KALI VAN DER MERWE
b. 09 / 10 / 1964
EDUCATION
1991 Courses in Lithography and Serigraphy at Kunsthaus Bethanien, Berlin.
1987 Advanced Diploma in Art (with distinction) focussed on Ceramic Sculpture - Michaelis School of Fine Art, University of Cape Town -.
1983 - 86 Bachelor of Arts in Sculpture (cum laude) Michaelis School of Fine Art, University of Cape Town.
EXHIBITIONS
AUTUMN MMXI, group show at MUSEUM Photographic Art Gallery, Woodstock.
2010 Guest Artist at Baardskeerdersbos Art Route
2009 “out of the blue” - an exploration of sensual and erotic feminine energies in connection with water -exhibited at Misael Space, Cape Town
2008 “one-in-herself” – a video installation of a woman learning to dance with a snake, screened at the International Goddess Conference, Artemis, Franschoek.
2007 “Recovery of Body Mind and Spirit” - documentary photographs on permanent exhibition at Brewelskloof Hospital, Worcester, Cape Town.
“Re:Search” – documentary photographs for SATVI - South African TB Vaccine Initiative, shown at the CTICC - Cape Town International Convention Centre. On permanent exhibition at University of Cape Town’s Medical School Campus
2006 "Face the People” – portraits, stories and documentary photographs honouring community health workers was shown at Guga S’Thebe Langa, Lookout Hill Khayelitsha, UWC Library Belleville and Community House Salt River
2005 "Captive" shown at the Castle of Good Hope Cape Town as part of the Month of Photography
"Breathing Space" a multi-media installation created for the Mothertongue Collective, showcased at the Voorkamerfest in Darling.
2004 "out of time", – video installation shown at the Brett Kebble Art Awards.
"Uhambo, Pieces of a Dream", a multi-media installation created for the Mothertongue Collective shown at the main festival in Grahamstown and at the Intimate Theatre, Hiddingh Hall Campus UCT, Cape Town.
2003 "digitalove" – video installation shown at the Brett Kebble Art Awards.
"digitalove" – video installation shown at YDESIRE at the Castle of Good Hope as the 4th Softserve art event.
2002 "ssense, erotic reality journey" shown at the Castle of Good Hope as part of the Month of Photography.
“Call me Dog” curated an exhibition of photographs taken by marginalised youth on the Cape Flats. The exhibition is shown on the Hiddingh Hall campus of UCT as part of the Month of Photography and at the e-centre set up by Naspers. The photographs were published in Marie Claire Italy.
1999 Curated exhibition “Iduma Elingopiyo, The Wound that does not Bleed” shown at the South African Library, Cape Town as part of 100 XC Photography in South Africa.
1995 “Tree of Life” - a sculptural installation on Achill Island, Ireland.
1994 “:Abused Images” - an exhibition of 100 silk-screens at Cultura Vide, Haarlem Cultural Centre, Netherlands.
“We the Japanese People” - a live electronic environment of film, text and sound. Performed at Vrieshuis America and The Silo, Amsterdam.
1993 Collective mural and exhibition at Wohlgroth, Zurich.
Part of “Unwirkliche Geselschaft” - three group exhibitions at the International Art House Duncker Stasse, Berlin.
1992 “Earthly Delights” - a concrete, olive wood and stone installation, Malaga (Spain).
“Illuminations” - sculptures made of light – exhibited at Duncker Strasse, International Art House, Berlin.
1990 Work chosen for an exhibition of “Art from South Africa” at MOMA in Oxford, England.
“God Dog” - Solo Exhibition of plaster prints - Market Gallery, Johannesburg.
Group exhibition with Kevin Brand and Graeme Germond at Cornucopia Gallery Cape Town.
1988 Group Exhibition - “Urban Eye” - at the Market Gallery, Johannesburg.
Group Exhibition - “Figurative Ceramics” - at the Annex, Iziko South African National Gallery Cape Town.
FILMOGRAPHY
2008 “W-hole” - an experimental film on the exploration of the male arsehole screened at the Out in Africa Film Festival Gay and Lesbian Film Festival and Festival de Cinema Douarnenez France.
2004 “Brown” - a cross-genre, historical and musical documentary, the issue of forced removals is explored. Through the eyes of Ernie, a successful and talented young singer her grandparents’ and parents’ story of dispossession unfolds. The resilience of the family emerges as well as the high price they paid. It was funded by the Open Society Foundation. “Brown” was screened on SABC 1.
2003 “Doing it!” - a 52 minute documentary funded by the Open Society Foundation, National Film and Video Foundation, The City of Cape Town and The National Association of Child Care Workers, explores issues around female sexuality. It was screened on SABC 1 for two consecutive years to commemorate National Women’s Day. It is still consistently used by organisations and workshop facilitators to stimulate debate around sexuality and HIV/AIDS.
2001 Directed and filmed “The lost generation” about forced adoption of children from mixed marriages during Apartheid years and “The New Hippies” an exploration of the Rustlers Valley Music festival for Media Sat, Italy.
2000 “The Bottom Line” - explores the excessive profiteering of pharmaceutical companies from AIDS drugs. The film was a commission for RAI Tre, Italy.
1999 “Hair-Lines” 9 min. - an experimental insert for “But is it Art” on SABC 3
“Who’s News?” 26 min. - co–directed this documentary about women’s opinions of their representation the media. It was made for “Women’s Media Watch” a
pressure group challenging racism, stereotyping and sexism in the media. The documentary is used to sensitise journalists around gender issues.
1998 “Iduma Elingopiyo, The Wound that does not Bleed” 60 min,co–directed
this documentary exploring the lives of children and youth living on the streets of Cape Town, filmed over a period of two years and funded by The Royal Netherlands Embassy. The documentary has been made into a book by the same name. It was screened on SABC 1 in April 2008.
1996 Co-founder of “Other-Wise media”, an organisation which produces awareness-raising media and trains youth and women in media skills.
1994 Experimental one minute programmes for Park 4 D TV an Amsterdam based experimental cable television channel.
1993 “Wounded” - short film shot on super 8 in Berlin.
AUDIOGRAPHY
2008 Soundtrack for the experimental video “one-in-herself”
Soundtrack in collaboration with Kayla Witherkay for experimental video “W-hole”
2005 Soundtrack for the experimental video "Captive"
2003 Soundtrack for the experimental video “digitalove”.
2002 Recorded and mastered “The slice of bread that saved the world” and “A Shmek of Jewish stories” as told by Alec Gelcer.
“Ssense” ambient installation for the photographic exhibition.
1999 “The last Drop” – 40 min radio programme in collaboration with Maria Mar, New York based shaman, storyteller and performer.
“We the Japanese People” – created and mixed live sound track for the electric environment performance at Vrieshuis America and The Silo, Amsterdam.
DESIGN
2006 Poster, exhibition invites, DVD cover for the exhibition “Face the People” funded by the Cape Town Metropolitan District Health Services.
2005 Poster, flyers and video cover for the documentary “BROWN”
2003 Co-created and designed the book “Long Life” which tells the story of 13 HIV positive women from Khayelitsha through art works, photographs and narratives. Published by Double Storey Press.
Poster and invitation for the “Long Life” exhibition.
Logo, pamphlet and posters for Annex CDW (Artists and activists against the exploitation of Child Domestic Workers).
Posters, flyers and video cover for the documentary “Doing it!”
Other-Wise media web site.
2000 Design and layout of a photographic book based on the documentary “Iduma Elingopiyo” published by Other-Wise media . Funded by Umverteilen Stiftung fur Eine Solidarische Welt.
1999 Posters, pamphlets and newsletters for Women’s Media Watch and Other-Wise media.
1995 Created limited edition book “Abused images” - video stills and texts.
FACILITATION / PRESENTATION
2010 Presented "Dark Light" at the second African Conference on Consciousness and Sexuality
2007 “Eye to Eye – Sighting Heritage” – facilitated an exploration of slavery and local heritage through the eyes of South African youth. Workshops were run at the Slave Lodge imparting story-telling and photographic skills. The project was commissioned by the Arts and Culture department of the City of Cape Town.
2005 Invited to present “BROWN” at the Zanzibar International Film Festival, ZIFF and at the Durban International Film Festival DIFF.
2004 Invited to present “BROWN” Cape Town World Cinema Festival
2003 Presented “Doing it!” at Cinema delle Donne International Film Festival, Turin Italy.
Teaching a group of HIV positive women, living in Khayelitsha and receiving anti-retroviral treatment, photographic skills. The photographic essays documenting their lives were published in the book, “Long Life” by Double Story Press.
2002 Facilitated video training workshops with young women as part of the filming of the documentary “Doing it!”
“Call me Dog” - trained marginalised youth on the Cape Flats to take photographs with disposable cameras and document their lives.
2001 Invited to present “The Wound that does not Bleed” at the Ismailia International Film Festival in Egypt
In conjunction with Other-Wise media, initiated creative workshops run with awaiting trial juveniles in section B4 at Pollsmoor Prison. From this project a separate organisation is born, CRED (creative education with youth at risk).
1999 Creative writing, art and radio training workshops facilitated for Other-Wise at Faure School of Safety for Girls. Funded by NIZA Netherlands Institute for Southern Africa
1998 Invited to present the documentary “The Wound that does not Bleed” at the 41stLeipzig Documentary & Animation Film Festival.
Other-Wise media is commissioned to do a series of 10 radio programmes for Women’s Media Watch, “Women whose work is stimulating changes in their communities and the world”. Young women trained by Kali for Other-Wise media were integrally involved in the recording and editing of the programmes
1997 Open Society Foundation funds Other-Wise media to run a radio editing course for marginalised young women. Kali acted as co-ordinator and trainer for the project. A series of radio programmes were produced: “Iintsomi Amabali Akwantu”, “The Street Educators II” and “Think Twice before you close that Door”. Programmes were broadcast on community radio stations nationally.
1996 Co-ordinator and workshop facilitator for a radio training course with a group of young women who have experienced life on the street , sponsored by the Open Society Foundation. The outcomes of training course are: “Nontlupheko” 30 min, a radio drama about a young girl leaving home and coming to the streets of Cape Town, “The Breakthrough Girls”, a feature about life in a shelter and “The Street Educators”, a feature exploring street life. The programmes were broadcast on various community radio stations nationally.
Public presentation of the radio play “Nontlupheko” at the District Six Museum.
Facilitated silkscreen workshops with children and youth living on the street the
drop-in centre, Streets, Community Development, Woodstock Cape Town.
1993 Weekly silk-screening workshops for children at the “Spielmobil” - Berlin.
1989 Taught Ceramics, Art and History of Art full time at Plumstead High School, Cape Town.
1988 Taught Art and History of Art at St Francis Adult Education Centre, Langa, Cape Town
1987 Ceramic workshops at the Iziko South African National Gallery, Cape Town.
AWARDS
- “Brown” - first prize in the African Documentary section of the 15th African, Asian and Latin American Film Festival, Milan, Italy
- “Brown” - Best South African Documentary at the 26th Durban International Film Festival
- “Brown” - Best Documentary at the Apollo Film Festival in Victoria West, 2005, South Africa.
- “Doing it!” - Audience prize at the Cinema delle Donne Film Festival, Turin, Italy;
- “Doing it!” - Jury award at the Ismailia Film Festival, Egypt
- “Doing it!” - Gold Stone award in from the National Television and Video Association South Africa (NTVA).
- “Iduma Elingopiyo, The Wound that does not Bleed” - competing with feature films, the documentary came second in the Best Foreign Film category at the AdriaticoCinema Festival, Italy.
- Awarded the Mc Iver Women’s Bursary
- Awarded the Irma Stern Scholarship