6 May 2023 - 18 February 2024
FREQUENCIES is a long-term project developed by the artist Oscar Murillo with members of his family, studio team, and collaborators around the world. Initiated in 2013, the project has collaborated with over 300 schools in more than 30 countries, creating dialogues and archives by documenting the social and cultural differences through the learner’s works. Frequencies’ intention is to reach a larger audience through Murillo’s creative explorations on how to communicate and engage with the public to bring a better understanding of art-focused education. As part of the Frequencies project in South Africa, canvas sheets were affixed to desks in schools located around Gauteng.. Students were invited to freely express themselves, draw and write on the canvasses for a period of six months, after which the canvasses were collected to form part of Frequencies.
In addition to the canvases from schools in Pretoria and Johannesburg, the exhibition will also focus on canvases from the Frequencies project that took place in Zambia, Kenya, Senegal, Ghana, Egypt, Morocco, Chile, Mexico and Brazil.
Reimagining Our Futures – Javett-UP 2023 Programme Announced
As 2022 draws to a close, the Javett Art Centre at the University of Pretoria (Javett- UP) looks back at an impactful year, highlighting connections, intersections, and creative diversity. Throughout the year, Javett-UP welcomed over 33 0000 visitors who engaged with our various exhibitions, public programmes, educational activities, and high-end private events. The Centre saw various interventions and activities that drew artists, activists, audiences, scholars, students, learners and myriad contact zones together at the heart of art in Tshwane for critical multi-disciplinary interactions and dialogues.
The 2023 programme builds on the substantial depth achieved in 2022, and locates a sharper focus on pan-African artistic education in partnership with both local and continental platforms and forums, bridging the knowledge divide through hybrid channels.
Through this programme, Javett-UP aims to mediate the transdisciplinary nature of connecting science and art to cultivate innovative ways of responding and contributing to our collective sustainable development goals and agendas. The conversations around cultural heritage continue, with the programme designed to explore new ways of bridging indigenous knowledge with academic research to cultivate new ideas and ways of doing.
“Our 2023 programme emphasises pan-African artistic education in partnership with both local and continental platforms and forums, bridging the knowledge divide through hybrid channels. We will advocate art as a source of healing that our society is in dire need of, and we will create and promote a marketplace for the commercial and wellness value of the artistic experience and creative products to contribute to the growth of the creative economy and cultural tourism of our City of Tshwane.
We send out our humble appreciation to all of you who graced us with your presence at the Art Centre, and your valued contributions and support to our programmes and operations. We are looking forward to welcoming you again together with your friends and family in the coming year” notes Javett-UP CEO Lekgetho Makola.