visual century

Visual Century: South African art in context, 1907-2007 is a research project that situates one hundred years of South African visual art within historical and art historical contexts, nationally and internationally. Visual Century will produce various resources, including four books to be published by Wits University Press and STE Publishing in 2011. Conceived by Gavin Jantjes, the project director, Visual Century is project managed by ASAI, and is funded by the Department of Arts & Culture, and the American Center Foundation. Visual Century is based within the Department of Historical Studies, University of Cape Town.

See Gavin Jantjes' article on the Visual Century project in Art South Africa.

Key phases of the Visual Century project

Phase One- Production of four volume publication: Vol 1 (1907-1948) edited by Jillian Carman; Vol 2 (1945-1976) edited by Lize van Robbroeck; Vol 3 (1973-1992) edited by Mario Pissarra; Vol 4 (1990-2007) edited by Thembinkosi Goniwe, Mario Pissarra and Mandisi Majavu.

Essays have been written by, in alphabetical order: Gabeba Baderoon, Vonani Bila, Jillian Carman, Christine Eyene, Federico Freschi, Hazel Friedman, Melanie Hillebrand, Gavin Jantjes, Sandra Klopper, Juliette Leeb-du Toit, Nessa Leibhammer, Emile Maurice, Sipho Mdanda, Zayd Minty, Anitra Nettleton, Andries Oliphant, Mario Pissarra, Hayden Proud, Elizabeth Rankin, Colin Richards, Judy Seidman, Ruth Simbao, Kathryn Smith, Mgcineni Sobopha, Lize van Robbroeck, Roger van Wyk, and Mduduzi Xakaza.

Pallo Jordan, Uche Okeke, Rasheed Araeen and Sarat Maharaj have contributed prefaces. Gavin Jantjes has written the foreword.

Phase Two - series of documentary films; and production of website.

Seminars

"Exodus: Artists as exiles, emigrants and expatriates, 1938-90" seminar participants at Centre for
African Studies, UCT, 23 May 2008: George Hallett, Mario Pissarra, Joost Bosland, Michael Godby,
Peter Clarke, Gavin Jantjes, Athena Sotomi, Bridget Thompson, Abdulkadir Said, Gordon Metz,
Emile Maurice (photo: Susan Walker).

Seminar participants Mammotsa Makhene, Mduduzi Xakaza, Emile Maurice, Janet Ranson,
Bettina Malcomess, Mario Pissarra, Nadja Dahnke & Svea Josephy discussing periods
covered by volumes 3 and 4, Stellenbosch University, November 2007 (photos: George Hallett)

Contact details

email visualc@uct.ac.za

Tel +27 (0) 21- 650 3267