho nakwezepolitiki, ezindabeni zemigomo yezwe esikhathi sangemuva kombuso wengcindezelo eNingizimu Africa. Ukuhlaziywa kwedatha kukhombisa ukuthi abukho ubudlelwane obubonakalayo phakathi kwe-White Paper kwezoBuciko, ezamaSiko kanye nama-Gugu (WPACH) (DAC 1996) kanye nohlelo lwe-UAGAP. Okunye okutholakele ukuthi imisebenzi yobuciko eqoqwe esikhathini esedlule beyincike kakhulu kuma-ephistemoloji ebegxile kwingqubo yase-Yurophu/yaseNtshonalanga, kanti-ke, umphakathi ompisholo ikakhulu akukho nokuncane noma akukho ongakukhuluma mayelana nemigomo yokuthuthukiswa kwezikhungo zokugcina ubuciko bamagugu. Okokugcina, umqondo wabasebenzi kwezobuciko uthi izinhlelo zezinguquko zemigomo yokuqoqwa kwemisebenzi yobuciko emanyuvesi zihamba ngonyawo lonwabu. Ulwazi olutholakele kucwaningo luphakamisa isinqumo sokuthi uhulumeni kufanele asebenze ngomgomo owodwa “the arms-length approach” (Deacon 2010) kuhlelo lwezinguquko kumaziko obuciko, bese angenelele. Esinye isinqumo ukuthi ngaphandle kokuthi ama-White Paper kahulumeni ashicilelwe abe wumthetho, amaziko ombuso azoqhubeka nokuwashaya indiva.

Mo polelotheong eno, ke tlhatlhobile pholisi ya phitlhelelo ya botsweretshi ya Lefelo la Botsweretshi la Unisa (UAG) ka tsela ya tshekatsheko ka nako ya, le morago ga tlhaolele mo Aforikaborwa. Pholisi ya phitlhelelo ya Lefelo la Botsweretshi ya Unisa (UAGAP) e batlisisiwa e bapisitswe le ditlhokego tsa phetogo jaaka di kaelwa ke dipholisi tsa bosetšhaba tsa botsweretshi le setso. Ke akanya gore tirego ya phitlhelelo ya botsweretshi ga e diragale kwa ntle ga puisano ya politiki ya loago. Le fa e le gore polelotheo e kwadisitswe mo setlhogong sa Hisetori ya Botsweretshi, patlisiso e tsaya boitlhagiso jwa melebomentsi jaaka fa e paraletse mo mefameng ya botsweretshi jwa pono le pholisi ya setso. Ka jalo, go tota ga yona pholisi ya phitlhelelo go tlhoka motswako wa mekgwa e e ka amogelang maikemisetso a patlisiso a a lebeletsweng. Thutopatlisiso e ikaegile ka tshitshinyo ya gore dipholisi tsa kokoanyo le phitlhelelo ya botsweretshi di sa ntse di sa fetoga go tswa mo mogopolong wa setso sa Yuropa. Ke tsaya boikaego jwa Aforika le tloso ya bokoloniale jaaka letlhomeso la tiori la tokololo. Dimusiamo tsa diyunibesiti ke ditheo tsa setso tsa setšhaba, mme Molaotheo wa Aforikaborwa o sireletsa tshwanelo ya setso. Ka jalo, go belaela ga ditheo tsa setšhaba go tsweletsa ditlhokego go bontsha go kgaratlha kgatlhanong le diphetogo. Mo thutopatlisisong, ke batlisisa mabaka a a tlhotlheletsang mokgwa o o siameng gongwe o o sa siamang o go lebegang e kete UAGAP e tsibogela ka ona ditlhokego tsa ikonomiloago le sepolitiki tsa dipholisi tsa bosetšhaba tsa Aforikaborwa ya morago ga tlhaolele. Tokololo ya data e bontsha gore ga go na kgolagano e e tlhamaletseng magareng ga Pampiritshweu ya Botsweretshi, Setso le Ngwaoboswa (WPACH) (DAC 1996) le UAGAP. Phitlhelelo e nngwe ke ya gore ditiro tsa botsweretshi tse di kokoantsweng mo nakong e e fetileng di ne di ikaegile bogolosegolo ka diepisetemoloji tse di neng di na le phekeetso e kgolo ya setso sa Yuropa, moo tota setšhaba sa bantsho se nang le tshwaelo e e seng kalo gongwe se se na tshwaelo epe mo go tlhamiweng ga dipholisi tsa dimusiamo tsa diyunibesiti. Kwa bokhutlong, kakanyo ya badiragatsi ba botsweretshi ke gore kgato ya diphetogo ya dipholisi tsa kokoanyo ya botsweretshi jwa diyunibesiti e bonya. Diphitlhelelo di baka katlenegiso ya gore puso e tshwanetse go dira go feta “molebo o o sa gateleleng taolo gongwe tekanyetso” (Deacon 2010) mo diphetogong tsa ditheo tsa botsweretshi, mme e tsereganye. Katlenegiso e nngwe ke ya gore kwa ntle ga gore Dipampiritshweu tsa puso di fetolelwe go nna molao, ditheo tsa setšhaba di tlaa tswelela go di ikgatholosa.

In hierdie tesis ondersoek ek die kunsaankoopbeleid van die Unisa Kunsgalery (UKG) tydens en ná apartheid. Die kunsaankoopbeleid van die Unisa Kunsgalery (KABUKG) word volgens die nasionale transformasiebeleid oor kuns en kultuur beoordeel. Kunsaankope staan na my mening nie los van die sosiopolitieke diskoers nie. Ofskoon hierdie tesis onder die vak Kunsgeskiedenis ingeskryf is, word ʼn multidissiplinêre benadering gevolg aangesien die navorsing die terrein van die visuele kunste en dié van kultuurbeleid bestryk. Om die navorsingsdoelwitte te behaal, is ʼn kombinasie van metodologieë dus nodig. Die studie berus op die hipotese dat die versameling van kunswerke en die aankoopbeleid steeds Eurosentries gerig is en nie getransformeer het nie. Ek neem Afrosentrisiteit en dekolonialiteit as teoretiese ontledingsraamwerke. Universiteitsmuseums is openbare kultuurinstellings en die Suid-Afrikaanse Grondwet waarborg burgers die reg op kultuur. Openbare instellings se onwilligheid om die opdragte uit te voer, dui op ʼn weerstand teen transformasie. Ek verken die omstandighede wat bepaal hoe die KABUKG ná apartheid op die sosioëkonomiese en politieke opdragte reageer. Die dataontleding toon dat daar tussen die Witskrif oor Kuns, Kultuur en Erfenis (WKKE) (DAC 1996) en die KABUKG geen verband bestaan nie. Voorts is bevind dat kunswerke wat in die verlede aangekoop is, oorwegend Eurosentries was. Buitendien het swart mense tans weinig of geen seggenskap in universiteite se museumbeleide. Ten slotte is die tempo waarteen universiteite se aankoopbeleide transformeer volgens kunspraktisyns uiters traag. Daarom word op grond van die bevindings aanbeveel dat die regering sy armlengtebenadering (Deacon 2019) tot die transformasie van kunsinstellings laat vaar, en ingryp. As witskrifte nie wet gemaak word nie, sal openbare instellings aanhou om hulle te ignoreer.