The Wits School of Arts, Division of Fine Art is proud presented NEWWORK15, an exhibition of work by young artists in fulfilment of a BA Fine Art degree. As always, the exhibition was located at the WITS Art Museum, The Point of Order project space, and surrounding studio spaces in the Wits School of Arts and Arthouse.
The show in its 5th edition was not in any means seen as business as usual.
The graduating class had been hard at work to develop a series of proposals that responded to the urgent issues raised by the national student movement in the months prior to their completion of the degree.
They made a principled decision to reassess some of the many taken-for-granted processes that the project includes. These decisions include:
- to develop a stronger democratic set of curatorial processes for the exhibition
- to challenge the transparency of the exams
- to reassess how money fundraised by the class is spent on the exhibition and the catalogue
The response from the division of Fine Art was supportive. Students joined the discussions and assessment of their final bodies of work, and this served to generate some transparency in the exam process and also provide the moment for a collective curatorial framework to be developed.
Furthermore, the graduating class had decided to publish a catalogue that is streamlined and efficient in how it uses resources and printing processes. As the catalogue leans towards a lo-fi configuration, there was a sum of money opened up. The class decided that this money, raised by the graduating class with a contribution by the division, will instead be used to set up a fund that will be administered by subsequent graduating classes. The primary aim of the fund would be to assist students in realising their creative projects.
Participating artists:
Kiyara Ananmalay
Kuben Archary
Tayla Barter
Jessica Bowyer
Anathi Bukani
Natalie Celliers
Kathrynn Clack
Chad Cordeiro
Daniela Del Castello
Laura Dirr
Teresa Firmino
Megan-Leigh Heilig
Colleen Jury
Jarred Leonie
Steven Lin
Diana Lopatecki
Tshegofatso Mabaso
Nyakallo Maleke
Heather Martens
Gontse Mathabathe
Maziza Mtwisha
Nolwazi Nhlumayo
Kyra Pape
Ravelle Pillay
Kirsten Roberts
Robyn Schoeman
Nathaniel Sheppard
Bianca Stevens
Alexandra Veenis
Kelsey Wishnuff
Matshelane Xhakaza
Naudia Yorke
Photos by Reshma Chhiba
Catalogue designed by Naadira Patel