December 4, 2003
By Bontle Moeng
A STREET TRADER sits patiently on the pavement, a small table of bagged fruit on display, while a hairdresser under a shade cloth closely crops his client's hair into the latest style.
These are just two images of downtown Joburg that form part of a photographic exhibition called Lucky Charm opening at the Johannesburg Art Gallery on Saturday 6 December.
Lucky Charm is a collaborative project inspired by the daily activities on the streets of the inner city. A group of artists took pictures of ordinary people doing ordinary things and put the pictures together to form the exhibition.
The group that collaborated on the Lucky Charm project is from the Bag Factory International Artists Residency Programme, currently taking place in Newtown. It includes Bita Fayyazi from Iran and Hubert Dechant from Switzerland.
The street businesses and the optimism of those making a living in the inner city captured the attention of Fayyazi and Dechant, and their daily interaction with these entrepreneurs led them take photographic portraits.
However, Fayyazi and Dechant's interaction did not end there. Gradually strangers turned into acquaintances and, as a point of intervention, the artists obtained the addresses of all those who were photographed and have sent them invitations to the opening of the exhibition.
According to a statement from the Johannesburg Art Gallery the attendance of the local people at the opening will be reciprocated with gifts from the artists. "They will each receive their own photograph, as well as being presented with a little sculpture, as a token of appreciation from the artists for the interaction experienced."
Dechant was pleased that the opening coincided with the European holiday of Saint Nicolas' Day, when children are given small gifts.
Fayyazi and Dechant hoped that even if this was the first time many of the locals had visited the gallery, they would realise it was "their museum and that they had access to a great collection of works documenting South Africa's heritage".
An exhibition of work by the Bag Factory International Artists Residency Programme will be on show at the Bag Factory from 10 December, marking the end of the yearlong residency.
For more information on the Lucky Charm exhibition contact the Johannesburg Art Gallery on 011 725 3130. The gallery is situated on Plein Street, Joubert Park and is open from 10am to 5pm on Tuesday to Sunday.
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