Latest News Archive

Please select Category, Year, and then Month to display items
Previous Archive
31 October 2021 | Story Rulanzen Martin | Photo Stephen Collett
Stegmann Gallery - Stephen Collett
The Johannes Stegmann Gallery.

Digital and online art exhibitions are no novelty. However, for the Art Gallery at the University of the Free State (UFS), it was a way of keeping the art scene alive, as many promising young artists and students depend on the exhibition opportunities UFS Art Galleries offer to debut and exhibit their works.

“The situation surrounding COVID-19 necessitated a very rapid migration into the virtual space,” says Angela de Jesus, Curator of the UFS Art Gallery. In 2020, the gallery presented its first virtual exhibition tour, creating an opportunity to reach a global audience. The exhibition hosted by the Johannes Stegmann Gallery was Leeto: a Sam Nhlengethwa Print Retrospective. (It was the second virtual exhibition for the Sam Nhlengethwa collection.)

The UFS Art Galleries comprise the Johannes Stegmann Gallery in the UFS Sasol Library on the Bloemfontein Campus and the Centenary Complex, boasting an art gallery that hosts the UFS permanent collection of about 1 000 artworks, including paintings, sculptural works, murals, prints, and ceramic works.

“The situation surrounding COVID-19
necessitated a very rapid migration
into the virtual space.”
—Angela de Jesus

Challenging times called for an adaptive attitude

In 2021, the gallery approached a hybrid model with a blended approach of an in-person and virtual exhibition being launched simultaneously. “The virtual tours allow audiences to digitally navigate (‘walk through’) the gallery space as they would in real space,” says De Jesus.

The Liminality: Student Exhibition, which saw works from first-, second, - and third-year students from 2019 and 2020 exhibited, and the Folds & Faults: An Exhibition of African Women Artists Examining Identity, Culture, and Heritage , and The Annual Final-Year Student Exhibition of the Department of Fine Arts exhibitions were just some of the 2021 exhibitions using the hybrid model.

“Every project is different, and each one comes with its own challenges and difficulties, but we learn new ways through its complexities,” says De Jesus. However, she is optimistic that the gallery will soon be able to host its signature opening events and welcome back large crowds.

 The limitation on in-person gatherings meant that traditional exhibitions were in a hiatus. The value and quality of the arts programme had to be maintained, using creative arts to navigate the pandemic. “Projects have been reimagined into the digital space through virtual tours or through the activation of social media platforms, Zoom, app development, webinars and dedicated project websites,” De Jesus says. New and exciting projects in response to the pandemic and feelings of “isolation, uncertainty, violence, and the digital overload” were initiated.

Although viewing art virtually cannot replace the experience of engaging with the art first-hand; the shift to the digital space presented the opportunity for a wider audience beyond the UFS to access the Art Gallery and its projects.

PIAD projects rejuvenate artistic creativity

Through the Programme for Innovation in Artform Development (PIAD) and funding from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, a number of digital artistic projects consisting of short stories, a theatrical performance, and a satirical e-commerce website, amongst others, were made possible.

The projects are still accessible and are available to view here:

Stories in die Wind, a short film animation web series about a young girl finding her purpose, based on the Nama story |!hûni //gāres |(The Rain Flower) Die reën blom: /Nanub !Khas.

WATCH THE ANIMATED SERIES HERE: https://www.storiesindiewind.co.za/

Digi-Cleanse, a satirical artwork disguised as an e-commerce website that mimics and critiques the contemporary wellness industry and its reliance on marketing and advertising.

SEE DIGI-CLEANSE HERE: https://digicleanse.co.za/

My Internal Oppression, a musical theatrical performance of emotionally content dedicated women who have toiled with internal oppression as a result of the psychological and emotional trauma of Gender-Based Violence caused by intimate partners.

SEE PERFORMANCE HERE: https://vimeo.com/468883494/376f3573d4

Sonic Re-Dress is a collaborative meeting point between music, visual art, science and art therapy, the project specifically acknowledges the insecurity, fragility and discord within our current global pandemic context by working with ‘universal’ human emotions.

SEE PROJECT HERE: https://www.sonic-redress.com/

Imaginary Futures is an experimental project of live and participatory experiences with over 40 creative practitioners, consisting of sound and film mixing, drawing, animation, puppetry and performance.

SEE PROJECT HERE: https://imaginaryfutures.org/

News Archive

Krieket - Kovsies klop SUT
2005-01-31

Johan de Jager - Volksblad OFSKOON die spanne nie op volsterkte was nie, was die superligawedstryd tussen die Universteit van die Vrystaat (UV) en die Sentrale Universiteit vir Tegnologie, Vrystaat (SUT), Saterdag op Tokkiepark in Bloemfontein 'n toonbeeld van goeie klubkrieket. Die Kovsies het hul onoorwonne rekord behou toe hulle met ses paaltjies geseëvier het. Hulle het die wenteiken van 233 lopies in die 48ste boulbeurt oortref. Die voormalige kaptein Gerald Fourie (95 nun) het die aanslag gelei, terwyl die wenspan se Ryan McLaren (2/46 en 46) 'n veelsydige vertoning gelewer het. McLaren het hom op 'n driekuns bevind toe hy die laaste twee paaltjies ingeoes en toe byna 'n vyftigtal gemoker het. Die tuisspan het goed begin. Hy het egter ses paaltjies in die laaste tien boulbeurte verloor. Die Kovsies het mooi herstel nadat hulle 24/2 gehad het. Die tuisspan se Dewald Pretorius het met 2/11 ná agt boulbeurte gespog . Die wedstryd op CBCOB se veld tussen die tuisspan en SUT II is ná 'n ruk se spel aanvanklik afgelas omdat toestande as te gevaarlik bestempel is, maar is later die middag hervat en oor 25 boulbeurte aan 'n kant beslis . SUT II is vir 82 lopies uitgehaal, waarna CBCOB die wenlopies behaal het met nog vier paaltjies staande . Schoemanpark was in Mangaung met vyf paaltjies aan die wenkant teen Rocklands, terwyl Polisie sy tweede agtereenvolgende nederlaag in die tweede ronde gely het nadat die Peshawars hom naelskraap met 'n paaltjie op die UV-ovaal geklop het. Die tuisspan se Ferdi Botha (116) se honderdtal het gehelp dat die Peshawars die wedstryd met nog twee aflewerings oor kon wen nadat Polisie vroeër 221/8 aangeteken het. Die beknopte telkaarte is: SUT 232 (I. O'Neill 37, H. von Rauenstein 67, G. Liebenberg 26, G. McLaren 28; C. Deacon 2/47, R. McLaren 2/46, G. Perry 2/29, C. Ingram 2/44); UV 234/4 (R. McLaren 46, G. Fourie 95 nun, C. Linde 27, E. Weirich 27 nun; D. Pretorius 2/29). Kovsies wen met ses paaltjies. SUT II 82 (J. Labuscagne 21, A. van Deventer 16; J. Chemaly 3/11, M. Mashimbyi 2/7, J. Malao 2/19); CBCOB 84/6 (M. Mashimbyi 22, T. van der Westhuizen 21, P. Stander 21; R. Daniël 2/6, R. Wessels 2/17). CBCOB wen met vier paaltjies. Rocklands 107 (D. Makopanele 22); Schoemanpark 108/5 (J. Smith 37; N. Sefuthi 2/14). Schoemanpark wen met vyf paaltjies. Polisie 221/8 (W. Nel 86, B. Hector 62; N. de Bruin 4/49, J. Mostert 1/19, R. de Kock 2/50); Peshawars 222/9 (F. Botha 116, J. Mostert 26; W. Thies 3/30, E. van Niekerk 3/43). Peshawars wen met 'n paaltjie.

We use cookies to make interactions with our websites and services easy and meaningful. To better understand how they are used, read more about the UFS cookie policy. By continuing to use this site you are giving us your consent to do this.

Accept