Pictures from Jacki Bruniquel's  
'REMEMBER'
Exhibition at the 
George Hotel Eshowe

This is the George Hotel and Backpackers opposite arthouse Eshowe.

I was helping with the renovation of the George hotel in Zululand when this harebrained idea occurred to me. I'm an artist (who sometimes renovates seedy old hotels) and it seemed to me that I was having so much fun that it would be downright selfish not to share this place with other artists. I play in paradise while they freeze their butts off trying to paint and play with their chosen materials. I invited a friend of mine to come and chill when she had some time off from doing commercial work. This resulted in an exhibition in the little gallery I was building around the reception of the hotel.

It slowly became obvious that this was a great idea, but they obviously didn't want to turn the hotel into an art studio. I had noticed an amazing Victorian house across the road and asked the owner if we could play in it. He said "yes" and this idea was born. This is a new direction for me, thanks Fred for allowing it to happen.    Peter Engblom       April 2008

Rationale:
I took a little look on the web and was struck by how business like the whole art nomad thing was becoming, how over intellectualized and serious most art residencies are. I have therefore taken a more light hearted approach to this  exercise. There are plenty of places for serious artists who want to sound like dictionaries on legs. We want happy cleaver people to come from far away and enjoy themselves while doing their what they do best.

Disciplines and media:
Sound, art, music, performance, dance, photography, painting, sculpture, installations, etc, etc.

Duration:
Eshowe gets very hot in summer. You can stay up to three months even longer if you have a good reason.

Studios:
There is a lounge as well as the fantastic veranda that surrounds the house.  You are expected to leave the place in a better state than it was in before you arrived. We do not accept any responsibility for breakages theft and accidents on the premises. It is the responsibility of each artist to take out insurance according to their particular needs. We insist that you wear safety equipment when using dangerous equipment 

Accommodation:
Eshowe has 2 guest rooms in the Main House with a single bed each (a double could be arranged on loan from the hotel across the road), all rooms have beds with comfortable mattresses; bedding, sheets and are provided. Shower facilities are located at the George hotel, across the road in Eshowe. If we find three artists who who suitable we may be able to organise for one of you to stay in the backpackers across the road.

Other information:
Eshowe has kitchen facilities at the backpackers across the road, the pub does a lunch for about 3euros. We sometimes arrange day trips to the region's spots of interest . Artists should be aware that there isn't much distraction in the way of restaurants, clubs or cinemas in Eshowe. You get a free Zulu blonde beer at the bar daily in Eshowe. There is a disco at the sports club on Fridays. The rest happens at the George hotel across the road.

Expenses paid by artists:
Artists have to pay their trip to the residence. We encourage artists to contact the relevant cultural entities for financial support for their trips. Artists are provided with very basic tools and equipment and a space to work and sleep. Trips to local areas of interest are sometimes arranged by us. As this house is not run by an artist you should realise that you are going to have to watch the movie going on in your own head most of the time. Please also ensure that you have adequate medical insurance to cover any illness or accident while in Africa.

Assistance:
Visiting artists are expected to be self sufficient. Local people will be of assistance as Eshowe is a small friendly country town. The nearest art supplies are over a hundred kilometers away in Durban. Local farmers will often give you food depending on the season. It is important that you at least speak a bit of English before you arrive.

Presentation of artists' work:
We expect all artists to share the result of their residency with local audiences. You are also expected to spend some time teaching and speaking in the local community, artists do this automatically so we shall not go into too much detail here, but you should at least leave the town happy that more artists are coming. There some amazing projects in and around Eshowe caring for aids orphans. Take a look at www.cunina.com and www.zulufadder.no and www.eshowe.net for more info.

Returning artworks:
This is the responsibility of the artist and should be considered part of your overall budget. We recommend that you research options of transporting your work prior to your arrival. Have a look at www.ubag.com

Report and images:
Visiting artists are expected to e-mail us a weekly update and images for the diary detailing their experiences as well as the works they are producing. On completion of the residence visitors are expected to produce a report of roughly 1500 words as well as a disk containing at least twenty high resolution images suitable for publication. From time to time you will be interviewed by the local media.

Funding and conformation:
Visiting artist are responsible for obtaining sufficient funding to cover the costs of their stay, airfare, food, art materials etc. We provide the playroom and the sleep room for free. We require immediate written conformation upon accepting you as a resident that you have sufficient funds for your stay. While imported art materials are expensive, local materials are relatively cheap. Food and personal items should not cost more than 150 euros a month to keep your body and mind working. Take a look at www.eshowe.com for more about this amazing place. 

ESHOWE SPAR


MALUTI LODGE