Report from the XVI. Worldcongress of Sociology in Durban: Interviews with Ari Sitas, Bill Freund, Richard Ballard, Richard Dobson. "On the political philosophy of needs" by Lawrence Hamilton.
play 1: Report ISA, Ari Sitas, Bill Freund
play 2: Report ISA, Ari Sitas, Bill Freund
play 3: Richard Dobson, Richard Ballard, Lawrence Hamilton
Artists and Curators in Durban
play 01: Artists and curators in Durban: Nathi Gumede, Carol Brown, Anthea Martin, Andries Botha
play 02: Artists and curators in Durban: Nathi Gumede, Carol Brown, Anthea Martin, Andries Botha
play 03: Artists and curators in Durban: Nathi Gumede, Carol Brown, Anthea Martin, Andries Botha
play 04: Artists and curators in Durban: Nathi Gumede, Carol Brown, Anthea Martin, Andries Botha
You can buy my heart and my soul
"In African mythology the elephant reincarnates carrying the soul of a murdered God. It is thus the embodiment of the transmigration of souls. It is also the metaphor for the world's preoccupation with Africa as an exotic location. The elephant thus embodies the world's romanticism with Africa. In part it is the Colonial panacea: wildness can be contained, civilised and taken back to the ballrooms of the First World as a trophy." Andries Botha
The artists on the project:
Andries Botha - Conceptualisation and design of project and manufacture of the mild steel frames
Cladding of the elephants with wood (overseen and directed by Andries Botha): Artists:
Smanga Madlala Richard Maphumulo Sibosiso Maphumulo Jabulani Mkhize Dumisani Mthethwa Ernest Mthethwa Lindelani Ndinisa Johannes Ngcobo Samora Waka Donald Xaba
You can buy my heart and my soul
Eight elephants were produced by 5 February 2006. The ninth elephant, for which the armature already existed, was sent over to Belgium (with the wood etc.) to be finished there by the men (all the carvers with Andries) who went over to Belgium for the opening of the exhibition which took place on 1 April 2006. Between 6 and 14 February the elephants were fumigated, crated and loaded into containers to leave for Belgium on 21 February.
This sculpture was been built in 4 months. Negotiations with the organisers of the Sculpture Triennale began in August 2005 when Andries was requested to manufacture a herd of nine life-size elephants with the assistance of a group of local artists. This led to the finalisation of the arrangements in September, work commenced in October 2005.
The elephants are based on the anatomy and sizes of the African elephants as they occur in South Africa and the ideas and depictions which are embedded in the curios purchased by tourists. The curio element and the natural attributes of elephants have been key in the structures and the size, especially of the large male (some 3.7m high) and female, are a realistic rendering of the monumentality of the elephant.
Many of the traditional Zulu carvers have for years worked in a space made available for local artists to make their work at the Sculpture Department of the Durban University of Technology. In their own right they are carvers with great experience with Sibosiso's angels having enjoyed a fair amount of interest over the years, Lindelani having been chosen to work in marble etc. Lindelani Ndinisa, Ernest Mthethwa, Jabulane Mkhize, Smanga Madlala and Dumisani Mthethwa were also part of the group that made the panels for the doors for the Constitutional Court. Dumisani Mthethwa, Lindelani Ndinisa and Smanga Madlala were also chosen to work on a culturally collaboratively initiative in India at the National Institute of Design. They were all part of the Velobala programme run by the Durban Institute of Technology in conjunction with the African Art Centre for gifted local artists.
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