April 15, 2004
By Chandrea Gerber
SITUATED at the centre of a new cultural universe blossoming in what has become known as the Cultural Arc of Johannesburg, The Premises is a strategic part of the regeneration programme that is changing the face of Jozi.
The team behind The Premises, The Trinity Session, are an independent contemporary art production trio committed to urban rejuvenation.
Multipurpose contemporary art space
The Johannesburg Civic Theatre itself is an example of this inner city renewal, and The Premises began as a set of strategic choices. "The theatre is a product of the revitalisation of cultural aspects of the city, and the gallery is a reference to that," says Stephen Hobbs, one of the three directors.
With the new premises so well placed, they aim to expand and enhance their audiences' experience of the visual arts, while reinventing Johannesburg and redefining its cultural facilities.
Over the next three years, the length of The Trinity Session's lease, the gallery will be focused on presenting a series of contemporary art, public, educational and developmental projects.
Entitled "Show us what you're made of - Part II", the second in a series of three exhibitions, which opened at The Premises on Saturday, 3 April, is designed to revitalise perceptions. The main objective is to convey the message that the gallery, and indeed the world, is not just about one type of thinking and expression.
By showcasing a range of aesthetics from artists with different perspectives on life, it aims to demonstrate that there is space for traditional art making in all forms, and that The Premises engages in all of them.
The gallery itself is still in its teething phase, explains Hobbs, describing, somewhat humorously, a dream of having all the money in the world and all the resources needed to make The Premises' inauguration easy.
"But", he admits, "we are self-sufficient and it can be hard at times to get through the nightmare of labour-intensive administrative projects, and financial constraints. There haven't been any major stumbling blocks, and I think we're doing an okay job."
Okay indeed. Part I of the "Show us what you're made of" exhibition, which ran in March, was met with "very favourable, positive remarks from all and sundry", says Hobbs. "It was enjoyed by a remarkable flow of patrons, partly from the flux of theatre patrons, partly from industry stakeholders. That's any artist's dream come true!"
Reflective of the way Johannesburg and South Africa are changing in territoriality, Part I had a strong urban content, and addressed issues around nationhood, citizenship, suburban and peri-urban life.
Part II of the exhibition picks up where Part I left off, and involves five male and one female artist, who all look at the world and art differently.
Nineteenth century engravings, and the inverse relationship to some of these approaches, influence Ryan Arenson's work, while Rebecca Griffiths displays oversized puzzles, which engage the realm of intrigue, bordering childish fantasy and urban adult worlds.
Roy Weisz, a copywriter, makes his artistic debut with retro-perspective collages, and Matthew Hindley, well known for electronically based works, reverts to his first love of drawing with a cartoonish style.
Roelof van Wyk shows photographs that blur boundaries between art and architecture, looking at nature, man-made objects and machines, while Nicholas Hlobo, outspoken about his identity as a black, gay, Xhosa male, examines the relationship between identity and society.
"Show us what you're made of - Part II" opened on 3 April and ends on 24 April. The Premises is open from noon to 5pm from Tuesday to Saturday. For more information, contact The Premises on 011 877 6859 or visit the website.
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