Trolley pushers celebrated

THE lives and careers of trolley pushers in the urban jungle of Johannesburg will be examined in an exhibition called Transference, on at the Johannesburg Art Gallery (JAG) from 26 February to 22 April.

Trolley pushers the subject of an exhibition
Trolley pushers, the subject of an exhibitionIt is a combined exhibition of works by two artists, Senzo Shabangu and Vumelani Sibeko. “It explores new artistic interpretations of the cosmopolitan trade of trolley pushers, that has become a new phenomenon of business in the inner city of Johannesburg,” says JAG’s public programmes manager, Tiny Malefane.

“Using the medium of printmaking, painting and a sculptural installation, their work connects in conversation about the dynamics of this transportation system, whilst relating it to their own experiences of living and working in this city,” he adds.

It will be curated by Portia Malatjie, an art historian and curator who completed her masters in the history of art at the University of the Witwatersrand in 2011.

Shabangu studied printmaking at Artist Proof Studios in Newtown. He has exhibited in various group shows in Johannesburg, as well as in Germany. In 2010, he won the David Koloane Award, and as part of this was required to complete a four-month residency at the Bag Factory in Fordsburg under the mentorship of Koloane and Pat Mautloa.

“From the residency, Shabangu came out of his comfort zone and explored different media such as video,” Malefane explains. “The result was a one-minute video work, City One Minute, which he coproduced with the Bag Factory resident artist, Su Tomesen, from the Netherlands.”

He was also selected for a residency programme at Greatmore Studios in Cape Town in April 2011. In August 2011, Shabangu had his first solo exhibition at David Krut Publishing in Parktown.

Sibeko hails from Emdeni in Soweto; he studied at Vaal Triangle Technikon – now known as Vaal University of Technology – between 1997 and 1999. “His first group exhibition was at Mofolo Art Centre in Soweto in 2005 as part of the Mofolo Art Centre Revival Show,” Malefane says.

“He has since exhibited in numerous other group exhibitions alongside Kenny Nkosi, Peter Tobias, Mbongeni Buthelezi, Dominique Shabangu and Senzo Shabangu.”

Sibeko works from the Drill Hall in Johannesburg.

JAG is located in Joubert Park, and the entrance is in King George Street. For more information, you can contact Tiny Malefane by phoning 011 725 3130, faxing 011 720 6000 or emailing tinym@joburg.org.za or jag@joburg.org.za.