From may 18th 2019 to May 10th 2020, the Rupert Museum of Cape Town is presenting The Cape Town Trienniale, an exhibtion that brings together a selection of contemporary artists having participating to this event since the beginning. The exhibition mix every artwork exhibited during the Triennale as well as some more recent works from those same artists. All selected artists interrogate and work aroung socio-political subjects.
In this framework, the Collection Leridon lends the artwork “For those left behind” created by Willie Bester in 2003 and then exhibited in “Africa Remix” in 2005.
Willie Bester’s work is influenced by social consciousness. He is inspiring from the forgotten in order to create strong, figurative and audacious artworks.
« My art must be taken as a drug with an unpleasant taste to awaken consciences.” says the artist. Rooted in the “Resistance Art” movement, his job is to make viewers reflect on the injustices of his country.
“For those left behind” follows a previous artwork made in 2001 and entitled “Dogs of War”. These two sculptures refer to the August 2001 scandal surrounding the North East Rand police dog unit in Johannesburg, which shocked South Africa as a whole. The case concerned three Mozambican migrants assaulted by the dogs of the police group, who voluntarily launched them. Willie Bester then decides to represent one of the attackers accompanied by his dog. The materials used allow him to transcribe the fright of this episode and in a certain way, to dehumanize it.
Exhibited artists : Marion Arnold, Deborah Bell, Willie Bester, Steven Cohen, Keith Dietrich, Philippa Hobbs, Sfiso KaMkame, William Kentridge, Karel Nel, Stanley Pinker, Peter Schütz, Helen Sebidi, Penelope Siopis et Diane Victor.