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04 February 2020 | Story Xolisa Mnukwa | Photo Charl Devenish
Kovsie Eco vehicle parade
A highlight for first-year and senior students is the ACT eco-vehicle building and parade through the streets of Bloemfontein.

Sunny skies, cheerful faces, and an overall great atmosphere surfed the University of the Free State (UFS) Bloemfontein Campus on Saturday, 1 February 2020 for the final series of events in the Kovsie ACT 2020 line-up.

The eco-vehicle parade kick-started the activities for the day and saw various student teams displaying their personalised pit-stop ‘sculptures’ along the streets of Bloemfontein.  UFS residence teams Sonverlief (Houses Sonnedou, Veritas, Madelief); Soetmarmentum (Houses Soetdoring, Marjolein, Armentum); and Beykasium (Houses Beyers Naudé, Akasia, Imperium) came in first, second, and third respectively, obtaining the highest scores out of nine teams for their pit-stop sculpture constructions. 
 
Following the parade, there were a number of fun but competitive eco-vehicle races between the teams. This included the Drag Race, Obstacle Course Race, Formula E Race, Endurance Race, and the Slalom Course Race that took place on the Mokete Square. 

In the evening, students were serenaded by artists such as Early B and Spoegwolf. They danced to performances from the latest Amapiano music sensation, Kabza de Small, and legendary deep-house music duo, Black Motion, at the Rag Farm. 

Assistant Director of UFS Student Life and Director of the Kovsie ACT office, Karen Scheepers, earlier urged students to get more involved in student-life programmes such as Kovsie ACT, in order to equip themselves with a variety of skills and a fulfilling university experience.

A number of senior and first-year students who were part of the action on the UFS Bloemfontein Campus this past Saturday, can attest to Scheepers’ advice.
“I’ve been looking forward to starting university for the longest time, and I am glad that I ended up at the UFS. I don’t feel alone, I feel like I can actually do this,” said first-year Psychology student, Thulisa Shezi.

“University isn’t as bad as everyone thinks it is, it’s just a matter of staying motivated, doing your work, and surrounding yourself with the right people in the process.” – Fourth-year Business Management student, Earl van der Westhuisen.

News Archive

Blood. Sweat. Tears. And six Kovsie artists at the cutting edge.
2014-04-02


Artwork: Hinder, Photograph by Chantal de Jager



Artwork: Immolations for our Carrion King by Antoinette Pretorius
Blood, sweat and tears – the theme of this year’s Absa L’Atelier Art Competition. Boldly taking up the challenge, six Kovsie artists gritted their way to a place in the national round.

Eight finalists were recently announced at the regional exhibition hosted by the Johannes Stegmann Art Gallery on the Bloemfontein Campus. These artists will now proceed to exhibit their cutting-edge work at the Absa Gallery in Johannesburg in July. There they will compete nationally for the most prestigious art award in South Africa.


Winners


The names of our Kovsie regional winners are: 
  • Monet Bosma, fourth-year Fine Arts student;
  • Chantal de Jager, Kovsie alumnus, master’s degree in Architecture;
  • Johandi du Plessis, fourth-year Fine Arts student;
  • Louis Kruger, Kovsie alumnus, master’s degree in Fine Arts;
  • Adelheid von Maltitz, junior lecturer at UFS Department of Fine Arts and
  • Antoinette Pretorius, previous Kovsie student.
The two remaining spots were taken up by Helena de Waal (Underlying unity, Ceramics and mixed media) and Eljana van der Merwe (Diary of a white elephant, Oil on canvas).

 
Artwork: Sorting teas by Monet Bosma


Prizes


Artwork: Compulsive mourning by Adelheid von Maltitz
The highly-desired overall first prize comprises a six-months sabbatical at the Cité Internationale des Arts in Paris, France, including R150 000 during the stay.

The second prize is given to the most promising artist, which includes a three-month sabbatical at the Cité, French language classes and nationwide touring exhibitions.


Two additional merit prizes are awarded. The first carries a two-month residency on Sylt, the northernmost of Germany's islands, and the other a month-long Ampersand fellowship in New York.

The Absa L’Atelier Art Competition is presented annually by Absa in conjunction with South African National Association for the Visual Arts (SANAVA).

 

 

 

 

 

 

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