Cate Terblanche: Curator of the art collection

Cate Terblanche joined Sasol in 2017 as curator of the art collection.  As part of her role, she also sits on the final judging panel for the Sasol New Signatures Art Competition.  We sat down with her to talk about the Sasol collection, her vison as the curator and what she will be looking for when judging the competition in 2021

How big is the Sasol collection and How long has the collection been in existence.

The Sasol Art Collection was one of the first corporate art collections established in South Africa and was formalised in 1982 as an initiative of the late Joe Stegman, the then Managing Director and Chairman of Sasol. Over the years the collection has grown to approximately 2500 works. Initially the collection sought to be a representative collection of South African art after 1960 as a heritage for future generations. Early works collected included examples of South Africa’s historically most significant artists such as JH Pierneef, William Kentridge, Walter Battiss, Alexis Preller, David Koloane, Noria Mabasa and many more.  With the sponsorship of the Sasol New Signatures competition in 1990, the acquisition strategy started to focus on emerging artists associated with the competition, informing the contemporary segment of the collection.

Explain your role as the curator/what is your vision for the collection

I see my role as curator as being the custodian of the collection, which in turn represents a rather unique part of South Africa’s history and its cultural artefacts. My vision for the collection is to see it become more accessible to the general public, be it via digital or physical platforms, and specifically to see the educational opportunities inherent explored.

Why is it important for a big-name company like Sasol to invest in art?

The issue of the preservation of South Africa’s cultural heritage and specifically the visual arts is extremely important in this context.  The future of many public collections hangs in the balance as they experience extreme budget cuts and a lack of funding, often resulting in many of the public collections being made redundant or sold off to private collectors.  As a corporate, Sasol recognises its responsibility and role as custodian of this cultural heritage, and views the preservation of this collection as part of its social responsibility towards the people of South Africa.  The Sasol New Signatures competition is an extension of our social responsibility towards the visual arts in South Africa, where we endeavour to provide a platform for emerging artists to showcase their works to a broader audience.

Sasol Place really showcases the collection - how did you go about curating the hanging/displaying of the works?

When I joined Sasol in 2017, the company had just moved to their new global head quarters in Sandton, and the art was still in storage. I really had a once in a lifetime opportunity as a curator to install such an iconic collection from scratch.   I decided to approach the installation of the collection using themes such a portraiture, still life, landscapes etc, and allocated a specific theme to each floor.  Using this approach allowed me to juxtapose works, creating little conversations within the broader art dialogs. I also like to include a bit of humour in the layouts, selecting works that would resonate with the specific business unit occupying a specific floor.

The physical installations were also challenging undertaking in itself. Firstly, the sheer number of works that needed to be installed was an exercise in logistics. Secondly, while the building has amazing wall space to showcase the collection, I still had to bear in mind that the building is primarily a workspace and not a massive art gallery.  This meant taking into consideration the working environment and how people interacted with this space, as well as the limitations of the building itself.  But I think in the end, I’ve been able to marry a very iconic art collection with an equally prominent building.

Which artists careers are you following?

Obviously, I follow the careers of the artists associated with Sasol New Signatures, but I also follow the major art galleries and their latest exhibitions.  I also enjoy following the careers of art students, especially those that I taught in the past.  I really feel such an incredible sense of pride in them when I see their careers taking off.

If you could buy any work or artist right now - who would that be & why?

Maybe something from this year’s competition.   I think there will be some interesting works on display and taking into consideration the current context we are living in, the works created during the pandemic will probably become representative of time of challenge and triumph over the unthinkable, and thus potentially collectable.

As a judge of Sasol New Signatures, what are you hoping to see in terms of entries in 2021?

I think we will definitely see a massive trend towards dealing with the pandemic, but I’m really hoping we will see different ways of engaging with it, something that goes beyond masks and staying at home.  I hope to see innovative thinking and exploration of different media. 

Any advice you would like to give emerging artists at the start of their careers?

Be true to yourself.  Do not make art to try and win competitions.  If your art is authentic, you will succeed, whether you win a competition or not.  Competitions can help launch careers, but winning means nothing if you are not committed to your craft.  Being a successful artist takes a lot of hard work, so be prepared to put in the hours.