MATERIAL MATTERS: Textile art will be on display, such as Vhuhwavho Clementine Sikhwivhilu’s piece “Re-imagined Ńwenda”, shown by Jonathan van der Walt. Images: Gillian McAinsh
FLYING COLOURS: Gallery curator Jonathan van der Walt sets up “Lotus”, an assemblage of kites by Professor Pieter Binsbergen
The show celebrates the 10th anniversary of the Bird Street Gallery, showcasing work by staff in the Department of Visual Arts, Faculty of Humanities.
Gallery curator Jonathan van der Walt said the anniversary exhibition was a milestone for the University.
“It speaks to many layers of what the gallery is – a colonial and heritage building reactivated as a contemporary art gallery, but also a research and learning space,” Van der Walt said.
“There are traces of the past, but also the idea of moving forward, hence the title ‘Trace and Transition’.
“There is a constant influx of new ideas, students and staff. The Department of Visual Arts has gone through many changes, including to the curriculum, and we wanted to bring all those aspects into one space.”
The Head of the Department, Professor Pieter Binsbergen, will speak at the opening and Van der Walt also will give a brief address. All are welcome, and refreshments will be served.
Trace and Transition spans ceramics, sculpture, painting, fashion, textiles, photography, digital art and video, with several staff collaborations.
Although the Bird Street Gallery is only 10 years old itself, it builds on a rich legacy. Nelson Mandela University has the oldest surviving school of arts in the country, stretching back to the Port Elizabeth Art School which first opened its doors in 1882.
The original PE Art School was housed in the historical Athenaeum Building in Athol Fugard Terrace (then Belmont Terrace). Many decades later, in the 1950s when the University of Port Elizabeth (now Nelson Mandela University) was established, it was housed in Bird Street.
Although the School of Visual and Performing Arts is based on North Campus in Summerstrand, the Bird Street Campus is still an arts and music hub. Its historic buildings are home to research and postgraduate programmes.
In 2015, the Eendrag Building (formerly Fleming House) became the Bird Street Gallery, providing fine art spaces for exhibitions as well as drawing studios for Visual Arts' students.
Trace and Transition will remain open until 8 October 2025, with viewing hours 9am to 4pm on weekdays.