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Het Festival Item date(s): 2010 Marina Herbst Size: 250mm Collation: Book and poster Technique: Digital print Edition: Unique Place publication: (Potchefstroom, RSA) Publisher: The artist Reference note: The title of the book is 'Het Festival', translated from Dutch as 'the festival'. The book is a celebration of a unique combination of eight character traits typical of my personality; it is an ode to a life thus far. The metaphor conceived to depict these traits visually is structured under a central theme of mountains as geological elements and permanent, timeless structures of nature. Each of these eight traits are stated in a personal, made-up Flemish idiom, and further illustrated by a structural diagram and followed by a pen-and-ink drawing of a mountainesque formation. The cards between the pages - in the form of large playing cards - each hold an individual explanation to the interpretation of each set of visuals as well as the idiom. I used the metaphor of playing cards as a way to express the difficulty in making decisions which can change the course and the outcome of a person's life, similar to playing a card game. These cards are supposed to be sealed in separate cotton bags, leaving a sense of mystery with the viewer of the book, as it is not my wish for everyone to read it. On the accompanying poster, a piece of appropriate literature appears, complementing my concept - 'Die Berg' by Breyten Breytenbach. The book is of a self-exploratory nature and should be interpreted in such a manner for it to be sensible to the viewer. Exhibition notes: Included on the exhibition 'Transgressions and Boundaries of the Page', exhibited at WOORDFEES 2010. Archive Room in JS Gericke Library, University of Stellenbosch, 1st - 6th March 2010; The Gallery of the North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 15th April - 13th May 2010; the FADA Gallery, Faculty of Art Design and Architecture, University of Johannesburg, 12th - 30th July 2010. Ref: DP/10071

Images courtesy Wessie van der Westhuizen NWU