In celebration of spring, the Rupert Museum is hosting an online auction titled In Conversation with Colour Symphony running from 7-14 September 2021. The auction is an extension of the museum’s Open Call initiative to support local artists to reach various art markets and feature works from a recent group exhibition held at the Jan Rupert Art Centre in Graaff-Reinet earlier this month.
September 2020 marked the launch of the first Open Call by the Rupert Museum. The initiative presented a monumental and iconic artwork “Colour Symphony/Kleursimfonie” by South African artist Michèle Nigrini from the Rupert Art Foundation Collection for artists to creatively respond to. Created in 1993, this immersive work consists of 395 individual, painted A4 sized panels that collectively present an in-depth study of colour theory. Presented as a 16 meter stretch of colour, starting out cool with cold hues and exploding into the warmth of vibrant hues.
The Open Call received over 135 entries by January 2021 and 37 artists were chosen by the judging panel as the most successful responses to “Colour Symphony/ Kleursimfonie”. The selected artists’ works formed the group exhibition In Conversation with Colour Symphony which opened at the Jan Rupert Art Centre on 5 March 2021 until 5 September 2021.
The aim of the Rupert Museum’s Open Call exhibition and the online auction is to introduce and present a platform to a mix of established, upcoming and young South African artists to exhibit and sell their work during the difficult social and economic times, and to optimise their exposure and reach to potential markets. In collaboration with Imibala Gallery, the group exhibition In Conversation with Colour Symphony, the online auction and Michèle Nigrini’s solo exhibition Outside In, contribute to making a local impact as profits generated from all sales of artworks will go directly into the Imibala Educational Fund.
The online auction will be hosted by Aspire Art Auctions and spotlights a curated selection of works by various South African artists including a selection of Michèle Nigrini’s most recent work. The artworks in the auction vary in subject, style and mediums. Highlights include expressive and meditative drawings by Katherine Bull and Sonya Rademeyer; stitch, natural dye and woven creations by Elizabeth Vels and Caroline Wheeler; the finest and most technical line work in ink and watercolour by Fawa Conradie, Evert Esterhuizen, and Marelise van Wyk; foregrounding environmental concerns with sculptural works by Sassa van Zyl, Eve de Jong and coloured patinas and paints by Rix Wellmann, Arabella Caccia and Guy Thesen; and classic and abstract cosmos of colours by painters Odette Marais, Kathy Botha, Johannes du Plessis, Theodor van der Merwe, Nontokozo Dladla and Adela Friedman to mention a few.
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The online auction can be accessed on Aspire Art Auctions website. Online bidding opens on Tuesday 7 September at 09:00 and closes on Tuesday 14 September at 19:00. All auction administration and sales will be managed by Aspire Art Auctions. Call +27 (0)21 418 0765 or send an email to ct@aspireart.net. For enquiries on the artists, artwork sizes, aesthetics and condition, contact the Rupert Museum on +27 (0)21 888 3344 or info@rupertmuseum.org.