Song for Sekoto @ WITS Arts Museum

Gerard Sekoto is one of the most prominent South African painters, and would have turned 100 this year. In commemoration, the WITS Arts Museum is hosting an exhibition covering his full career - from Sophiatown, to District Six, back to Gauteng and finally exile to Paris in 1947.

Covering art that is held by museum collections across the country, corporates and private individuals, it is an amazing exhibition that covers all his famous paintings, and other aspects of his life, including letters, books, photos and a whole lot more. I don't frequent art galleries often, and it is quite amazing to see such an extensive collection and showcase of a single artist.

I particularly liked the vibrant oil paintings that seem to shine even from a distance, but the exhibition has everything, including drawings on seemingly scrap paper, charcoal, and water colours. It is an amazing collection, and the exhibition is on until only next weekend (2 June).

Last Night of the Proms

It is an annual event in Jo'burg, hosted and conducted by Richard Cock, with the Johannesburg Festival Orchestra and the Symphony Choir of Johannesburg; to raise funds for Lifeline. Unlike most classical concerts, there was a lot of colour and general fun (with balloons, streamers, clanging keys from the audience as part of the performance etc), and the general demographics of the concert attendees was younger also.

There was a good mix of popular classical pieces, though my personal favorites were the less well known/often played pieces - Popper's Hungarian Rhapsody (which showed that the cello can actually make lively music) and the Highland Cathedral (where the bagpiper was awesome).

It was a fun evening for a great cause. There is one more concert this afternoon, but it may be sold out.