Earth messages - the art of Strijdom van der Merwe

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Art Centre opens with mandala "MESSAGES from the Southern Earth" will launch the new Art Centre at the University of Johannesburg. October 3, 2005 By Rose Setshoge ARTIST Strijdom van der Merwe will carefully "mark" his landscape - the floor of the new Art Centre at the University of Johannesburg - with a 30m installation of sand, salt, herbs and dyes. The work, inspired by rock engravings found near Kimberley, is part of an exhibition called "Messages from the Southern Earth" that marks the opening of the new centre, on 5 October. Along with the land art exhibition, a choral work by Niel van der Watt, Missa de Meridiana Terra (Mass from the Southern Earth), featuring African themes and rhythms and traditional Western church music, will be performed. There will be a host of other activities, including a soprano soloist, a marimba band and African drums, along with a dance presentation by Dance Co @ UJ. This celebration marks a new phase for the Art Centre, on the Kingsway Campus in Auckland Park. Besides an art gallery, it also has a 436-seat theatre. "Messages from the Southern Earth" officially opens on 5 October, with the works on display to the public from 10 October to 7 December. Van der Merwe reinterprets the rock engravings of Driekopseiland in a new landscape, with the environment forming part of the artwork. He will hold a workshop on his land art on 8 October, from 10am. Entrance is R20. This will be followed by a talk on the Driekopseiland rock engravings by Davis Morris, the head of archaeology at the McGregor Museum in Kimberley. Using typographic maps, the works show where the original artwork was made; the original work, made in nature, is not permanent. "The reference is important because people need to be aware of the originality of the artwork," says the university's arts academy publicity officer, Ehllene Bekker. Gallery hours are 9am to 6pm, Monday to Friday, and 9am to 1pm on Saturday. For more information contact the gallery on 011 489 2099. The arts academy website has a full programme for October at the new Art Centre. Permission to use web site material Publishers may use material from this site free of charge, as long as: Credit is given to either the "City of Johannesburg website (www.joburg.org.za)" or to "Johannesburg News Agency (www.joburg.org.za)"; If the article is used online, a link is provided to the original article on this website; The name of the article's author is acknowledged; The webmaster is informed of how and where the material is used (fill in this brief online form). Johannesburg News Agency is operated by BIG Media at 011-484-1400 Print this Page E-mail this article to a friend Help using Joburg.org.za