CONNECT DISCONNECT
5 February - 29 March 2014
Connect Disconnect was held at the Sasol
Museum in Stellenbosch along with the
winners of the 2013 competition.
5 February - 29 March 2014
Connect Disconnect was held at the Sasol
Museum in Stellenbosch along with the
winners of the 2013 competition.
CONNECT DISCONNECT
28 Aug - 13 Oct 2013
As single beings we are microcosms within the macrocosm of community, but we create stronger bonds, becoming more than just ourselves, when we form connections. We connect via phones and the Internet, gaining access to other individuals, companies and organizations. We join, we link and we visit. We communicate to each other from the extreme ends of the globe in an instant. All these connections are made possible because of the conductive ability of copper. Our network of connectivity is a web of cables laid above and below us, easily accessible but just as easily stolen. With the growing demand for copper resulting in its increased market price, interruptions due to cable theft are becoming more frequent occurrences. The electrical supply is cut off. Commuters are stranded. And more importantly, our connections are severed.
One of my influences has been the way Italian artist Alighiero Boetti used building materials in his 1960s Arte Povera work. In Connect Disconnect, I have deconstructed copper cable by breaking it down into individual strands and reconstructing it in different forms. My work investigates the way that a global demand for copper has had micro and macro implications for South Africans, as well as for the greater global community.