Talitha Kotzé Afrikaans original version My naam is Talitha Kotze. Ek is agtien jaar oud, Afrikaans sprekend en maak hierdie jaar matriek klaar by Hoërskool Groote Schuur, dubel-medium skool in Nuweland, Kaapstad. Ek het met ThinkQuest kennis gemaak deur Joanna, wat saam met my kuns by Frank Joubert Kunssentrum doen. My eerste gedagte was natuurlik dat ek feitlik niks van rekenaars weet nie en dat dit dalk net 'n probleem mag wees. Sy het my verseker dat dit net 'n leersame ondervinding kan wees en dit het beslis belowend gelyk. Ons het die kategorie "Kuns en Literatuur" gekies en besluit om op die visuele kunste te fokus. Dit was die mees vanselfsprekende ding om na ons land se eie kuns te kyk en so het ons die kuns van die tagtiger jare gekies - bekend as "Resistance art." Dit is die kuns mees eie aan Suid Afrika en spreek van die teenstand tot die pynlike Apartheid regime waaronder ons land so lank geworstel het. Om die ontstaan van die kuns in perspektief te stel het ons besluit om ook 'n geredelike studie van Apartheid self te maak. Ek was bevoorreg on nie in 'n huis groot te word waar Apartheid die ruggraat van enige interpersoonlike verhouding is nie. Van kleins af was ek wel bewus van die realiteit van Apartheid en het ek reeds 'n goeie begrip gehad van hoe vreeslik verkeerd dit is. Maar hoe kan enige van ons "blankes", ons wat in 'n skermende huis groot geword het en elke aand 'n gesonde opgekookte bord kos genuttig het, hoe kans ons enige idee he van die snydende pyn van die daaglikse bestaan van hulle wat nie blank is nie - en ek is veronderstel om trots te wees op my nasie? Ek is trots op my Afrikaner nasie - op dié wat geveg het vir ons besonderse taal, ons kultuur en die wil om reg te laat geskied in hierdie land. Hulle het deel gehad om die wonde skoon te maak en te laat genees - want dit kan! My betrokkenheid by die studie vir ThinkQuest het opnuut hierdie gevoelens by my laat opkom. Soos ons weet bestaan demokrasie nou in ons grondwet, maar dit is ons wat dit moet uitleef. Dit is dié kuns van Suid Afrika wat haar mense se talent, potensiaal en innerlike slam in perspektief bring. Kuns bring die onderbewussyn van die mens uit. In hierdie onderbewussyn lê ons hele menswees en spruit ons daaglikse bestaan. Kuns is die medium waardeur ons toegang het tot dit wat ons nog nie fisies weet nie. Ook is dit om te ervaar en te verwerk waarmee ons gekonfronteer word en uit te spreek wat ons nie logies en rasionaal kan verwoord (of besef) nie. Daarom kan ons dit almal doen, party het net die vermoë om beter tot die konsep aan te pas. Suid Afrika pronk met hierdie spesiale bekwaamheid. ThinkQuest het my die geleentheid gegee om (in 'n manier) hulde te bring tot my land se kunstenaars: dié wat die visueel vasgelê het, asook die wat deur hul aksies aan die hele wêreld bewys het. Bewys het dat ons die pyn gedra het, maar dat ons wel deur 'n lang reis nader en nader aan ons destinasie gekom het. Navorsing was nie altyd so maklik nie aangesien dit nie moontlik was om persoonlik met al die kunstenaars in verbinding te tree nie. 'n Mens is afhanklik van 'n honderd duisend brokkies inligting: moeilik beskikbaar en gereeld in herhaling. Tog het ek hierdie ondervinding uiters leersaam gevind. So hoop ek dat elkeen wat ons "site" besoek dieselfde sal ervaar. Die kuns van die tagtiger jare was die doelgerigte "journey to freedom" in hierdie land. Ook was dit on bewustelik deel van die "journey to freedom of the arts." Ons kan nou trots staan en dit vir die wêreld uitstal. Ons reis was suksesvol. So was ons reis om 'n "site" vir die wêreld te ontwikkel sodat elkeen toegang het tot Suid Afrika se nimlike bestaan. English translation My name is Talitha Kotzé. I am Afrikaans-speaking and eighteen years old. I am currently completing my matric year at Groote Schuur dual medium high school in Newlands, Cape Town. I was introduced to ThinkQuest by Joanna who does art with me at the Frank Joubert Art Centre. My first reaction was obviously that I know nothing about computers and that it might just be a problem. She assured me that it can only be an educational experience and it certainly looked promising. We chose the category 'Art and Literature' and decided to focus on the visual arts. It was the most appealing to look at our country's own art and we chose the art of the eighties, which is known as the 'Resistance art.' This art speaks of the opposition that the Apartheid regime received. To put the origin of this art into perspective, we have also decided to include a study of Apartheid itself. I was very fortunate to grow up in a home where Apartheid was not the backbone of any human relationship. Since I was very young, I have been well aware of the Apartheid reality and have had a reasonable understanding of its injustice. But how can any single 'white' person have any idea of the pain and suffering through the daily existence of those classified as non-white? And am I supposed to be proud of my nation? I am proud of my Afrikaner nation - of those who fought for our beautiful language, our culture and for those who had the willpower to let justice rule in this country. They helped to disinfect the wounds and supported the healing process - because it is in fact possible! My involvement with the study for ThinkQuest made these feelings come up strongly once again. We know that democracy is in our constitution, but it is we who have to live this. The art of South Africa brings into perspective the talent, potential and inner flame of the country's people. Art brings out the subconscious in people. In the subconscious lies our whole being and our daily existence descends from here. Therefore art is the vehicle through which we have access to that of which we are physically unaware. It is also to experience, digest and bring across that which we cannot logically express (or realise). This is why we can all do it. Some people's ability to understand the concept is just better than others'. South Africa shows an abundance of this competence. ThinkQuest gave me the opportunity to (in a way) pay homage to my country's artists: those who showed it visually as well as those who, through their actions, proved to the whole world that we endured the pain, but that through a long journey we have moved closer and closer to our destination. Research on the subject was not always so easy owing to the fact that it was not always possible to personally speak to the artists. One relies on lots of bits and pieces of information. This is usually not easily available and often repeats itself. Still, I found this experience very educational and I hope that this will be the case for each person who visits our site. The art or the 80s contributed purposefully to the journey to freedom in South Africa. Subconsciously, it was also part of the journey to freedom of the arts. Now we can proudly exhibit this to the world - our journey was successful. As was our journey to create a site for the world so that every person has access to South Africa's very existence.