by TINTSWALO BALOYI
JOHANNESBURG – HEALTH workers have been commemorated through a sculpture for the pivotal role they played in helping South Africa progress through the coronavirus pandemic.

The MTN South Africa Foundation unveiled the artwork installed at the Nelson Mandela Children’s Hospital (NMCH) in Johannesburg.

“With the prolonged impact COVID-19 pandemic has had on South Africa and on artists and the art world we decided that now was the right time to embark on a positive project,” explained Jacqui O’Sullivan, MTN SA executive for corporate affairs.

She added, “Through this project, MTN Foundation is enabling South
African artists, to get up, get going, and progress through the COVID-19 pandemic.”

MTN invited submissions from artists Neo Mahlangu, Setlamorago Mashilo, Keneilwe Mokoena, Alexa Pienaar and Tristan Roland.

The judging panel endorsed Pienaar’s concept.

The artist was commissioned to work with Mohammed Hassan, at Red Apple 3D printing to bring the concept to fruition.

Pienaar, who recently completed her master’s in Fine Art at the
University of Johannesburg, proposed an installation called Shift-19, which stretches 3m in length, consists of fifteen 3D printed discs that metaphorically and visually represent that of a disassembled telescope.

“COVID-19 has had an impact on how we see the world, on our
perspectives, and this comes through in the piece,” Pienaar said.

South Africa is enduring the worst COVID-19 outbreak in the African continent and the 17th most severe globally in terms of cases recorded.

There have been over 2, 295 million cases, including 66 859 deaths.

South Africa’s vaccination campaign prioritised frontline health
workers.

– CAJ News