Strauss & Co, Africa’s leading art auction house, is pleased to reconfirm its commitment to the Toyota SU Woordfees with its vibrant programme of events planned for throughout the duration of the arts festival in Stellenbosch (7-15 October 2023). Highlights include a curated art exhibition featuring a recently uncovered work by Impressionist master Pierre-Auguste Renoir and a benefit auction of contemporary art featuring bronzes by Conrad Botes, Wilma Cruise and Claudette Schreuders, among others. Additionally, there is a fashion show by acclaimed designer Lezanne Viviers, a musical performance by applauded singer Niël Rademan, an exciting series of talks, walkabouts, art valuation days and more.
Recent Live Virtual Auction
Woordfees Benefit Auction
6:00pm → 8:30pm Thu, 12 Oct 2023
Cape Town
ON EXHIBITION
Preview at the Oude Leeskamer | 7-12 October 2023
Curated art exhibition featuring a recently uncovered work by Impressionist master Pierre-Auguste Renoir.
Transcending Boundaries: International Modern and Contemporary Art
A selection of highlights
LIVE VIRTUAL AUCTION
25 October 2023 | Cape Town
Evening Sale: Modern and Contemporary Art
A selection of highlights from the upcoming Johannesburg Auction Week
LIVE VIRTUAL AUCTION
7 November 2023 | Johannesburg
Sydney Kumalo and Ezrom Legae
A small selection of bronzes by Ezrom Legae and Sydney Kumalo from two important collections: the Kilbourn Collection and Homestead Collection.
Strauss & Co Talk Series
A Man for All Seasons
Johannes Vermeer and the recent retrospective at the Rijksmuseum
Monday 9 October, 15:00-16:00
The recent retrospective exhibition held at the Rijksmuseum (February–June 2023) of 28 of Johannes Vermeer’s only 34 currently recognised works was a once-in-a lifetime experience. Vermeer (1632–1675) is generally regarded as one of the greatest forces in the history of global art. Not only are his works unmatched in terms of technical innovation and aesthetic beauty, but they also continue to live on in the form of popular novels, poems and films, for example Girl with a Pearl Earring, the film interpretation of “Meisje met de Parel”, one of his most well-known paintings. This exhibition was the most popular one since the opening of the Rijksmuseum in 1885.
_
Conducted by Lizelle Kilbourn, art collector, philanthropist, lawyer
VENUE
Oude Leeskamer, 182 Dorp Street, Stellenbosch
ENTRANCE
R30 @ www.quicket.co.za
From Cape to Paris
Tuesday 10 October, 11:00-12:00
Following the eponymous exhibition, Paris and South African Artists: 1850–1965, at Iziko in 1988, the talk focuses on the next generation of artists in Paris, specifically black artists – notably Esther Mahlangu, Gerard Sekoto and Ernest Mancoba – who met up in Paris with other artists in the diaspora, such as Skunder Boghossian and Wifredo Lam.
_
Conducted by Leigh Leyde, Cataloguer and Researcher at Strauss & Co
VENUE
Oude Leeskamer, 182 Dorp Street, Stellenbosch
ENTRANCE
R30 @ www.quicket.co.za
Cheviot Place 6
Crossroad of artists, authors and intellectuals (1956–1990)
Tuesday 10 October, 15:00-16:00
6 Cheviot Place, Sea Point, the home that Erik Laubscher and Claude Bouscharain shared with Jan Rabie and Marjorie Wallace, was South Africa’s first “bohemian colony” – the crossroad where artists, regardless of politics, met freely. What happened there was groundbreaking and historically important. It was the cradle of South African modern art and the Sixties writers’ movement.
_
Conducted by Amanda Botha, journalist, documentary film director and author of several biographies of personalities involved in the arts
VENUE
Oude Leeskamer, 182 Dorp Street, Stellenbosch
ENTRANCE
R30 @ www.quicket.co.za
Contemporary South African Ceramics
Wednesday 11 October, 11:00-12:00
In the wake of the recent Phaidon publication, Vitamin C: Clay and Ceramic in Contemporary Art, the talk focuses on innovating contemporary ceramics in South Africa, covering 30 South African artists that push clay to its sculptural limit.
_
Conducted by Olivia Barrell, Asian Ceramics and Silver Specialist
VENUE
Oude Leeskamer, 182 Dorp Street, Stellenbosch
ENTRANCE
R30 @ www.quicket.co.za
William Kentridge: Bound & Unbound
Wednesday 11 October, 15:00-16:00
Close to one hundred Kentridge monographs and catalogues have been published in the trade book industry to date. Kentridge’s artist books, however, are not well-known. In view of the publication of the first volume of the artist’s print catalogue raisonné, the talk addresses this phenomenon.
_
Conducted by Wilhelm van Rensburg, Senior Art Specialist and Head Curator
VENUE
Oude Leeskamer, 182 Dorp Street, Stellenbosch
ENTRANCE
R30 @ www.quicket.co.za
The Sydney Kumalo/Ezrom LegaeCatalogue Raisonné
Thursday 12 October, 11:00-12:00
Panel discussion facilitated by Wilhelm van Rensburg, in discussion with Karel Nel, head curator at the Norval Foundation, about the inaugural exhibition of 2018 in which some of Sydney Kumalo and Ezrom Legae’s sculptures were included, and with Charles Skinner, one of the co-authors, together with Gavin Watkins, of the Sydney Kumalo & Ezrom Legae Catalogue Raisonne, published by Strauss & Co, Wilhelm will also talk about the retrospective exhibition he curated at the Strauss offices in Houghton, Johannesburg and the educational programme he offered during the run of the show. Select sculptures of these two artists drawn from the Norval Foundation collection and the private collection of Frank and Lizelle Kilbourn, will be on display at De Oude Leeskamer.
_
Conducted by Wilhelm van Rensburg, Senior Art Specialist and Head Curator
VENUE
Oude Leeskamer, 182 Dorp Street, Stellenbosch
ENTRANCE
R30 @ www.quicket.co.za
Exploring the Rich Artistic Heritage of the Eastern Cape
Highlights from Strauss & Co’s auction history.
Thursday 12 October, 11:00-12:00
An exploration of the vibrant and diverse assortment of artists who have either lived,
studied or been inspired by the Eastern Cape.
_
Conducted by Ian Hunter, Senior Art Specialist
VENUE
Oude Leeskamer, 182 Dorp Street, Stellenbosch
ENTRANCE
R30 @ www.quicket.co.za
Social Responsibility in the Arts
Friday 13 October, 11:00-12:00
Wilhelm van Rensburg will be facilitating a panel discussion on the various forms social responsibility takes in art institutions. Included on the panel will be representatives from Zeitz MOCAA, Norval Foundation and the Irma Stern Museum, among others.
_
Conducted by Wilhelm van Rensburg, Senior Art Specialist and Head Curator
VENUE
Oude Leeskamer, 182 Dorp Street, Stellenbosch
ENTRANCE
R30 @ www.quicket.co.za
Other Events
Walkabout and Preview with Frank Kilbourn
Tuesday 10 October, 17:00-18:30
A fascinating guided tour and viewing of highlights from the works to be sold at Strauss & Co’s auctions in Cape Town and Johannesburg, on 25 October and 7 November respectively
_
Conducted by Frank Kilbourn, Executive Chairperson of Strauss & Co
VENUE
Oude Leeskamer, 182 Dorp Street, Stellenbosch
RSVP
Reserve your place with Marion Dixon – marion@straussart.co.za | 082 775 5520
Art culinaire and fine wine with Strauss & Co
Wednesday 11 October, 18:30
Come and enjoy a divine three-course dinner combined with the finest of wines at De Eetkamer. Chef Nico Ackermann and Strauss & Co Senior Wine Specialist Higgo Jacobs join forces to capture the unique character of the art on display at the Strauss & Co preview. Nico conjures up gastronomic artworks and Higgo engages his enchanting viticultural knowledge to pair unique Pinotage variations with Nico’s magical fare.
_
Pinotage donated by the Pinotage Association, sponsored by Absa. The Absa Top 10 Pinotage awards celebrate the finest expressions of the uniquely South African Pinotage varietal. With a decades-long tradition of excellence, these awards honour the dedication and innovation of winemakers who craft wines that captivate palates and showcase the diverse terroirs of South Africa. Join us as we journey through 2023 top 10 award-winning wines.
VENUE
Oude Leeskamer, 182 Dorp Street, Stellenbosch
BOOKINGS
R650 @ www.quicket.co.za
VIVIERS’ ‘Future Fossils’ Fashion Show
Friday 13 October, 15:00-17:00
Re-Trace, Re-Memory, Re-Set, Re-Culture serves as a canvas for unravelling the threads that bind our collective origin stories, inviting us to examine the interconnections between art, science, spirituality, and cultural heritage.
In this show, which focuses on fashion and the arts, Lezanne Viviers’ latest spring/summer collection can be seen as showcased at the Milan fashion week earlier this year.
Viviers contemplates the potential.for collective transformation and cultural redefinition. Through an exploration of legends, archaeological discoveries and a visionary philosophy, this collection investigates how myths and shared narratives shape our understanding of our human evolution; how they foster unity and inspire positive change: unity in individuality rather than in separation.
_
VENUE
Oude Leeskamer, 182 Dorp Street, Stellenbosch
RSVP
info@viviers.studio by 9 October
Music with Niël Rademan
Friday 13 October, 17:00
The popular singer and pianist, Niël Rademan, will be performing a variety of light and classical music at the Oude Leeskamer and later at Morkel House – a celebration of art, culture and keyboard classics, courtesy of Strauss & Co.
_
VENUE
Oude Leeskamer, 182 Dorp Street, Stellenbosch
RSVP
Reserve your place with Marion Dixon
marion@straussart.co.za | 082 775 5520
VALUATION DAYS
Thinking of Selling?
Monday, 9 and Saturday, 14 October 2023
Join Strauss & Co Art Specialists for art valuations in Stellenbosch. Bring your items for confidential and obligation-free valuations by our knowledgable specialists.
VENUE
Oude Leeskamer, 182 Dorp St, Stellenbosch Central, Stellenbosch
BOOK YOUR APPOINTMENT
Marion Dixon: 082 775 5520 | marion@straussart.co.za
