Saturday was the much anticipated public opening of the Wits Art Museum in Braamfontein – well at least much anticipated by me. After a delicious breakfast, Sazi and I headed there to have a look for ourselves (and went back later in the day with Mandy, Elizabeth and a bunch of other people). I have to say upfront that while I studied art at school, and art history in University, I am no fan of lengthy discussions about the meaning of a certain artwork. In fact, from having heard many such conversations, it is utterly impossible to discuss art in a gallery without sounding like a total douchebag (Go to the Tate Modern in London and listen to people if you don’t believe me).
But I love hanging around in galleries, being in the presence of art and creativity – and the fewer people, the better. Unfortunately – as could have been expected – WAM was pretty busy. It is a really beautiful space – a combination of big airy rooms and small and strange nooks and crannies. The one thing that struck me as odd for such a modern set-up was that next to the artworks they have these laminated sheets of A4 paper in a holder, which you have to put back after reading. I much prefer this to the audio recordings in most large galleries, but it did strike me as odd.
I definitely recommend a visit, especially if you can steal an hour or two during the week, when I am sure it will be quieter. For more details visit the website.
