This group show, the first 40 Stones exhibition done in a church building, was a collaboration with Krux Christian Study Centre and Christ Church Somerset West. The exhibition ran for two weeks and was the backdrop for regular church services and the annual Krux Artists' Gathering. 

The Christ Church building was designed by acclaimed South African architect Jo Noero and served as the inspiration for this group exhibition.

The title refers to a distinctive feature of ecclesiastical architecture. The transept is a passage which separates the sanctuary and altar from the congregation, and is symbolic of a threshold between the sacred and profane. An area known as 'the crossing' is formed in the center and is typically surrounded by four main piers that support the spire. 
 

In Jo Noero’s design for Christ Church Somerset West, the circular design and four surrounding piers can be seen to expand the crossing in a way which could be read as dissolving the distinction between the congregation and the sanctuary. In this space the realms of the sacred and profane overlap and the commonplace is raised up to the level of the sacred - or perhaps the distinction is removed entirely.

 

Curated by: Jonathan Griffiths, Maryke Van Velden and Nericke Labuschagne