Curator Appointed for Artist Residency

The Artist Residency, established in 2021 at Lion Sands Ivory Lodge welcomes curator Amy Ellenbogen, a creative consultant who specialises in art and design. Her focus will be on up-and-coming contemporary artists, giving them a platform on which to shine, as well as a once-in-a-lifetime experience at Lion Sands.

Amy Ellenbogen is a creative consultant specialising in southern African art and design. She is grounded in her ability to convey the integrity of the local southern African aesthetic globally. 

Hailing from a creative upbringing, Amy Ellenbogen has since become an established and diverse creative leader in her industry. She readily adapts herself to conceptualise and build teams around new creative endeavours, including curating shows, mentoring artists, advising collectors and patrons as well as creating new spaces. 

Her integrative approach is informed by a background which weaves a journey through research, co-founding a contemporary art gallery and the curatorship of it, to curating the oldest fair on the continent, to art advisory, and project design and research. Her aesthetic is defined by her intense focus on concept and integrity of process in the context of her work on the African continent. 

A word or two from Amy Ellenbogen: “For me, it is a huge privilege as a curator to be in a position that gives artists the opportunity to enrich their practice by not only giving them a completely different environment to work in, but potentially changing the way that they work with materials. It allows me to be part of something much bigger than myself, shifting the narrative and perspective around the environment and our engagement with it, mainly from the standpoint of conservation. This residency allows artists access to an environment they wouldn't ordinarily have access to due to its seclusion and exclusivity, making this an exciting opportunity to understand and appreciate our surroundings through meaningful artwork.”

One of these is artists is Bella Knemeyer. Working across multiple disciplines, Bella bridges research and practice with work pivoting around the craft of everyday urbanism, artful placemaking, material flows and the politics of public space.

Bella, the artist in residence during September, is fascinated by the complexity of city-making and its intersections of culture, the built and natural environments. Her landscape works mulch, plaster and rake various found print and paper substrates; chosen for their stories, malleability, patience and lighter footprint. Of interest is how these subjects play out spatially as most return to questions of place - how spaces are made, pulled apart, repaired and metabolised, time and again.

“Our intention with the Artist Residency is to uplift both our artists and our guests through an enriching experience at Lion Sands Ivory Lodge. For the artists, they are enabled to focus on their craft, exhibit on a new platform and connect with an audience they would ordinarily not have had the chance to meet. For our guests from all over the world, this unique interaction enhances their stay, leaving them with a deeper understanding of the spirit of Africa and its people.” – Robert More

In partnership with the Southern African Foundation For Contemporary Art (SAFFCA), Amy will hand pick exciting, and contemporary South African artists - both emerging and established - to introduce bold, and surprising works enriched by the environment, instead of directly referencing it. This approach will make for unique interactions and a memorable guest experience all round.