MTN commemorates Human Rights Day with free exhibition of acclaimed Images of Human Rights collection

As part of the national commemoration of Human Rights Day on 21 March, the MTN SA Foundation hosted a free exhibition of rarely seen select pieces of fine art at its head office in Fairlands, Johannesburg.

The art collection on display is part of the MTN SA Foundation: "Images of Human Rights" portfolio. The exhibition will be on display at the MTN Innovation Centre bridge linking the Phase 1 and Phase 2 buildings, and will run until the end of May 2017.

The art collection is a result of an initiative by a Durban-based non-profit organisation. As part of this initiative, regional galleries across the country selected 27 South African artists to create a black-and-white print image of one of the 27 clauses of South Africa's new Bill of Rights.

Jan Jordaan, a master printer at the Fine Arts Department at the Durban University of Technology, formerly known as Technikon Natal, printed a limited edition of 50 of these portfolios.

The funds generated from the sale of the portfolios, catalogue, posters and cards were deposited in the Artists for Human Rights trust account, which were disbursed by Amnesty International (SA) and other NGOs for human rights education programmes.

In 1998, MTN contributed towards this important initiative and acquired one of the images of human rights print portfolios for the MTN Art Collection.

Says Graham de Vries, Chief Corporate Officer for MTN SA: "The art community has played an instrumental part in raising awareness about the struggle for human rights in South Africa. As a company that actively supports the arts, it was only natural that MTN opted to be part of this noble initiative that articulated the Bill of Rights in an art form.

"Patrons of the arts would be delighted to know that some of the art in this portfolio are still available for purchase at the Artists for Human Rights - this is an investment in the history of the country."

Interested art collectors can visit the Web site: www.ahrt.org or can contact Anthea Martin at the AHRT (Artists for Human Right Trust) on [email protected] or 082 828 0211.