The urgent and extensive nature of COVID-19 has ambushed each and every nation around the world to varying extents, in what has proved to be both a collective, yet simultaneously isolating experience. No one is immune.

South Africa is no exception, as the pain of saving lives and sustaining livelihoods bites deep. It has however, provided a Big Pause Button for many, as quarantine and the lockdown have kept people contained in limited space, with little movement for extended periods.

This has given us time to reflect and observe. It has helped amplify what is unbalanced, and what needs fixing and healing. For some, there also exists the privilege of and the possibility to make better life choices. It is in this enigmatic space that the moments of hope and despair, and of love and care, distinctly emerge.

In response, the Turbine Art Fair (NPO) has launched ‘Stilled Life’ – a community photographic project, and a platform that South Africans can tell their stories by submitting their own photographs, documenting ‘life in the time of COVID SA’. Entries open on the 4th of June and close at midnight on the 19th of July 2020. There are three categories for entry: #YourStory, #NewNormal, #HelpingHands.

The top 100 photos will be selected by a panel of judges and exhibited online at the RMB Turbine Art Fair, which will take on the form of a virtual fair later in 2020. The selected photos will then go on to be auctioned by Strauss & Co, with all proceeds going to the BASA Artists Relief Fund.

Submissions will be featured on the ‘Stilled Life’ social media pages throughout the project. Our judging panel includes Greg Maloka, Savannah Feeke-Fortune, Musa Nxumalo and Greg Marinovich.

“This pandemic has affected each and every one of us but in very different ways, and through this competition, we can give South Africans a platform to share their stories and experiences, and at the same time contribute to the Artists Relief Fund. At times like this, art really does matter,” says Glynis Hyslop, Founder of the Turbine Art Fair.

The Turbine Art Fair (TAF) is a registered Non-Profit Organisation, 152-943 NPO. ‘Stilled Life’ is presented by the Turbine Art Fair (NPO), in partnership with the Forum Company, and Business and Arts South Africa (BASA). The auction is sponsored by Strauss & Co.

To enter the competition, click HERE…