Rugby Gives Me an Eerie Feeling by the Filthy Plinths

By Daniëlle Gerber

The Filthy Plinths debut their art exhibition at the GUS (Gallery of the University of Stellenbosch) Gallery on Thursday, the 30th of June. The exhibition’s name is Rugby Gives Me an Eerie Feeling, and it is the first exhibition hosted by this gallery with all artists born post-2000. Rugby Gives Me an Eerie Feeling reflects on post-apartheid South Africa as the so-called ‘Rainbow Nation’ and, as described by the artists, ‘a dream that never was’.

The Filthy Plinths are a group of three Stellenbosch University art students: Mignonne Busser, Phillip Newman, and Melissa Wrench. Each collage, featured in this exhibition, has a different theme and is made from photocopied images. GUS Gallery is in an old church building, and the shapes of the analogue collages mimic church windows.

Figure 2: The Filthy Plinths. From left: Phillip Newman, Mignonne Busser and Melissa Wrench (source: Mignonne Busser)

Busser comments that the exhibition was inspired by witnessing the unifying factor that rugby seems to have in South Africa and the patriotic expression it inspires, despite the challenges of the ‘New South Africa’. While there once was great optimism about democracy, has it really brought union to South Africa?

Five analogue collages can be seen at the exhibition – namely, Empty Promises; Hyper Wholesalers Hawkers Line; Fast, Deadly; No Parking, and as the centrepiece, Rugby Gives Me an Eerie Feeling. The collages are vibrant and demand to be seen – forming a beautiful picture from afar but a contrasting reality nearby. A personal favourite is the neutral-toned Hyper Wholesalers Hawkers Line, depicting the first democratic election that took place in South Africa.

Figure 3: Attendees of the opening event viewing Empty Promises (source: author’s own)

The collages show a complex accumulation of thoughts and expressions, and there is always something new to notice within the pieces. Rugby Gives Me an Eerie Feeling shows imagery of South African culture, ranging from Proteas (the national flower), the diversity of South Africa’s demography, and faces painted with the South African flag. Busser comments on one specific image of two schoolchildren from different ethnic backgrounds with the national flag painted on their faces. She comments that this image, when reflected on, allows the viewer to think about the different lived experiences of these groups in South Africa, despite the declared ‘Rainbow Nation’. 

The exhibition will run from the 30th of June until the 30th of July 2022. GUS Gallery can be found on the corner of Bird Street and Dorp Street and is open Monday to Friday from 9 a.m. until 4 p.m. Make sure to set aside enough time to digest and observe the collages to catch the implicit messages!