“The Circle", a bronze art installation featuring 11 phenomenal South African women thought leaders, is the latest project forming part of an extended visual redress process on the campuses of Stellenbosch University (SU).
Arranged in a circle on a grass embankment on the Rooiplein, the installation emphasises the dynamic role that women play in conversation.
Prof Nico Koopman, Vice Rector: Social Impact, Transformation and Personnel, will on Monday 26 August open the art installation that is a prime example of the University's commitment to providing a transformed student experience.
The launch event, to start at 17:30, will take the form of a walking tour starting in front of the AI Perold Building and will include visiting the latest visual redress installations at the SU Library, the main building of the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences as well as the Adam Small Theatre.
“The Circle" features Krotoa/Eva, the Khoi ancestress of many families in South Africa; Prof Thuli Madonsela, former Public Protector and the current Law Trust Chair of Social Justice in the Faculty of Law at SU; anti-apartheid activists Winnie Madikizela-Mandela, Fatima Meer and Lilian Ngoyi; actress Quanita Adams; author and poet Antjie Krog; Wimbledon wheelchair tennis player Kgothatso Montjane; artist and activist Zanele Muhili; and music artist Dope Saint Jude. The last woman represents all the other women's voices who are encouraged to participate in the discourse.
The installation will enable staff and students on campus to meet and share ideas in a space where everyone feels included. This comes after the renaming of buildings over the last few years, art installations and welcoming messages in 15 languages (including braille, sign language and San) on benches on the Rooplein – all in an effort to cultivating an inclusive environment.
“The Circle" is wheelchair-friendly, while a short description of each person as well as a complete contextualisation of the initiative, will be added in English, Afrikaans and isiXhosa.
“The project forms part of an extensive visual redress process on SU's campuses in an attempt to not only remove offensive symbols but also to introduce new visual symbols which point to a shared history, our diverse stories and public spaces that are welcoming to all," explains Dr Leslie van Rooi, Senior Director: Social Impact and Transformation.
“This process was launched a few years ago and much progress has been made in recent years to create student- and staff-friendly living and work spaces that conform to the needs of a diverse group of students, staff and other stakeholders, and at the same time promote a welcoming campus culture.
“The University made a concerted effort to create spaces for dialogue about public symbols and historical figures. In addition to that, specific committees have been put in place to facilitate university-wide discourse about and approach to public symbols and the naming of buildings," Van Rooi added.
MORE ABOUT “THE CIRCLE"
“It differs from other forms of art in public spaces, e.g. statues, as the women are represented in a circle," explains Ms Stephané Conradie of SU's Department of Visual Arts and curator of the project. “This form of the collective artwork and the fact that they are all sitting, breaks a strong form of power and indicates interaction with the public in such a way that it invites us to become part of the conversation. The artwork is therefore not elevated above everyone else and aims to renew the culture of symbols in public spaces."
Mr Jacques Buys from Stellenbosch Art Foundry manufactured the artwork.
Aimed at dialogue
According to Conradie, bronze statues and monuments are often associated with large statues – usually larger than life size – of figures in a heroic position, emanating glory. “In contradiction to this, 'The Circle' brings together women leaders in a public space synonymous with vibrant interaction and everyday conversations. Therefore it becomes part of both the space and the conversations that take place there. Their 'speech' intertwine intense dialogue over serious topics with light-hearted chatter.
She adds that the figures represent all women, “but as they sit humbly on the ground, they also represent the universal human need to be heard. This way, the artwork opposes the normal hierarchy of power that is usually associated with historical monuments and statues."
