Trigger warning: This article mentions gender-based violence.
A recent art installation in the Stellenbosch Winelands places emphasis on the high rate of gender-based violence in South Africa.
This is according to Strijdom van der Merwe, the artist of the installation Women’s Day, which is currently exhibited at the Glen Carlou Gallery near Klapmuts.
The installation can be viewed until Saturday 16 August, according to Van der Merwe’s artist statement, which was shared with SMF News.
The installation displays 116 palm tree leaves “that bear a close visual resemblance to female sexual organs that are ripped apart”, according to the artist statement.
The art installation Women’s Day by land artist Strijdom van der Merwe displays 116 palm tree leaves to represent the women who are victims of rape in South Africa, according to his artist statement. As a land artist, Van der Merwe works primarily with natural materials, he said. PHOTO: Anke Spies
The installation is about “showing visually the effect of the rape statistics in the country”, said Van der Merwe, in correspondence with SMF News.
According to the artist statement, the leaves represent the 42 569 recorded rape cases from 2023 to 2024, as reported by the South African Police Service crime statistics. This would equal 116 rape cases per day, according to the statement.
The gallery space
Van der Merwe chose to host the installation at Glen Carlou because the gallery space has a “clinical white look, high ceilings, and room to breathe”, he said.
The installation Women’s Day by Strijdom van der Merwe is located in the centre of the Glen Carlou Gallery and displays 116 palm tree leaves. Collecting the palm tree leaves took a month, according to Van der Merwe. PHOTO: Anke Spies
“We believe in the ability of art to challenge perspectives, inspire reflection, and ultimately contribute to social change,” said Christa Swart, the gallery manager at Glen Carlou and the curator of the exhibition.
‘A visual language’
The installation is featured in the exhibition What We Carry – Echoes of Self, Silence & the Weight of Being, which touches on the greater conversation on “gender identity and safe spaces”, according to Swart.
“Most of the commentary received on the installation so far describes the exhibition as ‘powerful’ and ‘visceral’, ultimately welcoming the conversation,” said Swart.
The natural medium of the installation contributes to the “visibility” of the artwork, said Kabous de Wet, a final-year BA (Fine Arts) student at Stellenbosch University (SU).
The repetition of how common gender-based violence is, is what gives the work depth, he said.
“We become aware of how gruesome and frequent the reality of gender-based violence is in South Africa,” said De Wet, in correspondence with SMF News.
The Glen Carlou Gallery is located on Glen Carlou Wine Estate and offers guided gallery tours free of charge, according to Christa Swart, the gallery manager at Glen Carlou and the curator of the current exhibition. The exhibition titled What We Carry – Echoes of Self, Silence & the Weight of Being is centred around themes of gender identity and safe spaces, said Swart. PHOTO: Anke Spies
The installation communicates “the horrors [of rape] in a visual language”, said Van der Merwe.
When people view the installation, “[they] are often more aware of the damages caused not only to the victim, but also to [their] family and for generations to come”, he said.