Great Texts/Big Questions - 12 May: Riason Naidoo & Sean O'Toole

Arts Critics Duel at Great Texts Big Questions

On the eve of GIPCA’s ‘the names we give’ symposium, the Great Texts / Big Questions lecture on 12 May at 17:30 will see director of Iziko South African National Gallery Riason Naidoo in a verbal duel with art critic and former editor of Art South Africa Sean O’Toole.

 ‘Shoot! Image and Text: A discussion on curating, art criticism and maybe football too…’ will be a two-way question and answer session between Naidoo and O’Toole focusing on the role of the public museum, curatorship as a form of hegemonic disruption and the inflections of post-apartheid art criticism, with public participation in the exchange welcomed.

Naidoo is an artist, curator, art educator, former coordinator for the French Institute of South Africa and of the Timbuktu Manuscripts project, and currently director of ISANG at Iziko Museums. O’Toole is a journalist, art critic, short story writer and formerly editor of Art South Africa and www.artthrob.co.za. Naidoo is from Durban, O’Toole from Pretoria, both have served time in Johannesburg, and both are now based in Cape Town. Naidoo is a committed Manning Rangers supporter, O’Toole a long-time fan of Liverpool FC.  

They both agree that contemporary photography is a vital medium in current South African art practice.

Director of GIPCA Jay Pather commented: “Forums for interactive conversation between curator and critic are few and far between. The mystique of the attendant parties has it’s own allure but may be frustrating for innocent bystanders wondering what the fuss is all about. This lecture promises to be one of a series of engrossing GIPCA events where shifts in the debate, however small, may be made with public participation and input.”

This event will take place at Hiddingh Hall, University of Cape Town (UCT) Hiddingh Campus, Orange Street, Cape Town on Thursday 12 May at 17:30 and is free. Refreshments will be served from 17:00. No Booking is necessary. For more information on the series, please contact 021 480 7156 or fin-gipca@uct.ac.za.

Note to editors

About GIPCA: The University of Cape Town’s Gordon Institute for Performing and Creative Arts (GIPCA) facilitates new collaborative and interdisciplinary creative research projects in the disciplines of Music, Dance, Fine Art, Drama, Creative Writing, Film and Media Studies. Interdisciplinarity is a key theme of the institute and projects are imbued with innovation, collaboration and dialogue with urbanism and community. GIPCA was launched in December 2008 with a substantial grant from Sir Donald Gordon, founder of Liberty Life. An Advisory Board comprising Heads of Departments of all Performing and Creative Arts Departments at UCT helps to shape contexts for the instigation and development of projects by students and staff, as well as a wide range of institutions and individuals outside the university. For more information on the 2011 GIPCA programme, visit www.gipca.uct.ac.za, or phone 021 480 7156.

Chair of the GIPCA Board: Professor Paula Ensor

GIPCA Director: Associate Professor Jay Pather

GIPCA Project Manager: Adrienne van Eeden-Wharton

ISSUED BY : THE FAMOUS IDEA TRADING CC

ON BEHALF OF : GIPCA

CONTACT : GILLY HEMPHILL / CILNETTE PIENAAR

TEL : 021 880 0889

CELL : 082 820 8584

EMAIL: gilly@thefamousidea.co.za