Latest News Archive

Please select Category, Year, and then Month to display items

DF Malherbe Memorial Lecture

22 April 2025

DF Malherbe Memorial Lecture Invitation

Invitation

DF Malherbe Memorial Lecture

You are cordially invited to the University of the Free State’s (UFS) DF Malherbe Memorial Lecture – Afrikaans 100.

View the invitation

Date: Thursday 15 May 2025

Time: 17:30

Venue: Economic and Management Sciences (EMS) Auditorium, Bloemfontein Campus

The lecture is a celebration of a century of Afrikaans as an official language and will be a showcase of the language’s rich diversity and an intellectual reflection on the history thereof.

The keynote speaker is Prof Joan Hambidge, the rejoinder is delivered by Prof Hein Willemse, and entertainment is provided by musician Frazer Barry, the UFS Department of Drama and Theatre Arts, and the Odeion String Quartet.

Interpreting services will be available.

Prof Joan Hambidge
Poet, novelist, and a public intellectual. She is currently retired and a fellow (senior researcher) at UCT.

Prof Hein Willemse
Former Head of the Department of Afrikaans, University of Pretoria and a leading language activist.

Frazer Barry
Renowned musician, television and radio presenter, rhymer, producer, and entrepreneur.

Enquiries:
Alicia Pienaar: pienaaran1@ufs.ac.za
Register by Monday 5 May 2025.
Click to register

Datum: Donderdag 15 Mei 2025

Tyd: 17:30

Plek: Ekonomiese en Bestuurswetenskappe (EBW)-ouditorium, Bloemfontein-kampus

Die lesing is ’n viering van ’n eeu van Afrikaans as amptelike taal; dit sal ’n vertoonvenster wees van die taal se ryke diversiteit en ’n intellektuele besinning oor die geskiedenis daarvan.

Die hoofspreker is prof Joan Hambidge, repliek word gelewer deur prof Hein Willemse, en vermaak word verskaf deur musikant Frazer Barry, die UFS se Departement Drama en Teaterkuns, en die Odeion Strykkwartet.

Tolkdienste sal beskikbaar wees.

Prof Joan Hambidge
Digter en romanskrywer, openbare intellektueel en afgetrede senior navorser aan die Universiteit van Kaapstad.

Prof Hein Willemse
Voormalige hoof van die Departement Afrikaans, Universiteit van Pretoria en ‘n toonaangewende taalaktivis.

Frazer Barry
Bekende musikant, televisie- en radio-aanbieder, rymelaar, vervaardiger en entrepreneur.

Navrae:
Alicia Pienaar: pienaaran1@ufs.ac.za
RSVP teen Maandag 5 Mei 2025.
Klik hier om te registreer

Letsatsi: Labone 15 Motsheanong 2025

Nako: 17:30

Sebaka: EMS Auditorium, Bloemfontein Campus

Puo ena ke mokete wa ngwahaketekgolo wa Afrikaans e le puo ya mmuso mme hona e tla ba pontsho ya katleho ya mefutafuta ya puo esita le totobatso ya bohlalefi mabapi le nalane ya yona.

Sebui sa sehlooho ke Moprofesa Joan Hambidge, puo ya karabelo e tla hlahiswa ke Moprofesa Hein Willemse, boithabiso bo tla phethahatswa ke setsebi sa mmino e leng Frazer Barry, ya hlahang UFS Lefapha la Drama and Theatre Arts, esita le Sehlopha sa Likhoele tse ’nè (String Quartet).

Ho tla ba le ditshebeletso tsa bofetoledi.

Prof Joan Hambidge
Moprofesa Joan Hambidge ke sethothokisi, setsebi sa dipale, esita le ramahlale wa setjhaba. Ha jwale o phomotse mosebetsing ebile ke mofuputsi e moholo wa UCT.

Prof Hein Willemse
Moprofesa Hein Willemse ke Hlooho ya mehleng ya Lefapha la Afrikaans, Yunivesithing ya Pretoria ebile ke motataisi le mokgothaletsi ho tsa puo.

Frazer Barry
Frazer Barry ke setsebi sa mmino se tsebahalang, mohlahisi wa thelevishene le seyalemoya, sethothokisi, mohlahisi le setsebi sa kgwebo.

Dipotso:
Alicia Pienaar: pienaaran1@ufs.ac.za
Etsa bonnete ba hore o ngodisitse pele ha Mantaha 5 Motsheanong 2025.
Tobetsa mona ho ingodisa

News Archive

Art and science help us understand the world and our place in it

2017-10-28

Description: Art and science Tags: Art and science

At the event were, from the left: Tristan Nel, first-year Fine Arts student;
Dr Janine Allen-Spies from the Department of Fine Arts;
Prof Carlien Pohl-Albertyn from the Department of Microbiology,
Biochemical and Food Biotechnology; and Pheny Mokawane, a
Microbiology, Biochemical and Food Biotechnology student.
Photo: Charl Devenish

Although BioArt dates back as far as the 15th and 16th centuries with the work of Leonardo da Vinci, it is not every day that art and science combine. This rare phenomenon made its appearance when two totally different groups of students – studying arts and microbiology respectively – joined hands in an initiative to create BioArt.

This first-time undergraduate teaching collaboration between the Departments of Fine Arts and Microbial, Biochemical and Food Biotechnology at the University of the Free State (UFS), which is characterised by the use of living materials, such as enzymes, microbes and DNA, as well as scientific tools and methods, is exploring a number of questions.

Different outcomes for arts and microbiology students
According to Prof Carlien Pohl-Albertyn from the Department of Microbiology, Biochemical and Food Biotechnology, one of the central questions explored in BioArt is the nature of ‘life’. “At which stage can matter be classified as being alive or living?” she asked.

“We realised that the outcomes for the two groups of students would not be the same. For the microbiology students, the focus would be on the understanding and effective communication of a microbiological concept. For the art students the focus would be on the execution of the assignment using visual elements and applied theory of art,” said Prof Pohl-Albertyn.

Dr Janine Allen-Spies from the Department of Fine Arts added: “Art students will also be exploring strangely or previously unforeseen gaps between art and science that can be filled with imaginative interpretations which may forward creative insights in both BioArt as a developing art form and microbiology as investigative science.”

Students’ understanding of microbial evolution reflected in art
The art students had to visit the microbiology labs for their assignment as this is mostly a foreign environment for these students. “The paint medium they had to use was gouache. This medium with its bright colours works well to depict microscopic organisms in art,” Dr Allen-Spies said.

On display at the Department of Microbial, Biochemical and Food Biotechnology on the Bloemfontein Campus, at a recent event to introduce this new initiative to a wider audience, was a range of visually and scientifically compelling paintings and artefacts (such as paintings, poems, songs, apps) which explore a theme within microbiology from a BioArt perspective that uses creativity to communicate concepts dealt with in the module Microbial Evolution and Diversity.

Any parties who are interested in buying the art can contact Dr Allen-Spies at allenj@ufs.ac.za.

Paintings and artefacts reflects students understanding of BioArt. At the recent opening of the BioArt exhibition at the UFS Department of Microbial, Biochemical and Food Biotechnology, was the work of Madeleen Jansen van Rensburg on display.

Pheny Mokawane, a Microbiology, Biochemical and Food Biotechnology student, wrote a poem for his BioArt project in the Microbial Evolution and Diversity assignment.

Back

Economic and Management Sciences

Education

Health Sciences

The Humanities

Law

Natural and Agricultural Sciences

Theology and Religion

Open Distance Learning

Business School

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