Stellenbosch University’s (SU) Biography of an Unchartered People project recently showcased their research through an art exhibition. While it was an academic research project, it was decided to present the results through an art exhibition, rather than publishing it in an academic journal, as this would make the project more accessible.
The project’s art exhibition, Charting the Uncharted, was hosted by the SU Social Impact Expo at Nooitgedacht wine farm on 6 October. This was according to Gina Ten Zeldam Ganswyk, a communications specialist who managed the marketing of SU’s Social Impact Expo.
“Over the past four years, the Biography of an Unchartered People project has transcribed large amounts of historical records to tell the history of people who are often excluded from conventional sources,” said Ten Zeldam Ganswyk.
The intention behind the art exhibition was to make the research from the Biography of an Uncharted People project more accessible, by transforming it into art, according to Rachel Jafta, a professor in SU’s economics department who organised the Social Impact Expo.
“With this exhibition we could show how our research is relevant to our communities,” said Jafta.
*Afrikaans content. By holding their first ever Social Impact Expo, the economics department at Stellenbosch University (SU) was able to showcase their research and why it is relevant to society, according to Prof Rachel Jafta from SU’s department of economics. The expo took place at Nooitgedacht wine farm on 6 October. AUDIO: Carla Visagie
The Biography of Uncharted People project uses methods of digital humanities to study datasets and give a voice to historically underrepresented groups, according to Lauren Coetzee, one of the project’s researchers. INFOGRAPHIC: Carla Visagie
Charting the Uncharted
The Biography of an Unchartered People project was started four years ago, to give a voice to people who have been historically silenced. This was according to Lauren Coetzee, one of the project’s researchers, whose work was used for the art exhibition.
The project gives voice to historically underrepresented groups by studying historical datasets, and establishing trends and patterns through processes of digital humanities, according to Coetzee.
“The whole point of [the exhibition] was to disseminate the research in an interesting way, so that other people can also enjoy it,” said Coetzee. “You are not always going to read people’s research, but art makes it a little bit more accessible and interesting.”
Stellenbosch University’s (SU) Biography of an Unchartered People project recently showcased their research through an art exhibition, Charting the Uncharted. Lauren Coetzee, one of the project’s researchers whose work was transformed into artwork, told MatieMedia that her research project examines the South African voter’s roll during the late nineteenth century. PHOTO: Carla Visagie
Lady Skollie and Nelson Makama were two of the artists who participated in the Charting the Uncharted exhibition. The exhibition translated research by the Stellenbosch University (SU) Biography of an Unchartered People project into works of art. Prof Johan Fourie, leader of the Biography of an Uncharted People project, told MatieMedia that he and Clara Babette, curator of the exhibition, considered it important to match the right researchers with the right artists. INFOGRAPHIC: Carla Visagie
Clara Babette, curator of the exhibition and a part-time lecturer at SU’s visual arts department, told MatieMedia that her role was to pair each research topic with an artist who could “visually conceptualise the given historical economic research”.
Coetzee and two other researchers, Farai Nyika and Beaurel Visser, worked with South African artist Nelson Makamo to illustrate the agency of African voters during the late nineteenth century. This was done using voters’ rolls, said Coetzee.
Lwandiso Botozo, a Master’s student in visual arts and one of the artists involved in the project, was assigned a research topic that required him to illustrate African nationalism in the late-nineteenth century.
“This was perhaps the most fulfilling body of work I have ever created. Not sleeping for two weeks was the highlight of my year,” said Botozo.
Lwandiso Botozo, a Master’s student in visual arts at Stellenbosch University, was one of the artists involved in transforming research by the SU Biography of an Unchartered People project into art. He was assigned the topic of African nationalism in the late-nineteenth century. Botozo told MatieMedia that there were a lot of similarities and connections between his research as an artist, and that of Jonathan Schoots, the researcher whose topic he illustrated. PHOTO: Supplied/Frank Krummacher
Prof Johan Fourie, leader of the Biography of an Uncharted People project, and Clara Babette, curator of the project’s Charting the Uncharted art exhibition, at the exhibition on 6 October. PHOTO: Supplied/Frank Krummacher