AfricanColours - Mangaung & Gent – A Photography Project

South Africa Tue 31-05-2011

Mangaung & Gent – A Photography Project
Press Release

Yebo/Yes is an exhibition by two young photographers, Oliver Dowdle, a 2010 Planet Pixl student from Mangaung and Jonas Posman, a photographer from Ghent. In 2009 they visited one another’s cities for a month, resulting in a portrait of two cities through the eyes of an outsider.

Yebo/Yes Ghent and Mangaung - Photography Project

Taken by young photographers in a foreign city, the photographs aim to capture the general lifestyle and everyday activities of a foreign culture. It is clear that both photographers tried to capture the variety and contrasts that exist in both cities – there are photographs of rich and poor, of the beautiful and the unattractive, of diverse activities and portraits of people of all ages and races.

This is all portrayed in technically excellent colour photographs. Through this exhibition, local visitors not only have an opportunity to see a bit of Ghent, but also to experience Mangaung through different eyes and in the process get to know their city better. Furthermore, Yebo/Yes introduces the public not only to the differences, but also the surprising similarities between the partner or ‘twin cities’ of Ghent and Mangaung.

The twinning of Mangaung and Ghent has existed since 2004 with the aim to strengthen both local councils; this is achieved by Ghent and Mangaung through sharing their experiences. This partnership is more than just collaboration between two city councils; it is also a link between two communities. The cooperation between the two cities seeks answers to some of the problems that are obvious in the exhibition: pollution, youth unemployment, education and the future for young people.

The exhibition will be opened at the Oliewenhuis Art Museum by a representative of the Free State Provincial Government at 19:00 on Thursday, 2 June 2011 and there will also be a walkabout by the photographer, Oliver Dowdle on Friday, 3 June at 10:00.

Additional Yebo/Yes photographs will be on display in satellite exhibitions at the Bram Fischer Building, the Clive Solomon Youth Centre in Heidedal and the Outdoor Youth Centre in Rocklands.

This photo project was realised as part of the city link between the Mangaung Local Municipality and the City of Ghent in cooperation with Planet Pixl School of Advertising and Oliewenhuis Art Museum (a satellite of the National Museum, Bloemfontein).

To attend the opening and or the walkabout please RSVP at 051 447 9609 or oliewen@nasmus.co.za.

Oliewenhuis-kunsmuseum persvrystelling : (Afrikaans Press Release).

Yebo Yes is ‘n uitstalling deur twee jong fotograwe: Oliver Dowdle, ‘n 2010 Planet Pixl-student van Mangaung, en Jonas Posma, ‘n fotograaf van Gent. Hulle het in 2009 mekaar se stede vir ‘n maand besoek met die gevolg dat hulle ‘n uitbeelding van die twee stede deur die oë van ‘n buitestaander geskep het.

Die foto’s, geneem deur jong fotograwe in 'n onbekende stad, poog om die algemene lewenstyl en die daaglikse aktiwiteite van ‘n vreemde kultuur vas te vang. Dit is duidelik dat beide fotograwe poog om die verskeidenheid en kontraste vas te vang wat in beide stede bestaan - daar is foto's van ryk en arm, van die mooi en die onaantreklike, van diverse aktiwiteite en portrette van mense van alle ouderdomme en rasse.

Dit is alles uitgebeeld in tegnies-uitstekende kleurfoto's. Deur middel van hierdie uitstalling sal plaaslike besoekers nie net 'n geleentheid kry om meer van Gent te sien nie, maar ook om Mangaung deur ander oë te ervaar en in die proses hulle stad beter te leer ken. Yebo Yes wys die publiek nie net op die verskille nie, maar ook die verrassende ooreenkomste tussen die vennote of "tweeling-stede", Gent en Mangaung.

Die band tussen Mangaung en Gent het vanaf 2004 ontstaan met die doel om beide plaaslike rade te versterk en dit word bereik deurdat Gent en Mangaung hul ervarings deel. Hierdie vennootskap is meer as net samewerking tussen twee stadsrade, dit is ook 'n skakel tussen twee gemeenskappe. Die samewerking tussen die twee stede soek antwoorde op sommige van die probleme wat duidelik in die uitstalling sigbaar is: besoedeling, werkloosheid onder die jeug, opvoeding en die toekoms vir jong mense.

Die uitstalling sal op Donderdag, 2 Junie 2011, om 19:00 deur 'n verteenwoordiger van die Vrystaatse provinsiale regering geopen word, gevolg deur ‘n rondleiding op Vrydag, 3 Junie, om 10:00 deur die fotograaf Oliver Dowdle.

Addisionele foto’s van Yebo Yes sal te sien wees in satelliet-uitstallings by die Bram Fischer-gebou, die Clive Solomon Youth Centre in Heidedal en die Outdoor Youth Centre in Rocklands.

Hierdie fotoprojek is geskep as deel van die stadsverbintenis tussen die Mangaung plaaslike munisipaliteit en die stad Gent in samewerking met Planet Pixl Skool van Advertensie en Oliewenhuis-kunsmuseum (‘n satelliet van die Nasionale Museum, Bloemfontein).

Om die opening en/of die begeleide toer by te woon, RSVP asseblief voor 31 Mei 2011 by 051 447 9609 of oliewen@nasmus.co.za.

Posted By: Allan Kapten

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