Don�t understand conceptual art, not your fault

There was uproar in the art industry, with all sorts of names hauled at artists such as Marcel Duchamp and others whose ready-mades had rattled the very definition of the work of art. This era marked the beginning of conceptual art.

Somebody remarked at the height of this art that ‘if you don’t understand conceptual art, it’s not your fault’. This statement today is still as relevant as it was then. A lot of us find it unpalatable and confusing to comprehend, a sentiment echoed by the 2016 Thapong Artist of the Year Award (TAYA) overall winner, Thato Nkawana. His winning installation piece is conceptual, with familiar items arranged to make a work of art.