2010 Fine Art Collection launches

4 December 2009

The 2010 Fine Art Collection was officially launched at the Cape Town International Convention Centre on Friday to coincide with the Final Draw for the 2010 Fifa World Cup™.

The exhibition, which includes a three-metre high bronze sculpture, is on show until the end of Saturday only, but as the World Cup nears, exhibitions will take place around the country.

The idea of an art collection to reflect the Fifa World Cup is a world first and the brainchild of Craig Mark who, with his wife Barbra, is the owner of Kizo Art Consultants and Art Gallery.

Two parts

The collection is made up of two parts: African Fine Art and International Fine Art – with the common thread of the Fifa World Cup as their inspiration.

For the 2010 World Cup, 2010 Fine Art has been officially licensed by Fifa, acquiring a global licence to produce and distribute fine art related to the 2010 Fifa World Cup™.

Through 2010 Fine Arts, for the African artists especially, it’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to market their talents to international audiences through the platform of the Fifa World Cup.

The African artists were invited to prepare ranges for the World Cup and they have responded with wide-ranging works, totalling about 200 pieces. They include a stunning series of 11 bronze sculptures – to reflect the 11 players in a football team – by Keith Calder.

Rollout

The rollout of the African works and exhibitions is under way. The schedule of these events will be posted on www.2010fineart.com, where the works may also be viewed.

There will be a longer wait for the International Fine Art Collection. That is because the composition of the final field of 32 nations to complete in the World Cup finals had to be waited upon; five artists from each of the 32 countries have been invited to submit works. There will 160 in total.

The official launch of the International Fine Art Collection will be in March 2010.

Limited editions prints are being made of the art. Exhibitions will take place not only in South Africa, but also in Europe. All the pieces will be available to buy.

Art and the lead-up to 2010

Art has played a role in the lead-up to the World Cup draw and the tournament itself in 2010; Fifa President Sepp Blatter was presented with a piece of the 2010 Fine Art Collection in June by Johannesburg Mayor Amos Masondo. The work of art, a photograph by Clint Strydom, showing a young boy holding a ball, forms part of the superb “Real Heroes of 2010” range.

In July, the 2010 Fine Art Legacy Workship was held in Cape Town. It was designed as a skills exchange, with artists from across the greater Cape Town coming together, along with visiting British artist Ed Gray.

The idea was for artists to witness one another at work, so as to learn new methods and to find inspiration in the work of others.

For Gray, whose influences had been European before his visit, it helped him gain insight into South Africa as he prepared to work on his personal piece to be included in the 2010 International Fine Art Collection. “I was completely amazed at the sheer display of talent from the participating artists, and am really excited with the final painting,” he said.

Artists of Africa

September saw the launch of the 2010 Artists of Africa Project, a collaborative effort between the City of Johannesburg and the Department of Arts and Culture, at the Johannesburg Theatre.

The Artists of Africa exhibition will be held at Museum Africa from 11 May to 11 July 2010, and will include not only visual arts, but traditional storytelling, music performances, food, and wine tasting.