The second in a series of sculptures, unveiled on Stellenbosch University’s (SU) campus, is aimed at inspiring people to think critically about the meaning of the work. This is according to Professor Wim de Villiers, former SU rector.
The sculpture, under the theme Think, consists of different birds sitting on one bench. De Villiers invited people to think critically about the meaning of all these birds sitting together on one bench.
The sculpture was unveiled on 10 April and is based outside SU’s Conservatorium on Victoria Street.
A metaphor for knowledge
The sculpture is called Dinkbeeld/Smeltkroes/Crucible, according to Pieter Swart, director of special projects at SU’s Development and Alumni Relations (DAR).
“Crucible refers to a container in which metals are fired to form bronze, of which the sculpture is made,” said Swart.
He said the idea was to create a point of rest, but not using people, rather indigenous birds. Swart explained that the group of indigenous birds serves as a metaphor for knowledge.
The Think bench sculpture, the second in a series of Think-themed sculptures, prior to unveiling. The idea was to create a point of rest, but not using people, rather indigenous birds, according to Pieter Swart, director of special projects at Stellenbosch University’s Development and Alumni Relations (DAR). PHOTO: Onthatile Mahlangu
The sculpture was created by SU alumni artists Claudette Schreuders and Anton Kannemeyer, according to Swart.
“So usually, I am a figurative sculptor, and I do figures of people, and we were like, how can we do this? Anton […] came up with the idea to do birds,” said Schreuders.“We came up with the idea of birds who wouldn’t be necessarily all together ever, but birds that [most] people know. These are not like exotic birds, they [are] actually more common birds.”
Schreuders said that the plans for the project started in August 2023, and the sculpture took a year to complete.
Sculptor Claudette Schreuders said the idea for the second in a series of Think-themed sculptures was to put common bird species together that would not normally be found in the same environment. The group of indigenous birds serves as a metaphor for knowledge and its preservation, which is one of the main focuses of a university, according to Pieter Swart, director of special projects at Stellenbosch University’s Development and Alumni Relations (DAR). PHOTO: Onthatile Mahlangu
Third series on the way
“The thinking was […], in light of our multilingual policy, that we have English, Afrikaans, and IsiXhosa [sculptures] like this across the campus,” said De Villiers, who added that the sculpture depicts what students and academia are all about.
“The third project in a series is Cinga, [which is] IsiXhosa for ‘think’, and is presently in its conceptual phase,” said Swart.
De Villiers said that the theme originated from the first sculpture that SU received in 2022 as a donation from Gerrit Ferreira, a South African businessman and SU alumnus, and the Rand Merchant Bank. The first sculpture can currently be seen in front of SU’s Faculty of Engineering.
A southern double-collared sunbird, which forms part of the second in a series of Think-themed sculptures on the Stellenbosch University campus, was created by sculptors Claudette Schreuders and Anton Kannemeyer. Schreuders said that it took them a year to make the sculpture. PHOTO: Onthatile Mahlangu