The earth is ripe for inspiration – to me, Mother Nature is our first and most formidable artist. All of us, her children seeking to create on our own accord, but always with a lineage that traces back to the planet. The strength of concept at blank projects’ current show, ‘the weight of a stone’, interrogates precisely this; the mutable forms in which earth as a substance exists. Never static nor passive, as the prima materia of our corporeal expression in the world. The show notes describe it best, “the stoicism of cement, the richness of clay, the sturdiness of metal, the infinite darkness of the mine, the pigmentation of soil, the fragility of glass and the versatility of salt.” These descriptions are exceedingly poetic – and in mere words, enliven the often mundane view of matter as vital material; our original mediums. Tucked away in a 360sqm space in Woodstock, blank projects offers a sublime space for such inquiries – high ceilings, sheet-white walls and parquet floors – and since 2012, ‘’the gallery represents emerging and increasingly established artists from the region in a critically engaged programme that emphasises contemporaneity, with a focus on concept and abstraction in the African context.”

The show, co-curated by Lemeeze Davids and Thobile Ndenze – brought together an array of 10 artists, each with their practice linking back to earth. On how ‘the weight of stone’ was conceptualised, Lemeeze says, “the concept emerged organically after a discussion around a few artists that we were generally interested in, when in the brainstorming stages of the show. We noticed that the common thread was that they all worked using varied forms of earth. We mostly let this organic connection lead and speak for itself, only adding a few more artists based on the curatorial direction, as artists confirmed their availability.” Regarding the response to the show, Lemeeze says, “The reception has been tremendous – the opening night was packed and we’ve had a lot of foot traffic during the course of the show, which is great as winter is normally a slower season for visitors. We’ve had very positive responses towards the show from friends of the gallery, artists, and arts practitioners alike. Overall, as the first presentation that Thobile and I have curated since joining the blank team this year, we’re really happy how it came together and how the show makes use of the space.”

Following a beautiful format, ‘the weight of a stone’ is divided into clay / metal / soil and stone – each division grouping together artists whose work reflects the materiality of four forms of earth. Vulnerability of process was key as Lemeeze explains, “A number of works, including Nolan’s set of xenoliths, Jean-Marie’s sculpture, Rowan’s pieces and Inga’s works, were created specifically for the show, while Zayaan, Setlamorago, donna, and Belinda’s installations were compiled from their deep archives and studio processes of years’ of works. It was also wonderful to introduce our audience to the work of Tendai Mupita (Zimbabwean) and Pieter Paul Pothoven (Dutch), who are international artists we’ve had the pleasure of meeting through research around the show.”

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We urge you to pop into the space to see the show before it ends on 10th September, 2022.
10 Lewin Street, Woodstock, Cape Town .

Click here for ‘the weight of stone’ zine – a critical accompaniment to your walkthrough of the show.

Written by: Holly Bell Beaton

For more news, visit the Connect Everything Collective homepage www.ceconline.co.za