Published 01 July 2024 in News
GUS Gallery
Heimat
The Gallery of the University of Stellenbosch (GUS) Gallery
Corner Bird and Dorp Street, Stellenbosch Central, Stellenbosch, 7600, South Africa
14 June - 14 July 2024
Featuring artworks created by students, lecturers and alumni of the Visual Arts Department, Curated by the Fourth Year Fine Art Students of Stellenbosch Visual Arts Department, Roe Jones and Kajal Ranchhod.
Annemi Conradie-Chetty l Custos Naturae (Guardian of nature) l 2023 l Oil, acrylic and oil stick on canvas (Installation View) l Dimensions variable l Image Courtesy of Roe Jones and Kajal Ranchhod
We, the heirs of Paul Kruger, have been given the task of preserving this paradise intact. [Many people] refresh themselves at the source which our forefathers discovered”. John Vorster, Prime Minister of South Africa, 1966 to 1978 Foreword, The Kruger Park and other national Parks (1970).
The story of the Kruger National Park (which Vorster also refers to as “my farm”) told in the 1970 publication is one of principled intervention to save and safeguard nature. While Custos Naturae (Guardian of Nature) is the Kruger Park’s motto, it is also a cultural resource that until recently was only accessible to a minority. It’s not difficult to critique Vorster’s foreword, to ‘punch holes’ in the argument and narrative rooted in Biblically sanctioned white supremacy, speciesism, and nationalism. But what do we make of the material, archival remnants of these discourses?
“By literally ‘punching holes’ in the pages of the Kruger Park publication, reconstructing the disfigured pages, and weaving new ones by adding fragments of contemporary maps and guidebooks, I explore an alternative avenue of critique. Here the paper’s texture, the cuts and punctures, juxtaposition of text and image that emerge from the ongoing processes of punching, weaving, and cutting, lead a to-and-fro of simultaneous investigation and tentative reconstruction.”
About GUS Gallery
The Gallery of the University of Stellenbosch (GUS) is an off-campus extension of the Visual Arts Department. Gus-gallery.co.za serves as a central online space, archiving and promoting exhibitions and events at GUS gallery.
Our vision is to serve as a public multi-disciplinary community centre, creating a space for sharing of knowledge, ideas and inspiration. In addition to exhibitions, GUS hosts live music events, poetry sessions, open workshops, lectures and discussions.
For more information please navigate to the GUS Gallery website here