Exhibition Elicits 'What? Wow!'

Chippa Legodimo | Monday March 10, 2014 15:55

 

It was thus not surprising when Communications manager of Botswana Building Society (BBS), Sipho Showa said in his official opening of the event that he found himself exclaiming, “what? Wow!” when he first saw the works.

“I was particularly moved by a piece by Rebecca titled Shade, What is clear to me, however, is that without their works, our view of Botswana would be incomplete,” Showa told the gathering.

He quoted Iam Semple’s famous words that “A society without art is already in the history books,” and noted Ngoni and de Figuiredo and other artists should be thanked for saving Botswana from such “tragedy”.

Paraphrasing Sylvia White, Showa said the two artists’ art was noun because it moved people.

“Rebecca and Wilson’s works reminded me of George jean Nathan who remarked ‘Art is the sex of the imagination’,” he said.

Showa emphasised the need for artists to familiarise themselves with the copyright and neighbouring rights act as such knowledge would help them control the reproduction of their work and reap economic rewards from their creativity.

He implored artists to emblem their works with the word C plus the owner’s name and year in which the work was first published or exhibited.

He noted the importance of Thapong as a member of the Copyright Society of Botswana as the institution would be able to protect and advance the interests of its members.

He also said artists should move away from the idea of art for art’s sake saying there was nothing wrong with artists making a decent living from their creativity.

“Artists need to be financially savvy so that they receive just rewards for their creativity. So Thapong should consider teaching artists business and management skills lest they continue to be taken advantage of,” Showa said.