Where the Wild Things Are

WHERE THE WILD THINGS ARE:

An Honours in Curatorship Hiddingh Campus field study
Curated by Nina Liebenberg

21 OCTOBER – 5 NOVEMBER 2014

Where the Wild Things Are explored the political, social and historical narratives embedded in the natural world through investigation, observation, mapping, archival research and art making.

Spanning over two main sites, Hiddingh Campus and the new Department of Biological Sciences (merging the Botany and Zoology departments) on Upper Campus, the exhibition developed in two parts: The first part consisting of various on-site interventions engaging with contemporary and historical spatial dynamics and the significance of Hiddingh Campus – home to the Egyptian building which functioned as a zoo in the late eighteenth century, replete with lion’s dens and a small lake that supposedly housed a hippo, as well as the very first Zoology and Botany Building (now the Michaelis Building). Students drew on the methodologies of artist/curator Mark Dion, collaborating with specialists from upper campus (entomologists, ornithologists and botanists) and Michaelis Fine Art students, to activate the campus as a natural environment.The second part of the exhibition will entail filling six display cases in the new Biological Sciences department, using the exhibition and on-site interventions as inspiration for different collection thematics.

The interventions occurred on different days, and over a two week period. A calendar (see below) was provided to stipulate event times and artwork appearances.

Participating artists: Christopher Swift, Dillon Marsh, Fritha Langerman, Thuli Gamedze, Pippa Skotnes, Alex Kaczmarek, Rone-Mari Botha, Jessica Holdengarde, Fanie Buys, Lara Reusch, Stephani Muller, Tegan Green, Evan Wigdorowitz, Mariam Moosa, C J Chandler, Adrienne Van Eeden-Wharton