Cairn by Micro.Exhibits
Josly Liebenberg [née van Wyk], Lelani Nicolaisen and Geneve Potgieter [née Eloff]
Front Gallery: 06.08.26 - 17.09.26
Through this exhibition, we aim to highlight the human relationship with nature and how engagement with the natural environment can lead to personal growth. When tracking through difficult terrain, there is an ancient anthropological tradition of piling stones on top of each other to indicate the direction to follow. This human-made pile of rocks is known as a cairn and is still used today when following footpaths or hiking trails. The symbolism behind a cairn is not to indicate that the path forward will be without obstacles, but rather an indication that hikers before you have chosen to travel along this route. As each passer-by adds a single stone, the cairn is gradually and collectively formed over time. The selfless act of contributing one stone to a beacon that will guide others along the route establishes a sense of community among hikers to act to assist others. This act of kindness leads to personal growth. When a cairn is observed at a crossroad, this tower created from stones represents a communal act of benevolence, as these hikers who once walked this path thought of those wanderers who will need guidance after they have left. A cairn is an example of societal and humanistic perseverance and how powerful human connection can be, even when the only material you have at your disposal is a seemingly mundane rock.
We propose that this exhibition is a metaphorical cairn, one that is built one artwork at a time, using art practice as a symbol to guide, to question and to suggest how we interact with nature and how our legacy will be perceived. Potgieter’s Held in Reserve accordingly reflects on the silent devastation and emotional distance that conditional self-preservation quietly sustains. When we consider what the impact of our actions can amount to, we recognise that the mere act of living is a position of power and responsibility. Any path we choose to walk is an opportunity to effect change. When the path to be chosen is unclear, the guidepost created by others becomes both a guiding light and a projection of responsibility, as we have the option to contribute a stone to this guiding beacon of hope.
As artists, we promote the role of responsible stewardship. Liebenberg’s creative inquiry focuses on the fragile and ephemeral nature of species that face colony decline, as the role of other species in our ecosystem is often overlooked. Cairn is a response to the current pollution of the natural environment and to the unethical exploitation of natural resources. Nicolaisen’s work considers how landscapes bear witness to ecological disruption and questions how experiences of personal grief might echo broader forms of environmental loss. This exhibition invites viewers to become stewards of nature who gradually and caringly build a legacy of nature conservation for future generations. It is our contention that small acts of kindness and empathic gestures, such as the ritual of building a cairn, may demonstrate the potential uplifting impact of human engagement
