The Grade 6s enjoyed their visit to the Wits Art Museum where they engaged with the exhibition Seen, Heard and Valued. This exhibition celebrates 40 years of the Standard Bank African Art collection and included both historical and contemporary African art. The girls had to ponder difficult questions:

What does it mean to remove an object from its everyday life? Is it now functionless?

Why are some artists’ names unrecorded?

How and why do we place value on something?

Why do we preserve artworks and artefacts?

Why is it important to celebrate African artworks?

We spoke about materiality as we explored the exhibition, and considered how this show related to our studies of artefacts from Mapungubwe.

“I am attracted to this piece because it reminds me of my mom. She looks very strong and independent and I can tell she is a mother because she has a child on her back.” Tadiwanashe Shoko on an Epa Mask

I used to think museums were “nothing but old things stored in glass.” Now I think museums are “amazing places that hold artefacts that have a story to them which gives meaning to them.” Zoleka Bungane

“Why did the artist make this? Do you think it could have been a vision of the future?” Atheerah Joosub

I used to think that art museums were “a place that kept old art.” Now I think art museums are “a place that store history. Life from the past. An expressive place.” name unrecorded

I used to think that museums were “a place that random people keep art.” Now I think art museums “are a place full of different cultures, and full of items that have a lot of meaning.” name unrecorded

A huge thank you to the teachers who accompanied us and the girls for for engaging with the exhibition with genuine interest and curiosity.

ROSA ELK, LIZ GRAWEZ, LAUREN HOWDEN AND LUNGA SEELE
THE ACCOMPANYING TEACHERS