Projects

View all Public Eye projects here.

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The Royal Netherlands Embassy Cultural Fund

In 2001, Public Eye was appointed as an agent of the Royal Netherlands Embassy to assist with the Culture and Development Programme until the end of 2004. Public Eye was granted a budget to be distributed amongst Western Cape-based projects whose proposals are evaluated in terms of Dutch International Cultural Policy and other appropriate guidelines. In order to do this, Public Eye established a committee of experts in various fields of the Arts. The committee, which meets twice a year, comprises Mike van Graan (Performing Arts), Alfred Henkel (Dance), Christopher de Vries (Music) and two members from Public Eye (Visual Art). Public Eye’s administrator Dale Dodgen has been administrator of this fund since May 2002. To date a substantial amount of funding has been distributed amongst a wide range of applicants. These include: The Worldwide Video Foundation exhibition of new media art, organised by Professor Malcolm Payne at the Michaelis Galleries; partial funding of Full Dance Circle’s production of ‘Me and You’; a contribution towards the printing of two books by outspoken and controversial social commentator, writer and performer Zebulon Dread; funding for the core teaching programme at Cape Town’s well-established Community Arts Project; funding for a production to premiere at the Klein Karoo Nasionale Kunstefees by theatre group Vleis, Rys en Aartappels; money to help establish and run the Umlilo Photographer’s Workshop in Guga S’Thebe centre in Langa; sponsorship for the printing component of the Wondergigs Compilation, a collection of live recordings of emerging musicians, and, funding for the African Hip Hop Indaba, a well-established Cape Town expo showcasing spraycan art, breakdancing and and DJing skills.

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One City Many Cultures II

Public Eye’s contribution to the festival in September 2000 took the form of two visual art exhibitions and one performance. Public Eye intern Mara Verna worked with Sheila Mahloane of Langa on ‘Good Times and Hard Times in Travelling’, a photo documentation of the journeys of a group of women from Langa. Artist Gregg Smith presented ‘Lovephones’, an interactive audio piece utilising the city’s public telephone system. Mark O’Donovan and performance group The Odd Enjinears took part in a street parade that formed part of the festival. Roger van Wyk and Robert Weinek co-ordinated these projects.

Public Eye facilitated funding by the Cape Town City Council of ‘Returning the Gaze’, a billboard and postcard project. This was initiated and run by cultural activist Zayd Minty of the arts organisation BLAC.

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Channel II

Under the auspices of Public Eye, the second annual exhibition of video and new media art was held at the Association for Visual Arts, a semi-commercial art gallery in Cape Town, on 21 July 2000. With the support of several foreign and local cultural organisations, both international and local artists took part in this event. The event was curated by Robert Weinek.

Original microsite

 

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Soft Serve II

Following the success of Soft Serve I, the South African National Gallery was host to a second multimedia event produced by Public Eye on 5 May 2000. Approximately 60 artists and performers were accommodated and more than 4000 people attended the event. Again, money raised at the door was donated to the gallery’s acquisition fund.

The event was curated by Zayd Minty, Heath Nash and Colin Payne with considerable assistance and input from Robert Weinek and Andrew Putter.

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Basel documentary

For Total Global, Basel Contemporary Museum in 2000, Public Eye produced a video of interviews with South African artists Minette Vari, Stephen Hobbs, Malcolm Payne and Bridget Baker about their work in video.

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Soft Serve I

In order to attract a younger and broader audience to the South Africa National Gallery, Public Eye initiated Softserve, a multi-media event which first took place on the evening of 5 November 1999. More than 30 young artists were invited to install and produce temporary works and performances in the gallery. Participants came from as far afield as Johannesburg, Grahamstown and Durban. The evening’s audience numbered 1500 and R15,000 of the door takings went to the SANG’s acquisition fund. It was curated by Andrew Putter with assistance from Sue Williamson.

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One City Many Cultures

The One City Many Cultures Festival, still running in 2018 as the Cape Town Festival, was first launched on 1 March 1999. The five day festival took place under the auspices of the Cape Town City Council who approached Public Eye to co-ordinate a number of visual art components. Working with Isaac Makeleni, director of Masivuke Ma-Afrika, six artists painted street signs in Gugulethu, indicating points of interest for tourists. Also, a group of art students painted posters and murals at the Cape Town Station and other venues around the city.

At the request of the Cape Town City Department of Health, Public Eye undertook the design and manufacture of a number of pamphlets and large banners for a campaign aimed at raising awareness of AIDS amongst young people. Vinyl panels, promoting the use of condoms, were also displayed on the city’s rubbish removal trucks.

Andrew Putter represented Public Eye on the discussion panel entitled ‘Revitalising and Democratising Public Spaces in Cape Town’, organised by Zayd Minty for the Mail & Guardian newspaper.

The Mayor of Cape Town Nomaindia Mfeketo made a speech at the opening:

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PTO, also part of the One City, Many Cultures Festival, was initiated by Public Eye who invited more than 20 artists to engage with national monuments. These temporary ‘re-considerations’ were unveiled on Heritage Day. Artists in Durban and Johannesburg participated in their respective cities. This was co-ordinated by Brett Murray and Kevin Brand.

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Human Rights Workshop on Robben Island

Public Eye was invited by Deirdré Prince, education officer of the Robben Island Museum, to undertake a project with 20 teenagers from South Africa, Botswana and Namibia. This week-long project in 1999 involved developing site-specific work considering the issue of human rights.

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Maternal Exposures by Terry Kurgen at Mowbray Maternity Hospital

Artist Terry Kurgan, who had conceived and produced her photographic work ‘Maternal Exposures’, installed the work permanently in the Mowbray Maternity Hospital in 1999. She was able to obtain funding from the Cape Town City Council for this through Public Eye’s status as a Section 21 company.

Article on the artist’s site

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On(e)line Project

Sebastian Lopez of the Gate Foundation in Amsterdam invited Public Eye to participate in the On(e)line Project curated by Ilse Chin during the 17th Worldwide Video Festival in 1999. The event featured video presentations and cyber-conferences linking arts organisations from around the world and took place here at IntéCaf, an internet café in Observatory, Cape Town. Robert Weinek co-ordinated this project.

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