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Visionary artist Diane Victor’s novel exhibition and book set to delight Johannesburg

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Visionary artist Diane Victor’s novel exhibition and book set to delight Johannesburg:

Building on the resounding success of her captivating exhibition earlier this year at Spier Wine Farm in the Western Cape, renowned artist Diane Victor’s rousing pieces exploring the dusky side of South African society, the vulnerability of life and the human condition are coming to Johannesburg.

Open City and FNB Art Joburg will present a curated selection of Victor’s works at Strauss & Co from 6 to 12 September 2023, to coincide with FNB Art Joburg as section of Open City’s sweeping citywide cultural activations.

The exhibition, which is open to the public and free to attend, will be unveiled on the evening of 5 September with an invitation-only book signing of the newly published Diane Victor – Prints, Drawings, Smoke. This monograph, from French publishers Mare et Martin, covers forty years of the virtuoso’s politically engaged career and provides a stylistic analysis of her work through a large selection of her prints and drawings. The book reveals Victor’s extraordinary mastery of printmaking and drawing techniques, and her constant exploration of current media, such as ash and candle soot. Her graphic works, almost exclusively in black and white, are woven through with references to the history of art and mythology. There will be a special exhibition walkabout with Diane Victor on Saturday 9 September 2023, from 10am – 12pm.

Both the exhibition and the book capture Victor’s career-long consideration of themes of corruption, social inequality and the human condition, especially the vulnerabilities experienced by women. Through her thought-provoking creations, Victor raises implicit questions that resonate deeply with viewers, inviting them to contemplate the complex tapestry of life.

For more information visit https://artjoburg.com/open-city/.

Date: 6-12 September 2023
Time: Monday-Friday, 09h00-16h00
Location: Strauss & Co, 89 Central St, Houghton Estate, Johannesburg

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The Oriental Plaza: A Phoenix in Fordsburg

If Johannesburg is a city of forced displacements, the Oriental Plaza is its most resilient response. While the Rand Club was built for the elite and Ponte for the “jet-set,” the Oriental Plaza was born from the trauma of the Group Areas Act—a piece of Apartheid legislation designed to geographically separate the races. Yet, in true Johannesburg fashion, what was intended as a tool of containment and financial ruin for the Indian community transformed into one of the most vibrant, independent commercial powerhouses in the country.

The story of the Plaza begins with the destruction of Pageview, affectionately known as Fietas. In the mid-20th century, Fietas was a legendary multicultural hub, centered around the bustling 14th Street. It was the city’s premier destination for textiles, clothing, and spices, where shoppers of all races would rub shoulders in a “jazzy, soulful” atmosphere. However, because Fietas was located so close to the white-only city center, the Apartheid government declared it a “white area” in 1962. The community fought back for decades, but by the 1970s, the bulldozers arrived. Homes were leveled, and the thriving traders of 14th Street were forcibly relocated to a purpose-built, modernist complex a kilometer away in Fordsburg: the Oriental Plaza.

The government’s intent was cynical: by moving the traders into a controlled environment with high state-mandated rents and strict rules on what could be sold, they hoped to break the back of Indian commercial dominance. The early years were devastating; many businesses folded, and the “Grand Bazaar” felt like a sterile warehouse compared to the street-level energy of Fietas. However, the traders refused to vanish. They eventually won the right to purchase their own shops, making the Oriental Plaza unique among South African malls because it is owned by the shopkeepers themselves rather than a corporate landlord. This ownership model changed everything. Without the burden of massive monthly mall rentals, the 360+ independent stores can offer prices that national retailers cannot touch, turning the Plaza into a “bargain-hunter’s paradise” that draws millions of visitors a year.