News Release: “Paradox Of Plenty” Art Exhibition Opens 29th March 2011 In Johannesburg

Venue Of Exhibition

Jeannette Unite converted the Michaelis Upper Gallery into an open studio in March, referencing a personal archive of 1500 mining images, collected during 12 years of research travel. View the drawings Unite’s produced to commemorate 125 years since the discovery of Gold in Johannesburg. To be opened by Shado Twala on Tuesday 29^th March 2011 at 18:00
Exhibition ends 7^th April 2011   

The Cape Town art school is named after gold mining magnate, Sir Max Michaelis, a pertinent link between the Johannesburg mining industry and Michaelis’ consequent patronage to the art school. In March 1886 the gold reef in Johannesburg was identified by two geologists.

In over twelve years of on-going research, Unite has visited archives, libraries and museums in mining areas, exploring the issues related to mineral extraction, wars and conflict, migrant labour, the resource curse and the impact of neo-colonialism on the contemporary African industrial landscape. The Paradox of Plenty creates a comment on the environmental impact of the conspicuous consumption of finite metal resources that underpins the techno-spasm we live in.

Jeannette Unite’s awards include receiving a Kellogg’s Foundation scholarship, a public art commission for the Department of Science and Technology and Unite was one of four South African artists at the Beijing Biennale in September 2010 and in Uzbekistan at the Tashkent Biennale in 2009 where she won an award for the most unique use of material. She has presented papers about her artwork at conferences in Dublin at the UNESCO Art Critics international conference AICA, in Ghana at the 50 year Jubilee Cultural Development Conference, at a colour colloquium at Rhodes University and will be presenting at AEGIS in Madrid, Spain as well as in Austria in late April 2011.

2^nd March      18:30   Launch of Project
29^th March     18:30   Opening Exhibition Function
31^st March      11:45   Public Walkabout
7^th April           17:00   Exhibition Ends

A limited edition series of signed, embossed Headgear prints to commemorate 125 years of discovery of gold in Johannesburg are available.
For further information and images please contact Jeannette@artunite.com (+27 76 906 9767) or Nadja.daehnke@uct.ac.za

 Signed: Organizers