The little village of Nieu-Bethesda, tucked into a fold of the Sneeuberg Mountains in the Eastern Cape Karoo, is one of the creative touchstones of South Africa.
by Wilhelm Bleek and Lucy Lloyd.
, a collection of wire-and-rock mountain figures, have become another reason to stick around and spend more time in the Sneeuberg.Artist Albert Redelinghuys swapped Gauteng for Nieu-Bethesda in 2004. From then onwards, he has had a special relationship with the local NG church. The dominie at the time entrusted him with a giant key and pressed him into service as the clock-winder. It takes 56 vigorous turns to keep the clock going for six and a half days. “This is a wonderful space to enter.
Of late he has turned his attention to the micro landscapes of the Karoo, transformed by the breaking of the drought. “The little rain hollows, filled by streams. The cloudy green of the water that hides who knows what in its unseen depths? Maybe a mermaid, or the spirit of a mermaid? A mystery.” He is entranced by the daily lightshow from his studio at the end of each day, the view of the church tower and the wind that sometimes carries the chimes across the river.
Veteran Nieu-Bethesda sculptor Frans Boekkooi adding the final touches to a piece. Image: Chris Marais & Julienne du Toit
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