Thando Mama steals the spotlight at Spier Light Art Festival

There is one exhibition I have never quite managed to capture. Neither in photographs nor in words. It takes place annually in Stellenbosch, at the sprawling Spier Wine Farm. I made my way to the farm on Friday evening, just before sunset.

The evening felt far too short though. Summer sunsets in Cape Town arrive at around 8pm. Just as it gets dark and the light art illuminates brighter, organisers begin gently shooing visitors out. By 9pm the bar is closed. I felt a bit short-changed.

Part of the charm of Spier Light Art is that there is no fixed route. Twenty-one artists have scattered their light-based works across the farm’s 621 hectares, leaving visitors to wander and discover them almost by accident.

The Spier team has also introduced ticketed food experiences; picnics on the lawns or sit-down dinners for those inclined to linger. Sadly, the wine-tasting room is closed at night. It would have been a nice-add on.

Among the standouts are the burning car by Ronald Abdou and Zach Stewart, Strijdom van der Merwe’s Artefacts, Abri de Swardt’s hypnotic Flood Light and Kenneth Shandu’s umbrellas in When the Sky Falls.

But the most striking work is Thando Mama’s 1994 Revisited. It is a mesmerising scientific blend of video, sound and sculpture installed inside what appears to be an ordinary shed. It is the kind of piece that leaves you wondering: How did the artist do this? It takes the viewer to the country’s transition into democracy in an artistic video-art-projection form.

On the opening night, I met Mama’s son, Chuma,19, who had travelled all the way from Mnqaba village in the Eastern Cape. He told me he was a writer and graphic designer. I challenged him to write his own review of the Spier Light Art. 

What follows is Chuma’s account of the evening, in his own words:

I found myself at yet another meaningful art event, surrounded by creative expressions ranging from simple and captivating paintings to more abstract and complex artistic crafts with significant representations relative to issues found in modern-day society.

My father’s work stands out the most to me. I could not help but feel that as an invited artist, he had reached a significant milestone in his career. Welcome, reader. I invite you to tag along on a short journey through my experience at the Spier Wine Farm during the Spier Light Art Event.

On the way to the farm, my expectations did not exceed those of the ordinary: a warm atmosphere, like-minded creatives and professional artworks on display. Yet the lessons I learnt from observing the creative masterpieces stretched far beyond my expectations. To visualise what I mean, you will need to take this walk from my perspective, briefly stepping into my shoes as we set off towards the picture I paint with words.

I walk slowly through the grounds beneath the dark and mysterious evening sky, accompanied by relatives and distant family members. As I look around, I notice others have also seized the event to bond and spend time with their families. Laughter and overlapping chatter from diverse groups drift through the air like music to fill in and complete the art event. 

Young artists and seasoned creatives sit with glasses filled with the farm’s wine, most of them celebrating the night, the crafts or perhaps the simple fact that art exists in a country that often seems to forget and downplay its value and importance.

The artworks feel alive. Some tell a story in the form of photography and film, others create strange sounds with elemental rocks and vibrations. A few more seem confrontational as if demanding everyone’s full attention. Each installation feels like a puzzle about society I have to solve, untold stories I have to start and conclude myself, challenging assumptions of what is considered “art”, questioning creative standards and reminding me gradually that creativity isn’t always a comfortable truth to the eye. It could be a simple-looking craft with an intricate meaning behind it or a complex illustration without meaning but the desire to express a single emotion, the simple desire to create art.

Going back to my father’s artwork,1994 Revisited, the work does not simply exist as a decoration in the exhibition. It stands as evidence or “proof” of years of dedication, experimentation and passion in fine art through motion picture and visual art. I realise that what I am looking at isn’t his best work but it’s the message he wanted to encapsulate and communicate — something I think new artists must learn to do more of, instead of sacrificing the craft to meet expectations and general standards. After all, it seems art is not bound by rules.

Each artist at the Spier Light Event has taken an emotion, a thought, a frustration in some cases and a question and has given it shape in the form of awareness for all to see.

In that sense, the exhibition is not only a collection of artworks; it is a collection of manifestos; all worthy of being given a chance.

The Spier Light Art festival is open daily until Monday, April 6. At the Spier Wine Farm. Entrance is free, however, one must book online to ensure the farm can manage visitor numbers.