A practice-based and practice-led study on the impact of art fairs on promoting grassroots visual artists in South Africa from 2015 to 2017

Abstract

In the global art market, art fairs have become very popular art events. This thesis examines whether and how major art fairs in South Africa empower visual artists at the grassroots level. The study used practice-based and practice-led strategies as additional units of analysis to argue that by expanding partnerships and participation networks at South African major art fairs, (namely: the FNB Joburg Art Fair, Investec Cape Town Art Fair, Turbine Art Fair, and Art Africa Fair), socioeconomic inclusion of grassroots artists can be achieved. Most studies on art fairs focus on the glamour and celebrity trends of such expos. However, this study proposed an inclusive visual artists empowering model advocating for an inclusive approach in the promotion of artistic talent towards social cohesion. Hermeneutic phenomenology and auto-ethnography research methods were used to investigate modes of operation of art fairs and how these events are advancing social cohesion in South Africa. Social cohesion is applied as a framework of this study. Through this study art gallery curators, art fair coordinators, as well as accepted and rejected artists at art expo events communicated their experiences regarding art expo participation, and on how participative inclusivity can be achieved. The results of this study critique and reject the view that grassroot artistic talent cannot be promoted through art fairs that are hosted by the South African based organisations merely because they are not affiliated to prominent art galleries. Arising from the data and analysis thereof, this study proposes an inclusive visual artists empowering model and argues for an inclusive approach for the promotion of artistic talent in the country.

Kuya kukhula ukuthandwa kwemiboniso yezobugcisa, eyaziwa ngokuba ziiexpo okanye iitrade fairs, kwiimarike zentengo yeemveliso zobugcisa kwihlabathi liphela. Le thisisi iphonononge ukuba imiboniso emikhulu yoMzantsi Afrika - iFNB Joburg Art Fair, Investec Cape Town Art Fair, Turbine Art Fair, kunye neArt Africa Fair – yenza njani ekomelezeni, ekubandakanyeni nasekukhuthazeni italente yobugcisa eluntwini olusezantsi jikelele. Kukho ibinzana elithi “amagcisa ezinga loluntu olusezantsi” (“grassroots-level artists”), elibhekisa kumagcisa asakhasayo aphuma kwimiphakathi engathathi ntweni njengeyasemaphandleni nasezilokishini, uninzi lwawo ezifundisa ngokwawo. Izifundo zophando ezininzi ezingemiboniso yobugcisa iqwalasela kubuqheleqhele nemikhwa yoosaziwayo kule miboniso. Esi isifundo siqwalasele ukuba imiboniso yobugcisa eMzantsi Afrika ingawasebenzisa njani amaqonga enkcubeko njengamajelo omanyano akhuthaza ukubandakanywa kwamagcisa asakhasayo kwezentlalo noqoqosho. Iindlela zophando ezisetyenzisiweyo zezokuphendla inxalenye nokupheleleyo kombandela othile, le nto yaziwa ngokuba yi hermeneutic phenomenology kwakunye nophando apho umphandi ebandakanya ubomi bakhe eluphandweni, iauto-ethnography ngesiNgesi. Ezi ndlela zophando zisetyenziselwe ukuqwalasela iinkqubo zokusebenza zemiboniso yobugcisa, nokuthi ingaba le miboniso ingasetyenziswa njani na ekuqhubeleni phambili umanyano kuluntu loMzantsi Afrika. Kwesi sifundo kuqhutywe udliwano ndlebe nabahlohli beegalari, abaququzeleli bemiboniso yobugcisa, amagcisa, ngenjongo yokufumana amava abo ngemiboniso yobugcisa. Isifundo songeze ukusekelwa nokukhokelwa kokwenziwayo njengenye indlela yokuhlalutya, sisithi ukuba kunokwandiswa intsebenziswano neminatha yokuncedisana ngokusebenza, umanyano entlalweni lungenzeka kwaye lungayindlela yokuqhubela phambili ukomelezwa kobugcisa kule miboniso. Iziphumo zesi sifundo zigxeke kwaye zalukhaba uluvo lokuba italente yobugcisa kwimiphakathi esezantsi ayinakukhuthazwa yimiboniso yobugcisa ebanjwe ngamanye amaqumrhu aseMzantsi – kuba engekho phantsi kweegalari zobugcisa ezidumileyo. Isifundo sicebise indlela yokusebenza ebandakanyayo, eza komeleza amagcisa okubonwayo, saphakamisa ubambiswano ekuqhubeleni phambili italente yobugcisa ekhokelela kumanyano kwezentlalo.

Imibukiso yobuciko, evame ukubizwa ngokuthi imibukiso yobuciko noma imibukiso yezohwebo, isiphenduke imicimbi yobuciko edume kakhulu emakethe yezobuciko yomhlaba. Le thesisi yahlola ukuthi imibukiso yezobuciko emikhulu yaseNingizimu Afrika - i-FNB Joburg Art Fair, i-Investec Cape Town Art Fair, i-Turbine Art Fair, ne-Art Africa Fair - isebenzisana kanjani nokufukula, ukufakwa nokukhuthaza ithalente lezobuciko kusukela emazingeni aphansi. Igama elithi “amaciko asezingeni eliphansi” libhekise kumaciko ajwayelekile nasafufusa aphuma emiphakathini entulayo njengezindawo zasemakhaya nasemalokishini; iningi labo liyazifundisa. Iningi lezifundo zemibukiso yezobuciko ligxile ebuhleni nasekuthrendeni kosaziwayo kwalokhu kuvezwa. Lolu cwaningo lubheke ukuthi imibukiso yezobuciko eNingizimu Afrika ingasebenzisa kanjani izinkundla zayo zamasiko njengemigudu yokubumbana komphakathi ekuhlanganiseni nenhlalonhleko yomnotho yabaculi basemazingeni aphansi. Indlela noma ithiyori yokuhumusha ezwakalayo kanye nezindlela zocwaningo lwe-auto-ethnography zasetshenziswa ukuze kuphenywe izindlela zokusebenza kwemibukiso yobuciko, nokuthi lezi zenzakalo zingasetshenziswa kanjani ukuze kuthuthukiswe ukubumbana komphakathi eNingizimu Afrika. Ngalolu cwaningo abagcini begalari yezobuciko, abaxhumanisi bezobuciko, kanye namaciko kuye kwaxoxiswana nawo ukuze bathole ulwazi lwabo ngemibukiso yobuciko. Ucwaningo lusebenzise umkhuba osuselwe kumkhuba kanye nomkhuba wokuhola njengengxenye eyengeziwe yokuhlaziya, luphikisa ngokunwetshwa kobambiswano nokubamba iqhaza kwamanethiwekhi, ukubumbana komphakathi kungasungulwa futhi kukhuthazwe njengamandla okuthuthukisa ubuciko kule mibukiso yobuciko. Imiphumela yalolu cwaningo iwugxekile futhi yawuchitha umbono wokuthi ithalente lezobuciko emazingeni aphansi angeke lithuthukiswe ngemibukiso yezobuciko esuke isingathwa yizinhlangano ezizinze eNingizimu Afrika - ngoba nje azihlangene nezikhungo zezobuciko ezivelele. Ucwaningo luhlongoze yimodeli ebandakanya bonke abantu, ukunika amandla amaciko abonakalayo kanye nokumela indlela ebandakanyayo ekuthuthukisweni kwethalente lezobuciko nase kubumbaneni komphakathi.