Traces of the Triennale

Stellenbosch Triennale is proud to present a collaborative project with Stellenbosch University’s Postgraduate Diploma in Marketing (‘PGDM’) students. 

The Department of Business Management at Stellenbosch University offers a postgraduate diploma for students with a qualification in a non-marketing field who wish to enter the business environment. Over the course of the year programme, students combine real-world business challenges with academic research to drive change in the dynamic world of marketing. The programme equips students for marketing-related positions across the public and private sectors of the South African and global economy. 

For the collaborative live brief, the students were tasked with creating a strategy to incentivise tertiary education students to visit and engage with the Stellenbosch Triennale throughout April 2025. Students were invited to incorporate elements of performance, ritual, or participatory engagement in their proposals The parameters of their brief was the incorporation of the theme, Ba’zinzile: A Rehearsal for Breathing, a very tight budget and that the implementation feasibility before the end of the exhibition on April 30th, 2025. 

The students started the morning with a yoga and breathing activation session, hosted by Gretha van der Merwe, to tie into the Stellenbosch Triennale theme Ba’zinzile: A Rehearsal for Breathing and the PGDM’s focus on mindfulness in the 2025 programme. Thereafter, the students were briefed and encouraged to wander around the precinct and engage with the artworks. After 3 hours of brainstorming and strategising, the five groups of five students presented their pitch to the Triennale team members and Dr Debbie Human-van Eck, from the PGDM programme. 

The winning team - Cara Schreuder, Kristina Cloete, Mikayla Klerck, Dimpho Mphefo and Sarah Gafieldien - proposed an ambient marketing campaign aimed at bridging the gap between the town’s student community and contemporary African art. The campaign features three outdoor installations inspired by artworks currently on display at the 2025 Stellenbosch Triennale, by using elements of the original work for the on-campus installations. The students, assisted by Minette Pieters, marketing assistant of the Stellenbosch Triennale, set up the three installations on 24 April, positioning them at high-traffic campus locations. The installations serve as symbolic “traces” of the original works housed Oude Libertas. 

The first installation, located outside the Van der Sterr building, draws inspiration from Namibian artist Tuli Mekondjo’s Eshina Lyo Ku Topa Topa/Typewriter. Mekondjo uses red thread as a motif to honour ancestral bloodlines and comment on gendered struggle. Echoing this, the students wrapped a tree in red thread to bring Mekondjo’s message into the everyday environment of the campus.

The second piece, housed in the Jan Mouton building, reflects South African artist Simphiwe Buthelezi’s To Read a Book Backwards, which invites audiences to reflect on time, memory, and meaning. The minimalist installation features a reed mat and mirrored sandballs — original elements from Buthelezi’s work - encouraging students to contemplate their academic journey and its personal significance.

The third installation, also outside Van der Sterr, is based on William Miko’s charcoal sketch series Flying Foot, inspired by the artist’s experience of amputation and his reflections on mobility and resilience. The student group created footprints for students to follow along, which symbolise movement, dreams and the overlooked power of the body. The interactive activation will remain on display throughout the week as part of the on-campus exhibition. 

Traces of the Triennale was developed as a real-world marketing brief to give students practical experience while reinforcing the Triennale’s commitment to nurturing future talent in the creative and cultural industries. The on-campus installations will be available to view until 30 April 2025.