Jetty Scour at the National Arts Festival

by Hlabangani Mtshali –

This year’s National Arts Festival kicks off in Grahamstown on the 3rd of July. The 2014 NAF marks the fortieth year in which thousands of artists and tourists will make their yearly pilgrimage to the small Eastern Cape town.

One such artist is East London-born Bridget Baker, whose installation, A Temporary Admission, will be among the myriad art exhibitions, live musical performances, stand-up comedy shows and theatre productions on the festival’s programme.

The exhibition, curated by Storm Janse van Rensburg, will feature a projection of Baker’s ACT-supported short film, Jetty Scour, as one of the main elements. Jetty Scour is an art film that depicts a re-enactment of an 1800s cane-woven lift, dubbed the ‘people transporter’, used to carry early settlers to and from docked ships in Algoa Bay.

The work is described as the meeting point of documentary and myth creation, which culminates in a series of intricate visual fragments brought to life through filmmaking and installation.

The 22 minute HD film, which was shot on location at the Port Elizabeth harbor, serves as a documentation of Baker’s exhibition – an exhibition which is set to feature a large relic, loaded by ship from the shores of England to the harbors of its South African colony before returning to its London departure point, giving the audience a ‘temporary admission’ into a brief moment in history.

Baker’s style entwines personal experiences and stories with overarching moments in history, shining a light on the parts which may have been lost or over looked by official versions of historical accounts. All while blending it with humour, labour and a sense of vulnerability.

In addition to Jetty Scour, the installation will also be accompanied by a reader, while Bridget Baker, Clifton Crais and Linda Stupart, among others, will make contributions.

A Temporary Admission will be exhibited at the 1820 Settlers Monument in Grahamstown. For more information, click here.