MASTER OF ARTS IN FINE ARTS
Coming soon: Images from How the Ornithologist Becomes a Bird, an exhibition in part fulfilment towards an MA Fine Arts project entitled Pedagogies, Desires and Practices; the Perplexing Spaces of teaching and Learning.
BMWxWitsCollab
From BMW Pressclub Global:
Midrand, South Africa. BMW Group South Africa supports the Fine Arts through a unique collaboration with the University of the Witwatersrand (Wits) School of Arts in Johannesburg. The BMW Group Midrand Campus lent itself as the perfect canvas for the art students, as a site that was recently completely upgraded and refurbished. The Art Project is part of the BMW Group Building Projects that have already benefited over 500 students from around the globe for more than three decades.
Chief Executive Officer of BMW South Africa and Sub-Saharan Africa Peter van Binsbergen expressed his enthusiasm over the Art Project and its results: “We are thrilled to have the Wits School of Arts and its talented students on our list of collaborators. The results of this successful partnership are thought-provoking works that enhance the interaction between guests and associates, alike, with the revamped campus.”
Wits School of Arts Associate Professor David Andrew acknowledged the value of the project saying: “This has been an extended learning opportunity for the students, developed within the longstanding practices established at the Wits School of Arts, while taking into account the context in which they have been required to work. All pieces are on permanent display and I am looking forward to seeing how the collection on the BMW Group Midrand Campus is further extended.”
Process led to six artworks installed on campus
The entire process started in 2019 when the well-respected South African university “Wits” was selected by the BMW Group Art Jury as the newest member of the worldwide network of BMW Group partnerships with art schools. Ten Wits students were challenged to create art pieces presented as maquettes. The students were inspired by the BMW Group’s ethos of luxury, sustainable mobility and green solutions, and the company’s history and corporate architecture. Six maquettes were chosen by the art experts and presented to the BMW Group Art Jury for commissioning their realisation. They were installed at six locations on the campus to be seen by visitors and associates in their workspace.
“The latest Art Project is a creative, innovative and unique expression of the BMW Group’s dedication to supporting local talent, sustainability and the values of the BMW Group”, said Nicole Haft-Zboril, Senior Vice President Real Estate Management. “We have a long history of including art as integral elements in our building projects and see it as a vital contribution to a modern workspace.”
“Crumple” by Hedwig Barry Hedwig Barry, a Wits Master of Arts in Fine Arts graduate, describes the “Crumple” as a poetic reminder of the fragility of life and an interpretation of strength to preserve life – using aluminium and automotive paint. It was designed to withstand exterior weather conditions and echoes engineered crumple zones as a safety feature built into vehicles. The choice of riotous colours act as a visual signal for hope and the need for repair during what is globally a deeply uncertain time. It can be seen in the garden area alongside the N1 highway.
“Love Letter for Lost Travellers” by Hedwig Barry “Love Letter for Lost Travellers” is the second artwork from Master of Arts in Fine Arts graduate Hedwig Barry. It creates a flowing depiction of love and loss, creating a waterfall effect using polyurethane foam and automotive paint. The work is about the interface of the personal and the public, the emotional and the intellectual; and the bodies, grounds, materials, desires and gestures that give meaning to these relationships. It spans two stories of wall and floor originating on the wall of the Welcome Centre and then nestling alongside the work of Micaela Wentzel in a clearing of the Green Lung. It culminates at an entrance to the IT building.
to see the full series of works click below