OPENING 2 MARCH 2011

10 Years ON: A Group Show of Members of the Michaelis Class of 2001
An unusually large proportion of the students who graduated from the Michaelis School of Fine Art in the year 2001 went on to become noted, at times even notorious, artists in the South African and international art scene.

The exhibition 10 years ON celebrates these graduates of 2001 and the impact that they have had on the South African artworld in the decade since their graduation. In showing recent work by some of these former students, now professional practitioners, curator Andrew Lamprecht also considers the influences on, and reasons for, these artists' prominence.

Lamprecht himself has taken a front-row seat in the South African art world, with numerous noteworthy projects, conference papers and publications to his name. He, like many of the artists who will be represented in 10 years ON, is associated with an off-beat, challenging, and cutting-edge approach to art.

This exhibition was inspired by a project that Michaelis student Jessa Mockridge produced as part of her studies in 2010, and Mockridge also acts as co-curator on the exhibition.

MICHAELIS MAIN GALLERY

2 March - 29 March 2011

Paradox of Plenty:  Open studio and exhibition by Jeannette Unite

Well-known artist, Jeannette Unite, will be converting the Michaelis Upper Gallery into an open studio from the 2nd to the 21st of March. This studio will be open to the public, allowing a rare glimpse into Unite's working methods and a chance for personal engagement with the artist.

During her time in the space Unite will produce a series of composite, collaged drawings, which will then be on exhibition in the Upper Gallery from the 29th of March to April 7th.

In over ten years of ongoing research, Unite has visited archives, libraries and museums in mining areas, exploring the issues related to mineral extraction, wars and conflict, migrant labour, the resource curse and the impact of neo-colonialism on the contemporary African industrial landscape.  With 2011 seeing the 125th anniversary of the discovery of gold in Johannesburg, Unite's new body of work will reflect on how this discovery has shaped the social-political history of South Africa. The Paradox of Plenty accompanies the extraction of abundant natural wealth, results in poverty and environmental destruction.

MICHAELIS UPPER GALLERY
OPEN STUDIO: 2 March - 21 March 2011
EXHIBITION: 29 March - 7 April 2011