An outstanding and profound piece of music, ‘Two Dogs’ parallels the process of an emotionally turbulent relationship, where both parties are ‘too angry to heal.’ Director, Ryan Kruger, describes the development of the concept of the video itself:

‘When tasked to make the music video for ‘Two Dogs’, I went looking for a concept that was based on a simple idea, but one that was also a great idea. And in the end, the idea was as simple as exploring a couple’s relationship at the dinner table. Two people are chained to a table out of reach from each others touch, in a representation of purgatory and an endless last supper scenario.

The only way they can explore each other and fulfil their desires both good and bad, is through the meal laid out before them. We see the monotony, even though the meal is perfect, overcome them.

 The Butler, Phillip Hotz (aka papa smurf aka papa jew aka pops), appears in many of my videos. In ‘Two Dogs’, he plays the role of the Devil in disguise and we watch him as he watches his ‘creation’, when he turns the hourglass to signal the start of the emotional food marathon. The video was shot in high speed (slow motion) and in black and white. I think this adds so much to the video and captures beautifully those real moments in the performance.’

The upcoming album called Atari Gala is one of many under Carstens’ belt. Even post-Springbok Nude Girls, Carstens hasn’t missed a beat; he has released three other solo albums, won numerous South African Music Awards, shared stages with the likes of REM, The Rolling Stones and U2, and in March held his first art exhibition in Cape Town, at The Lovell Gallery, Woodstock.

‘I painted the Japanese word ‘Atari’ on a recent artwork to mimic a bird singing a message of warning.

That got me thinking that it could be a great name for a piece of music. Because this is my 10th studio album, I wanted to emphasize a kind of celebration, not only of the 12 tracks on this particular album, but of the whole creative process that has brought me thus far. Every song is an event or a tale, a celebration or a warning cry, that stems from life’s experiences.’ (Arno Carstens)

Video Credit:
Director: Ryan Kruger
Producers: Darryn Bennet & Ryan Kruger
DOP: Faheemah Hendricks
Editing: Stephen Du Plessis

Make Up: Nicci Allen
Production Design: Anika Prins

 
In Kivu Ruhorahoza’s Grey Matter, memory and its contextual genesis is placed under an interesting juxtaposition. Balthazar is a young Rwandan filmmaker, with a rough around the edges, self-righteous persona. We track him in the early parts of the film as he tries to make his own production. Balthazar finds himself a victim of that common African (and I use the word loosely here) problem of being rejected by the financiers, the money men and the so called gatekeepers who are also supposedly the custodians of a national cinematic identity.

The trouble however with this first portion of Grey matter is not the intended message nor is it the context in which it is delivered, rather it is that Balthazar by observation is not a believable character. He is almost too determined making it hard for the audience to break through the wall of his own self-assurance to love him and identify with his situation. For instance at the beginning of the film he says if he get funds he begins production in six days and if he doesn’t he will still begin production in six days. As Balthazar lies to his actors and goes on with rehearsals and puts his parents’ car up as collateral for a loan he never stops to consider the ramifications of his actions.

What Ruhorahoza though this character is saying is that in order to be a filmmaker on the African continent you have to become a creature without empathy and this is contention that I find hard to believe.

In the most significant portion of the film however, Grey Matter morphs into a more meditative setting. As Balthazar imagines how his film would turn out, the line between what is real and imaginary becomes minute and blurry. Here Ruhorahoza has made a film within a film. In this second act narrative communal displacement is framed in an almost existentialist setting.

Here Grey matter becomes a cinematic meditation on the Rwandan genocide.

We see a young woman and man who have both been committed into an institution, she having been a victim of hate crimes and he a perpetrator. It is worth noting that cinematic communication in the abstract is a finite art. There are only so many things you can get away with before straying into that morose territory of the pretentious. Here Ruhorahoza uses memory and its repetitive structure to showcase how the act of remembering can drive one to insanity. We see the man as he has flashes of burning bodies, he tries to save them but all he can do is pour water over empty spaces.

Grey Matter is a film that is also largely concerned with reconciliation between victims and perpetrators that are forced to come to terms with each other’s grief as they occupy the same spaces.

This is particularly significant considering so many Rwandan’s have been burdened with the tasking of simply moving on. Ruhorahoza has handled this second act with delicacy and showcases the imperfections of each side. What Grey Matter says to us is that the individual and his isolation and presence in their own mind is the only constant and that regardless of how popular socio-political rhetoric frameworks the era, mapping out that individual loss remains a significant part of the story and must never be separated from the political.

Having studied Fine art at UCT, Stellenbosch and the Academie der Bildenden Kunste, Dresden, Menck has, throughout her many years of painting, gathered a significant following. The subjects Clare Menck chooses to paint have a characteristic quirkiness to them and speak of a world of personal associations.

Under the bridge (self-portrait with the artist’s children)

Menck’s new body of work exists out of large-scale oil on wood. The oil paint on wood technique adds intensity and vibrant colours to her work. The images appear to be seemingly soft but when you go in for a closer look you can see the coarse brush strokes which makes it even more of a masterpiece. The title of the exhibition, immersed, refers to Menck being submerged in water as is represented in her swimmer self-portraits. It also refers to the subjects being immersed in their natural environment, a space that becomes the emotional and psychological soundboard of an inner world. When looking at her body of work as a whole, soothing is the word that come to mind.

Woman (self-portrait) with daughter, swimming

Cobus Haupt’s beautiful figure studies of ordinary people cast in bronze and cement is the perfect example of the ambivalent relationship that exists in art between reality and representation. By leaving bumps and imperfections unresolved Haupt highlights the casting process, making his work as much about the transparency of method as it is about the human figure. Haupt’s work diverges from the conventions of the western tradition of figurative sculpture and follows its own path. He highlights the relationship between touching and seeing. This emphasis combined with his innovative methods of display, culminates in a highly inventive and current exhibition.

Bust of Melissa

Haupt won first prize in the 2001 PPC Sculpture Competition (technical). He has exhibited in both Cape Town and Johannesburg and has work held in the Webber Wentzel Collection.

Dollos koppe (big heads)

Source: Iartgallery

Photography: Janelle Lubba

Its location could not be more perfect: situated in the upmarket suburb of Oranjezicht, the guesthouse is five minutes’ drive to the city but just far enough away up the steep slope towards Table Mountain that it escapes all noisy car and foot traffic. Spend the day lounging at Spicy Villa’s pool with a chilled glass of wine and a book, intermittently gazing up at the mountain through palm fronds, and you’ll be transported a million miles away from the buzz of city life and your daily nine to five.

Named after its rich earthy colours and exotic atmosphere, Spicy Villa has four large private bedrooms, each uniquely decorated and with its own beautiful en suite bathroom. The house has complimentary wireless internet access and the two luxury rooms are kitted with 42-inch flatscreens with DSTV.

The en suite off the main bedroom, ‘Cardamom’, has double basins, two showerheads and a large bath, providing couples a gorgeously deluxe space for the utmost level of relaxation. And a comfy extra-length king-sized bed will ensure that you wake up feeling better rested than you can remember.

A four-star guesthouse is incomplete without waking up to a scrumptious breakfast, and Spicy Villa is no exception. Enjoy a spread of fresh fruit, yoghurt, muesli, fresh bread, cheese and preserves, and/or your cooked breakfast of choice with a cup of freshly brewed coffee on the shaded balcony terrace overlooking the pool… and you’re fully charged for the day ahead.

For the rest of the day, relax in the lounge, outside by the pool or under the gazebo and make use of the fully equipped kitchen to prepare your meals. If you’re lucky enough to be alone in the guesthouse during your stay as we were, you can enjoy dining on your own gourmet meals in the private romantic setting in the spacious open-plan dining room.

For a truly memorable place to stay time and again on visits to the Mother City, look up Spicy Villa Guest House: four-star treatment with unanimous five-out-of-five ratings by all who have had the pleasure of staying there.

For more information, check out their website, find them on Facebook or contact reservations@spicyvilla.com.

Reviewer: Batandwa Alperstein

Spoek Mathambo brings a fresh new flavour with his debut album, Mshini Wam. The beats and lyrics share the same characteristics: simple, cryptic and infectious. Tribal drums meet grinding synths to create an atmosphere of grungy downtown Jozi streets. There is a powerful irony in the special blend of sophisticated cheesiness that Spoek has invented as The King of Township Tech. Mshini Wam has elements of social commentary; but nothing is conclusive, rather the listener is left pondering. In a way, the Richard The Third-produced ‘War on Words’ encapsulates the essence of the album – a questioning of the things that constrict us. However, on tracks like ‘Don’t Mean To Be Rude’ (featuring Zaki Ibrahim) the message is explicit: ‘I got something all you haters can kiss.’ The local and global mixture of sounds leaves the taste of chakalaka and couscous in the listener’s mouth and the irresistible desire to get down and jive.

spoekmathambo.com

For more current music reviews check out the latest issue of one small seed: South Africa’s pop culture quarterly. Order your copy here.

Director: Adrian Loveland

Starring: Ferial Haffajee, Robbie Brozin, Justice Malala and David O’Sullivan

Category: Black Documentary

Reviewer: Carien Els

Director and narrator Adi Loveland takes the viewer on a manic, almost neurotic tour of the more-than-slightly unhinged city that is Joburg. This fast-paced look at the city’s many facets will have your head spinning with the good, the bad, the ugly and the downright incongruous things that make up Joburg, Jozi, Egoli. I doubt the film will manage to convince non-Joburgers that it’s the best city in South Africa, but Jozi locals will recognise the small and (to outsiders) insignificant things that make them stay rather than defect to Cape Town or Sydney. The noteworthy views of the likes of Ferial Haffajee, Robbie Brozin and Justice Malala are both enjoyable and well balanced, and provide some relief from some of the frenzied and scary issues highlighted. Yet somehow, despite the very distressing realities that Joburgers face, this film leaves you with a prospector’s hope and energy for finding success in a perilous place.

For more current film reviews check out the latest issue of one small seed: South Africa’s pop culture quarterly. Order your copy here.