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Changing landscapes the focus of 33rd Sophia Gray lecture

31 August 2022 | Story Leonie Bolleurs | Photo Supplied

Mpeti Morojele and Prof Jonathan Noble, Head of the UFS Department of Architecture, at the 33rd Sophia Gray Laureate exhibition at the Oliewenhuis Art Museum.

The Department of Architecture at the University of the Free State (UFS) this year hosted the first entirely face-to-face Sophia Gray lecture since the COVID-19 pandemic.

Talking about Changing Landscapes, Practice and Pedagogy, Mpeti Morojele presented the Sophia Gray lecture – the biggest and most prestigious architectural lecture of its kind in South Africa – as the 33rd Sophia Gray laureate.

Hailing from the mountain kingdom of Lesotho, Morojele established his design practice, the award-winning MMA Design Studio in Johannesburg, in 1995.

Local and international recognition

He is recognised for his work locally and internationally. Some of his projects include the South African Embassy in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, the South African Embassy in Berlin, Germany, the Maropeng Cradle of Humankind World Heritage Site, as well as various Freedom Park projects, including Isivivane (the symbolic final resting place for South Africa’s fallen heroes), //hapo (telling the South African story of liberation and the triumph of the human spirit over three billion years), and Isikhumbuto (a place of remembrance, a gathering space at the top of a hill surrounded by the wall of names, sanctuary, gallery of leaders, and the Moshate).

His work engages the African landscape, incorporating indigenous knowledge and ritual to respond to and enhance the emerging African condition.

Becoming conscious

In his presentation, Morojele explained his journey as an architect. As a student at UCT, he said he felt invisible because of the kind of architecture they were talking about; mostly architecture of the Western world. He elaborated on this point in his lecture, explaining about becoming conscious.

“It took me back to the origins of humankind. I found it interesting to consider what the architecture at our origins was, and what the environment was in which we first became conscious of ourselves. It has been said that becoming conscious was the beginning of spirituality and art. The idea of origins interested me, and also how we as humans became conscious of ourselves and the space around us, until we achieve the state where we actually create these spaces for our own use,” he said.

As we evolved and became more conscious, we not only found objects, but placed objects in ways that commemorate our unity and spirituality, signifying society coming together to build something collectively.

Symbiotic relationship with the environment

For Morojele, animism – the belief that inanimate objects have internal and distinct spiritual essences – also played a role in his designs. “It allows us to have a symbiotic relationship with our environment, as opposed to one where we exercise dominion over all things. Animism locates us in the environment as part of it rather than as outside observers of the environment.”

The Kigutu International Academy, located on the Village Health Works Campus 100 km south of Bujumbura in Burundi and nestled in lush mountains overlooking the beautiful Lake Tanganyika, is an example of where he places humans close to the environment. Here he essentialises the architecture. This project, with its open spaces, also brought about the question of walls. Do they unite or do they divide?

Morojele remarked that architecture takes lessons from landscapes by giving shelter, security, and prospects of freedom.

Re-establishing what it means to be human

His goal was to plant an idea in the minds of the architects who attended the lecture. Given where we are headed in the world, we need to re-establish what it means to be human; it is only when we recognised the humanity in all of us that we can begin to use architecture to unite societies.

In order to do this, our focus needs to be less intellectual and more about how we as biological beings behave in environments; for example, do people feel alienated or do they belong in our spaces?

“These are the important things, I think, our architects need to talk about in the future,” he concluded his lecture.

• Examples of Morojele’s work, including drawings and designs, can be viewed at the Oliewenhuis Art Museum.

News Archive

“Breakthroughs depend on people believing in their own ideas”

2015-07-23

TED is a renowned international non-profit organisation dedicated to disseminating “ideas worth spreading” in the form compelling talks lasting up to 18 minutes.

Lerothodi Molete’s vision is to witness the youth of Bloemfontein emerge at the forefront of technological, scientific, and entrepreneurial innovations in both South Africa and the global arena.

Molete and Bonginkosi Leeuw are the organisers of TEDxUFS. Their duty is centered on inspiring people to believe in, and express, their ideas. These University of the Free State students have taken it upon themselves to inspire the youth to “push the boundaries of society.”

The second TEDxUFS event to be hosted by the university presents a unique opportunity for students, staff members, and the general public to mingle with influential speakers from across various disciplines.

Details of the event:

Date: Saturday 1 August 2015

Time: 08:00- 18:00

Venue: Albert Wessels Auditorium, Bloemfontein Campus

The keynote speakers include: Mmusi Maimane (Federal Leader: Democratic Alliance), Gareth Cliff (Radio personality: Cliff Central), Pieter Geldenhuys (Futurist), Brian Kally (Director: Arrow Logistics), Jonathan Jansen (Vice-Chancellor and Rector: UFS), Ricardo Peach (Director: Vrystaat Arts Festival, Pamela Nomvete (Former actor and writer), Gil Oved (Founder: Creative Counsel), Pepe Marais (CEO: Joe Public), Angelo Mockie (Senior Officer: Student Affairs and musician), Philippa Tumubweinee (Senior Lecturer in Architecture: UFS), and Melody Mentz (Psychology Senior Professor: UFS).

The reason behind the #AskWhy theme

"Why is a small word but it’s a quick, broad, sharp and abrupt one,” explains Leeuw. “It is the chosen word of the non-conformist, the defiant, and the visionary. It is a confrontational word. It challenges what is thought to be impossible.”

The ability to interrogate reality is what society and economies are built on. The absence of the fear to question encourages the capacity to progress.

Motivating young people to follow their dreams is the reason why the TEDxUFS team is persistent in their endeavours. Molete believes that, in order to change anything, people need to ask why.

Background of the innovation powerhouse called TED(x)

TED is a renowned international non-profit organisation dedicated to disseminating “ideas worth spreading” in the form compelling talks lasting up to 18 minutes.

In 1984, it was introduced as a conference exploring Technology, Entertainment, and Design. Three decades later, TED covers a wide variety of topics of global significance, reflecting the contemporary era in more than 100 languages.

TEDx events are under the TED umbrella. These events are organised independently, and create a platform for deliberating on local matters. The programme assists communities, organisations, and individuals to stimulate critical dialogue.

On 25 July 2014, the UFS hosted its inaugural TEDxUFS conference at the Odeion theatre on the Bloemfontein Campus, where eleven speakers addressed an audience of 150 people on interdisciplinary topics ranging from economics to entrepreneurship, technology, art, design, and theology.

This year, 200 seats will be available for innovative revolutionary individuals in search of inspiration.

Tickets are available at 0619284253 / 079 381 4126. Prices: R80 (Student/scholars) and R350 (Public/staff)

LINKS:

Lerothodi Molete- http://whoswho.co.za/lerothodi-molete-742022

Bonginkosi Leeuw- https://www.ted.com/tedx/events/10499

TEDxUFS- http://kovsielife.ufs.ac.za/templates/archive.aspx?news=276

Mmusi Maimane- http://whoswho.co.za/mmusi-maimane-44612

Garett Cliff- http://www.garethcliff.com/

Pieter Geldenhuys- http://pietergeldenhuys.com/

Brian Kally- https://za.linkedin.com/pub/brian-kally/4b/888/959

Jonathan Jansen- http://www.ufs.ac.za/adhoc-pages/rectorate/prof-(jd)-jonathan-jansen

Ricardo Peach- http://ricardopeach.com/

Pamela Nomvete- http://whoswho.co.za/pamela-nomvete-4789

Gil Ovid- https://za.linkedin.com/pub/gil-oved/3/910/892

Pepe Marais- http://joepublic.co.za/people

Angelo Mockie- https://za.linkedin.com/pub/angelo-mockie/27/56/302

PhilippaTumubweinee- http://natagri.ufs.ac.za/templates/staffmember.aspx?DCode=101&pid=zyNJm7KI%2b1k%3d

Melody Mentz- https://za.linkedin.com/in/melodymentz

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