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Art students’ pilgrimage and learning from Willem Boshoff

23 February 2022 | Story Rulanzen Martin | Photo Rian Horn

Towards the end of 2021, a group of Fine Arts students – both undergraduate and postgraduate – were among the first visitors to the Word Woes exhibition by Prof Willem Boshoff, affiliated UFS A-1 NRF-rated scholar, at the Javett Art Centre in Pretoria. It was as if a new world had opened to experience the art first-hand, and the VIP tour by Willem Boshoff was definitely the cherry on top. The exhibition opens on 13 March 2022.

Prof Boshoff, South Africa’s only NRF A-rated scholar in the arts, is an affiliated scholar and artist in the Department of Fine Arts at the University of the Free State (UFS). The ‘enriching’ trip was made possible through generous funding from Dr Engela van Staden, Vice-Rector: Academic. The purpose of the trip was twofold; it was an opportunity for students to visit an art gallery, and also to “enrich the learning and teaching of the Fine Arts programme by exposing the students to a large art gallery and excellent art exhibitions”, according to Lecturer Adelheid von Maltitz.

“The educational value and professional exposure to high-level experts in their field are the most important input for the students,” Dr Van Staden said. The department plans to conduct annual visits to art galleries outside of the Free State.

UFS Fine Arts privileged to be associated with Prof Boshoff

Prof Willem Boshoff is an enigma in his own right; he is an internationally renowned artist and academic who has been involved with the UFS for more than 10 years, and his involvement with the Department of Fine Arts brings an invaluable opportunity for students and staff alike. “This allows our students to gain insight into his artistic practice, which in turn may positively impact their own,” says Vol Maltitz.

The duality of the Word Woes exhibition

The title of the exhibition reflects the very brand of Willem Boshoff and is a retrospective of the works spanning his artistic practice, as per the Javett Art Centre website. The words ‘Word Woes’ can be understood in English or Afrikaans. “In either language the two words look identical, but their meanings differ sharply. Read in English, the title WORD WOES bemoans difficult issues around words and language. Read in Afrikaans, the same words liberate, prompting us to let go and be wild.”

Visit the Javett Art Centre website for more information.

Video by: Rian Horn (Odd Looking Tree)

News Archive

Our democracy is not in a good condition

2013-03-28

Prof Pumla Gobodo-Madikizela, Senior Research Professor on Trauma, Forgiveness and Reconciliation and Prof Andre Keet, Director of the Institute for Reconciliation and Social Justice during the live broadcast of the NRF lecture.
Photo: Supplied
28 March 2013

“Our democracy is not in a good condition.”

Those were the words of Prof Andre Keet, Director of the Institute for Reconciliation and Social Justice at the University of the Free State (UFS), on the eve of Human Rights Day on 21 March 2013.

Prof Keet participated in a lecture series of the National Research Foundation (NRF), the Science for Society series, which was broadcasted directly on SAfm from the UFS.

The topic for the lecture was racial reconciliation and social cohesion in the context of racial inequality.

“South Africa is the most unequal society in the world. According to the latest census results, there are still major inequalities in the distribution of wealth, with the average income of black South Africans one sixth that of white South Africans.”

Prof Keet said that reconciliation and social cohesion is not possible while major racial inequalities still exist.

He asked the question: “If reconciliation is merely linked to an apology and forgiveness, is it possible to reach reconciliation which can change social structures and practices?”

Prof Pumla Gobodo-Madikizela, Senior Research Professor on Trauma, Forgiveness and Reconciliation, also participated in the lecture.

Click on the link to listen to the full broadcast. http://iono.fm/go/safm

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