Richmondis a smallKarootown
thatboastsa big art collection
andevenbiggerheart,as you’ll
findoutwhenyouvisitthe
ModernArt ProjectsSouthAfrica
Galleryon thecorner of Loop
and Plein streets.
ne of my favouritethingsabout
MAPSAis that,if you’revisiting
Richmondfor thefirsttime,it’s so
completelyunexpected,”saysHarrie
Siertsema,art patronandownerof an astounding
collectionof contemporaryworkshousedin
a renovatedoldsupermarketin thesmallNorthern
Capetown.Openedin 2007by Harrieandartist-
curatorAbrieFourie,thegalleryactsas thebeating
heartof ModernArt ProjectsSouthAfrica– MAPSA
for short– a registerednon-profitorganisation
thataimsto providea platform for the country’s
emergingartistictalent.
Thegallery’spermanentcollectionincludes
a hostof theSouthAfricanart world’sheavy
hitters,includingWillemBoshoff,DianeVictor,
ClaudetteSchreudersandJeremyWafer,butit’s
theyoungup-and-comersthatmostexciteHarrie.
“Mostof theworksI acquireare of studentswho
havejustfinishedstudying,”he says.“I buyart
becauseI likeit. If an artist goes on to become
famous,it’s a bonus.”
Investmentsof Harrie’sthathaveshownstrong
returnsincludeworksby thelikesof Donna
Kukama,BarbaraWildenboerandGerhardMarx.
In additionto a steadystreamof projects,
includingsite-specificinstallationscreated
in collaborationwithart students,pop-up
exhibitionsat coffeeshopsandworkshopsin
book-binding,an annualhighlightfor MAPSAis
its artistresidencies,duringwhichcreativescan
zonein on theircraftduringthedayandrecharge
theirbatteriesin oneof two beautifully appointed
Karoocottagesat night.
“WithMAPSA,we createsurprisingencounters
by installingartworksin ordinaryenvironments
likerestaurants,hotelrooms,a formersuper-
marketor in publicspaces,transformingdaily
life intoan inspiringart experience,”saysHarrie.
“Artshouldbe accessible to everyone.”
map-southafrica.org
“O
ABOVEIn the
foregroundisPile:
FeintandMargin
by MajaMarx,2010,
30 blankets.On the
leftisPaperCutby
JanvanderMerwe,
2010,rustedmetal.
Andin theback
groundisWhenthe
GoingGetsTuffthe
TuffGetGoingby
SeretseMoletsane,
2011,wall painting
andinstallation.
LEFTRosePortalby
GordonFroud,2007,
coathangers,cable
tiesandbuckets.
OPPOSITEFireplace
by Strijdomvander
Merwe,and�ord
�oesby Willem
Boshoff,2018,wall
withalphabetbricks
(aMAPSAoutreach
collaborationwith
localbrickmaker
Trevor Snyders).145 visi.co.zaAUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2019