A solo exhibition by renowned South African artist, Diane Victor, entitled FOLLY, FRAILTY AND FEAR will be hosted at the UJ Art Gallery from 1 April to 6 May 2020. Victor uses drawings, printmaking and alternative processes to create a compelling new body of work.
The fortuitous choice of April fool’s day for the opening of this exhibition bodes well for her exploration of notions of folly, irrationality and stupidity. Her work alludes to the ramifications of foolish actions on individuals and their society.
The exhibition references Desiderius Erasmus’ text ‘In praise of folly’ 151; ‘Das Narrenschiff’ or ‘Ship of fools’ written by Sebastian Brandt in 1498 as well as more recent explorations of foolish actions, untruths and misinformation in an attempt to understand the history of stupidity.
Foolish behaviour can have, as Erasmus parodied, the potential to offer a seemingly lighter side to living. Fools are happy, while those who think and question tend to gravitate towards dour depression. However, with fool’s envy, fool’s paradises and fool’s pride abounding, we are all in danger of falling victim to unwise choices. Wealth, pleasure and popularity are favoured over greater critical thinking.
This self-centered blindness leads to societal injustice and anger and ultimately to intolerance and violence. In a society with an abhorrent tendency to classify and divide, we exist within a legacy of violence and aggression towards humanity.
Walkabouts will be hosted on Saturday 4 and 18 April and 6 May 2020 from 10:30.
DATES: 1 April to 6 May 2020
TITLE: Folly, Frailty and Fear
ARTIST: Diane Victor
GALLERY HRS: Mon–Fri: 09:00 – 16:00
Closed weekends and public holidays
LOCATION: APK Campus, Cor. Kingsway/University Rd, Auckland Park
CONTACT: UJ Art Gallery: 011 559 2099 aedempsey@uj.ac.za
ABOUT THE FACULTY OF FINE ART, DESIGN AND ARCHITECTURE
The Faculty of Art, Design and Architecture (FADA) offers under- and postgraduate programmes in eight creative disciplines: Architecture, Fashion Design, Graphic Design, Industrial Design, Interior Design, Jewellery Design & Manufacture, Multimedia Design, and Visual Art. The Faculty has a strong focus on sustainability and relevance, and engages actively with the dynamism, creativity and diversity of Johannesburg in imagining new approaches to art and design education. Equipped with state-of-the art, custom-built facilities, the Faculty is staffed by highly regarded academics, artists and designers.
ABOUT UJ ARTS & CULTURE
UJ Arts & Culture, a division of the Faculty of Art, Design & Architecture, produces and presents world-class student and professional arts programmes aligned to the UJ vision of an international university of choice, anchored in Africa, dynamically shaping the future. A robust range of arts platforms are offered on all four UJ campuses for students, staff, alumni and the general public to experience and engage with emerging and established Pan-African and international artists drawn from the full spectrum of the arts. For regular updates follow @UJArtsCentre on Twitter or visit www.uj.ac.za/arts