Stellenbosch University Museum, in close cooperation with the Nelson Mandela Museum, is currently hosting two exhibitions.

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1 EXHIBITIONS IN CELEBRATION OF 20 YEARS OF FREEDOM, HOSTED BY THE UNIVERSITY MUSEUM, 52 RYNEVELD STREET, STELLENBOSCH 28 MAY DECEMBER 2014 Stellenbosch University Museum, in close cooperation with the Nelson Mandela Museum, is currently hosting two exhibitions. The exhibitions, entitled Dear Mr Mandela, Dear Mrs Parks: Children s Letters, Global Lessons and Freedom XX: 20 Pieces of Democracy, will be on at the Museum from 28 May until 31 December The two exhibitions form part of the University-wide celebrations of 20 Years of Freedom, coordinated by Stellenbosch University s Centre for Inclusivity. The exhibitions also form part of the University Museum s observation of International Museums Day, which is celebrated world-wide on 18 May each year. The theme of this year s International Museum Day is Museum collections make connections. Schools interested in visiting these thought-provoking exhibitions are encouraged to contact the University Museum to make a booking by phoning or e- mailing mya@sun.ac.za. University Museum (Sasol Art Museum) Stellenbosch University 52 Ryneveld Street, Stellenbosch Tel: mya@sun.ac.za 1

2 DEAR MR MANDELA, DEAR MRS PARKS: CHILDREN S LETTERS, GLOBAL LESSONS Dear Mr Mandela, Dear Mrs Parks: Children s Letters, Global Lessons is a travelling exhibition on loan from the Nelson Mandela Museum in Mthatha, Eastern Cape. The inspiration for this exhibition came from the hundreds of children around the world who wrote letters to Nelson Mandela and the late Rosa Parks, both internationally renowned for their work in human rights. The letters reveal why children revere Mandela and Parks, and also highlight young people s desire for guidance and understanding about life. Dear Mr Mandela, Dear Mrs Parks: Children s Letters, Global Lessons highlights Nelson Mandela and Rosa Parks devotion to freedom, democracy and emancipation. The exhibition raises greater public understanding of the parallels in the struggles for equality and justice in the United States and South Africa through the letters of children. Rosa Parks and Nelson Mandela shared many values and goals, and both cared deeply about youth. Mandela met Parks in Detroit, Michigan, in 1990 when he toured the United States after his release from prison. The exhibition was developed when the Michigan State University Museum and the Nelson Mandela Museum were awarded one of the first four grants from a new programme of the American Association of Museums, Washington, DC, and the US Department of State s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs. The grants are designed to strengthen connections between people in the US and abroad through museum-based exchanges. A replica of the exhibition opened in the United States in January 2010 on the occasion of Martin Luther King s birthday and is now travelling through the breadth and width of America. 2

3 FREEDOM XX: 20 PIECES OF DEMOCRACY The Freedom XX: 20 Pieces of Democracy exhibition is curated by the staff of the University Museum. Each of the 11 staff members (with the exclusion of the Director) was asked to select an artwork or artworks that, in his/her opinion, represented the period To add more interactivity, we are inviting visitors and members of the public to democratically vote for the artworks of their choice in this exhibition. After the selection had been made, each staff member wrote a short curatorial statement as to why the selected works represented the period under consideration. The works selected need not to have been produced during the period but may represent certain moments or highlights that could be considered as representative of the era. The word Freedom in the context of this exhibition has many meanings. First and foremost freedom refers to the 20 Years of Democracy ( ) that we are celebrating this year. It also represents the freedom that the staff as curators of the exhibition had in selecting the works for the exhibition. The term also connotes the departure from curatorial conventions where the act of curating is left to disciplinary experts. In the case of this exhibition, the curatorial authority has been democratised by allowing all staff members (irrespective of their expertise) to be involved in the selection of works to be exhibited. Staff members were not expected to have expert knowledge of the works selected as long as they motivated the selection in their curatorial statements. Freedom may also refer to the experimental nature of the exhibition. It will be the first time that the University Museum experiments with an exhibition of this nature. All new experiments have the possibility to fail. However, they also have the possibility of opening up new forms of knowledge. Museums cannot expect to discover new forms of knowledge by continuing to pose the same old questions. In the same vein, they cannot expect to attract new audiences when continuing to recycle outdated museum practices. For far too long, museums have claimed to be the sole gatekeepers of exhibited knowledge. The voice of the curator was seen as the voice of the museum, which, in turn, represents the voice of the people. By freeing up the curatorial space to traditionally non-curatorial staff and members of the public, this exhibition challenges the monologic authority of the museum to speak on behalf of everybody. The exhibition not only invites members of staff to speak up but extends this rare curatorial privilege to members of the public as part of celebrating twenty years of our vibrant democracy. 3

4 IMIBONISO YOKUBHIYOZELA IMINYAKA ENGAMA-20 YENKULULEKO, ESINDLEKWE YIMYUZYAM YEYUNIVESITHI, 52 RYNEVELD STREET, STELLENBOSCH 14 MEYI DISEMBA 2014 IMyuzyam yeyunivesithi yase-stellenbosch, ngokubambisana nemyuziyam inelson Mandela,kungoku nje zisindleka imiboniso emibini. Le miboniso, esihloko sithimnu.mandela othandekayo,nkskz, Parks othandekayo: iileta zabantwana, izifundo zehlabathi nomboniso wenkululeko XX: amanqaku angama-20 embali yentando yesininzi,iza kuba semyuziyam ukususela ngomhla we-14 Meyide kube ngumhla wama-31 Disemba Le miboniso mibini iyinxalenye yemibhiyozo eqhutywa kwiiyunivesithi ziphela kubhiyozelwa iminyaka engama-20 yenkululeko,eququzelelwa liziko lobandakanyeko leyunivesithi yase-stellenbosch (istellenbosch University s Centre for Inclusivity). Kananjalo le miboniso iyinxalenye yokuqwalasela kwemyuziyam yeyunivesithi usuku lweemyuziyam zamazwe ngamazwe,nobhiyozelwa kwihlabathi liphela ngomhla we-18 Meyi rhoqo ngonyaka. Umxholo walo nyaka wosuku lweemyuziyam zamazwe ngamazwe uthi iingqokelela zasemyziyam zenza ubudlelwane. Izikolo ezinomdla wokundwendwela le miboniso ivuselela ingcinga ziyakhuthazwa ukuba ziqhagamshelane nemyziyam yeyunivesithi ngokwenza idinga ngomnxeba kwa okanye ngokuthumela i-imeyile ku-mya@sun.ac.za. University Museum (Sasol Art Museum) Stellenbosch University 52 RyneveldStreet, Stellenbosch Umnxeba: I-imeyile:mya@sun.ac.za 4

5 MNU. MANDELA OTHANDEKAYO, NKSKZ. PARKS OTHANDEKAYO: IILETA ZABANTWANA, IZIFUNDO ZEHLABATHI I-Mnu. Mandela othandekayo, Nkskz, Parks othandekayo: iileta zabantwana, izifundo zehlabathi ngumboniso ohamba-hambayo obolekwe kwimyuziyam inelson Mandela emthatha,kwimpuma Koloni. Imvakalelo yalo mboniso yavela kumakhulu-khulu abantwana abavela kwihlabathi lonke ababhalela unelson Mandela iileta kunye nongasekhoyo urosa Parks, bobabini baziwa kumazwe ngamazwe ngomsebenzi wabo wamalungelo oluntu. Ezi leta zibonisa ukuba kutheni abantwana bebahlonela kangaka umandela no- Parks,kananjalo ziphawula umnqweno wabantu abatsha wokukhokelwa nokuqonda ubomi. Imiboniso yemnu. Mandela othandekayo, Nkskz, Parks othandekayo: iileta zabantwana, izifundo zehlabathiiphawula ukuzinikela kwinkululeko kuka-nelson Mandela no-rosa Parks, kulawulo lwentando yesininzi nokukhululeka emakhamandeleni. Lo mboniso uphawula ingqiqo emandla yoluntu ngemisebenzi yomzabalaso wokulingana nobulungisa emelika nasemzantsi Afrika kusetyenziswa iileta zabantwana. U-Rosa Parks nonelson Mandela babelana ngeenqobo nangeenjongo ezininzi, kwaye bobabini babathanda kakhulu abantwana. UMandela wadibana no-parks edetroit, emichigan, ngo-1990 xa wayetyelele amazwe asemelika emva kokukhululwa kwakhe entolongweni. Lo mboniso wasekwa ngexesha imyziyam yeyunivesithi imichigan State kunye nemyziyam inelson Mandela zanikezelwa ngesibonelelo-soncedo esinye kwezo zine zenkqubo entsha yombutho weemyziyam zasemelika, ewashington, DC, kunye neyesebe lasemelika likarhulumente lezemfundo nemicimbi yenkcubeko (US Department of State s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs). Ezi zibonelelozoncedo zilungiselelwe ukuqinisa ubudlelwane phakathi kwabantu basemelika nabamanye amazwe kusetyenziswa utshintshelwano ngemisebenzi esekelwe kwiimyziyam. Impinda yalo mboniso yavulwa emelika ngo-janyuwari 2010 ngexesha kulusuku lokuzalwa luka-martin Luther King kwaye ngoku indwendwela iindawo ngeendawo zonke zasemelika. 5

6 6 INKULULEKO XX: AMANQAKU ANGAMA-20 ENTANDO YESININZI INkululekoXX: umboniso wamanqaku angama-20 entando yesininzi ulondolozwe ngabasebenzi bemyuziyam yeyunivesithi. Emnye kumalungu abasebenzi abali-11 (ngaphandle komlawuli) bacelwa ukuba bakhethe umsebenzi wobugcisa okanye imisebenzi yobugcisa ethe,ngokokwakhe ukubona,yamela ixesha elisusela ngo Ukongeza unxibelelwano olumandlasimema iindwendwe namalungu oluntu ukuba avote ngokwentando yesininzi evotela imisebenzi yobugcisa abayikhethayo kulo mboniso. Emva kokuba kukhethiwe, ilungu ngalinye labasebenzi liza kubhala ingxelo emfutshane ngomsebenzi walo wokugcina imyuzyammalunga nokuba kutheni na lo misebenzi ayikhethileyo ecinga ukuba imele eli xesha kuthethwa ngalo. Imisebenzi yobugcisa ekhethiweyo akunyanzelekanga ukuba ibe iveliswe ngeli xesha likhankanyiweyo kodwa ingamela amaxesha neziganeko ezithile ezinokuqwalaselwa njengezimele elo xesha. Igama elithi inkululeko kumxholo walo mboniso lineentsingiselo ezininzi. Okokuqala nokona kubalulekile inkululeko ithetha iminyaka engama-20 yentando yesininzi ( )esiyibhiyozelayo kulo nyaka. Kananjalo imele inkululeko abathe abasebenzi njengabagcini bemyuzyamkulo mboniso bayifumana ekukhetheni imisebenzi yalo mboniso. Kananjalo eli gama lithetha ukusuka kwimisebenzi yokugcina imyuzyam eqhelekileyonalapho isenzo sokugcina imyuzyam sishiywe kwiingcali zeli khondo. Kwimeko yalo mboniso, igunya lokugcina imyzyamlenziwe ngokwentando yesininzi ngokuvumela onke amalungu abasebenzi (nokuba banabuphi na ubuchule) ukuba babandakanywe ekukhethweni kwemisebenzi eza kuboniswa. Amalungu abasebenzi bekungalindelekanga ukuba abe nolwazi lobungcali ngemisebenzi ayikhethileyo ukuba nje bakhuthazekile ekukhetheni kwabo iingxelo zokugcina imyuzyam. Kananjalo inkululeko ingathetha uhlobo lokuba namava alo mbooniso. Iza kuba kokokuqala imyuziyam yeyunivesithi ifumana ithuba kumboniso ololu hlobo. Bonke abaqalayo kula mava banalo ithuba lokungaphumeleli. Nangona kunjalo,bakwanalo nethuba lokuvulela iintlobo ezintsha zolwazi. IiMyuziyam azinakulindela ukufumana iintlobo ezintsha zolwazi ngokuqhubeka ziphakamisa imibuzo efanayo yakudala. Ngokufanayo, abanakho ukulindela ukutsala umdla wababukeli abatsha xa ziqhubeka ziphinda-phinda imisebenzi ephelelwe lixesha yeemyuziyam. Ixesha elide kakhulu, iimyuziyam bezisoloko zibanga ngokuba kuphela kwabagcini bolwazi neenkcukacha ezibonisiweyo. Ilizwi lomgcini wemyuzyamlibonwa njengelizwi lemyuziyam,nelithi,limele ilizwi labantu. Ngokukhulula ubuchule bokugcina imuzyamkubasebenzi ababefudula ingengabo abasebenzi abakrolayo nakumalungu oluntu, lo mboniso ucela umngeni kwigunya elingcinga icalanye ngemyuzyam ukuba ithethe egameni lomntu wonke. Lo mboniso awumemi nje

7 kuphela amalungu abasebenzi ukuba bazithethele bavakalise izimvo zabo kodwa unikezela eli lungelo lilodwa linqabileyo lokugcina imyuzyam kumalungu oluntu ngokuyinxalenye yokubhiyozela iminyaka engamashumi amabini entando yesininzi enodlamko. 7

8 UITSTALLINGS OM 20 JAAR SE VRYHEID TE VIER, AANGEBIED DEUR DIE UNIVERSITEITSMUSEUM, RYNEVELDSTRAAT 52, STELLENBOSCH 14 MEI DESEMBER 2014 Die Universiteit Stellenbosch Museum huisves tans twee uitstallings in noue samewerking met die Nelson Mandela Museum. Die uitstallings, getiteld Dear Mr Mandela, Dear Mrs Parks: Children s Letters, Global Lessons en Vryheid XX: 20 Stukke Demokrasie, sal tussen 14 Mei en 31 Desember 2014 in die Museum te sien wees. Die twee uitstallings maak deel uit van universiteitswye vierings van 20 Jaar van Vryheid, wat deur die Universiteit Stellenbosch se Sentrum vir Inklusiwiteit gekoördineer word. Die uitstalling maak verder deel uit van die Universiteitsmuseum se viering van Internasionale Museumdag, wat jaarliks wêreldwyd op 18 Mei gevier word. Vanjaar se tema vir Internasionale Museumdag is Museumversamelings maak verbindings. Skole wat hierdie stimulerende uitstallings wil besoek word aangemoedig om die Universiteitsmuseum te kontak vir besprekings. Skakel gerus of e-pos mya@sun.ac.za. Universiteitsmuseum (Sasol Kunsmuseum) Universiteit Stellenbosch Ryneveldstraat 52, Stellenbosch Tel: E-pos: mya@sun.ac.za 8

9 DEAR MR MANDELA, DEAR MRS PARKS: CHILDREN S LETTERS, GLOBAL LESSONS Dear Mr Mandela, Dear Mrs Parks: Children s Letters, Global Lessons is ʼn reisende leenuitstalling oorspronklik van die Nelson Mandela Museum in Mthatha in die Oos- Kaap. Inspirasie vir hierdie uitstalling is geput uit die honderde kinders oor die wêreld heen wat briewe geskryf het aan Nelson Mandela en die toe reeds ontslape Rosa Parks, albei wêreldbekend vir hul werk op die gebied van menseregte. Die briewe verklap waarom kinders Mandela en Parks so hoog ag, en plaas klem jongmense se behoefte aan leiding en lewensinsig. Dear Mr Mandela, Dear Mrs Parks: Children s Letters, Global Lessons beklemtoon Nelson Mandela en Rosa Parks se toewyding aan vryheid, demokrasie en emansipasie. Die uitstalling skep ʼn groter openbare besef van die ooreenkomste in die stryde om gelykheid en geregtigheid in die Verenigde State en Suid-Afrika deur middel van die kinders se briewe. Rosa Parks en Nelson Mandela het baie waardes en doelwitte gedeel, en albei was besonder begaan oor die jeug. Mandela het Parks in Detroit, Michigan, in 1990 ontmoet toe hy ná sy vrylating deur die Verenigde State getoer het. Die uitstalling is ontwikkel toe die universiteitsmuseum van die Staat Michiganuniversiteit en die Nelson Mandela Museum een van die eerste vier bewilligings ontvang het van ʼn nuwe program van die Amerikaanse museumvereniging in Washington, DC, en die VSA se Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, gesetel in sy departement vir buitelandse betrekkinge. Die bewilligings is daarop gemik om skakels tussen mense in die VSA en die buiteland deur museumgebaseerde uitruiling te versterk. ʼn Replika van die uitstalling is in Januarie 2010 tydens die herdenking van Martin Luther King se geboorte in die VSA geopen. Dié uitstalling deurkruis Amerika nou. 9

10 10 VRYHEID XX: 20 STUKKE DEMOKRASIE Die Vryheid XX: 20 Stukke Demokrasie-uitstalling is deur die Universiteitsmuseum se personeel georganiseer. Elk van die 11 personeellede (behalwe die Direkteur) is gevra om n kunswerk of kunswerke uit te kies wat die tydperk na sy of haar mening verteenwoordig. Om meer wisselwerking te bewerkstellig, nooi ons ook besoekers en lede van die publiek om demokraties te stem vir die kunswerke van hul keuse in hierdie uitstalling. Nadat die keuring gedoen is, het elke personeellid n kort kuratoriale stelling geskryf oor hoekom die geselekteerde werke die betrokke tydperk verteenwoordig. Die gekeurde werke is nie noodwendig in dié tydperk geskep nie, maar verteenwoordig sekere oomblikke of hoogtepunte wat die tydperk verteenwoordig. Die woord vryheid het baie betekenisse in die konteks van die uitstalling. In die eerste plek verwys vryheid na die 20 Jaar van Demokrasie ( ) wat ons hierdie jaar vier. Dit verteenwoordig ook die vryheid wat die personeel as kurators van die uitstalling gehad het om werke vir die uitstalling te selekteer. Verder behels die term n wegbeweeg van kuratoriale konvensies waar die selektering, organisering en uitstalling van museummateriaal aan die dissiplinêre deskundiges oorgelaat word. In die geval van hierdie uitstalling is die kuratoriale gesag gedemokratiseer deur elke personeellid (ongeag sy of haar kundigheid) te betrek by die keuring van werke om uitgestal te word. Daar is nie van personeellede verwag om deskundige kennis van die geselekteerde werke te hê nie, solank hulle die seleksies in hul kuratoriale stellings kon motiveer. Vryheid kan ook verwys na die eksperimentele aard van hierdie uitstalling. Dit is die eerste keer dat die Universiteit met so n uitstalling eksperimenteer. Daar is met alle nuwe eksperimente ʼn risiko om te misluk. Sulke eksperimente hou egter ook die moontlikheid in om nuwe vorme van kennis te oop te stel. Museums kan nie verwag om nuwe vorme van kennis te ontdek deur aan te hou om dieselfde ou vrae te stel nie. Ook kan hulle nie verwag om nuwe gehore te trek as hulle bloot oudmodiese museumpraktyke hersikleer nie. Vir te lank het museums hulself as die enigste hekwagters van uitgestalde kennis beskou. Die stem van die kurator word as die stem van die museum beskou, wat op sy beurt weer die stem van die mense verteenwoordig. Deur die kuratoriale ruimte oop te stel vir tradisioneel nie-kuratoriale personeel en lede van die publiek daag hierdie uitstalling die monologiese gesag van die museum uit. Die uitstalling nooi nie net personeellede uit om hul stemme te laat hoor nie, maar bied hierdie rare kuratoriale voorreg ook aan lede van die publiek ter viering van twintig jaar se demokrasie.