Michaelis grad work on show

On show: The Michaelis School of Fine Art is hosting their annual graduation Show until 21 December.

Graduating fine-art students are showcasing their talents at UCT's Michaelis School of Fine Art, which is hosting its highly-anticipated annual Graduation Show from 8 to 21 December.

The exhibition at the Hiddingh campus is deemed one of the highlights of the South African arts calendar, and has a diverse, innovative selection of works from each of the five postgraduate and 51 fourth-year students, from painting and sculpture to new media, print and photography.

Nadja Daehnke, curator at Michaelis Galleries, noted that the exhibition could be a turning point for the young artists.

"Gallerists, collectors and art critics mingle with the crowd, so young talent is quickly appraised, and - where merit is seen - finds support in galleries, or is snapped up by collectors," explained Daehnke.

Themes include personal psychological reflections, questions on the politicisation of space, the 'playful subversion' of art history, and aesthetics, Daehnke added.

The exhibition is displayed in eight buildings and will be arranged in a way that allows the works to stand as individual projects while still showing some interesting links between classmates.