Sutherland: Dark and Silent – Sutherland, Northern Cape

Bronwyn Lace and Marcus Neustetter

Sutherland: Dark and Silent is based on the project Sutherland Reflections, a series of interventions in the town and an exhibtion at the Goethe Institut in 2009. Reflections aims was to create an experience of participation, artistic intervention and a creative spectacle in the form of a community driven kite flying artwork. The project also aimed to investigate and address the current attitude and relationship between the seeming “distance” of the disadvantaged communities in Sutherland and the international neighbouring telescopic observatory. Dark and Silent continues with the research and projects completed over the last 3 years wit ha view to manifesting a series of site-specific intervention collaboration with the local communities, visiting scientists and artists.

Marcus Neustetter is an artist, researcher, consultant and project developer in the field of new media. He is a founding member and joint director of the Trinity Session and is heavily involved in the Johannesburg art industry. Neustetter holds a MA in Fine Arts from Wits and has exhibited widely both internationally and locally.

Bronwyn Lace is a practicing artist living and working in Johannesburg who completed her undergraduate degree in Fine Arts at Wits in 2004. As part of her practice she has been involved in the development of young artists, notably co-founding saartsemerging.org with Simon Gush and Nathaniel Stern. Lace has been instrumental in developing the About Arts programme at the Bag Factory where she is the Educations Officer. Lace has exhibited work locally and internationally.