Archibald had described a controlled burn as a kind of performance, “and that really triggered it”, Coetzee says. “It gave me the idea that I could take real scientists, real firefighters and weave it into an artwork that is really large-scale, speaking about very important and pressing environmental issues.”
Art curator Tammy Langtry also worked on last month’s performance, which included a 6km hike to the site for audience members.
“Hannelie’s practice is very unique, and the art objects and work that comes out of that is then again very unique,” Langtry says.
Archibald, a scientist at the University of the Witwatersrand, said controlled burns clear space for new plant growth that animals find “very tasty”. read more