A cut-down piano that emits a single high-pitched note drew students and academics into a discussion on memory, absence and artistic practice when the North-West University (NWU) hosted one of the country’s leading art awards.
The university hosted the Helgaard Steyn Award for Sculpture 2025 at the NWU Gallery, bringing together artists, academics and representatives from the Helgaard Steyn Trust. The award, regarded as the largest art prize in South Africa, forms part of a four-year cycle that alternates between sculpture, painting, musical composition and literary arts.
“It is a great honour to host this prestigious award ceremony,” said Dr Louisemarié Combrink, subject chair for History of Art at the NWU. “This prize is awarded to an artist for a work of exceptional quality and depth, but it also acknowledges a career that has made a contribution to the arts both nationally and internationally.”
For the 2025/2026 cycle, the prize carried a value of R675 000. Past recipients in the sculpture category include Mary Sibande, Jan van der Merwe, Jackson Hlungwane and Angus Taylor.
This year’s award was presented to Cape Town-based artist Ed Young for his work Other People’s Tears Are Only Water. The installation features a piano reduced to a third of its original size, fitted with a mechanism that produces a repetitive high-pitched E note. The instrument, sourced from the Kimberley Hotel in Cape Town, forms part of a broader artistic tradition linked to manipulated objects.
The work draws on a lineage associated with figures such as Marcel Duchamp and Pablo Picasso, where everyday objects are altered to produce new meaning. In Young’s piece, the altered piano and persistent sound invite reflection on absence, memory and the presence of unseen performers.
“History of Art scholarship is engaged in fields such as memory studies, archival history and the material modification of objects into artworks,” said Dr Combrink, linking the work to themes explored in the classroom.
The adjudication process was led by a panel appointed by the Helgaard Steyn Trust, comprising Dr Combrink, Prof Janine Allen from the University of the Free State, and Andrew Lampbrecht, curator at Iziko Museums in Cape Town. The panel reviewed shortlisted works in Cape Town before selecting the winner.
Hosting the ceremony positioned the NWU in the national arts landscape, with dignitaries from the university and the Helgaard Steyn Trust, including Gerhard Rupert, in attendance. The Faculty of Humanities and the School of Communication, particularly the subject group History of Art, also gained visibility through the event.
Students from History of Art and Graphic Design attended both the ceremony and a guest lecture by Ed, where he presented his broader body of work. His practice spans sculpture, painting, installation, performance and writing, with works held in collections such as the Iziko South African National Gallery and institutions in Europe, Asia and the United States.
Ed also engages in public work as co-director of Eh!woza, an organisation that links science communication with community engagement.
The lecture created space for discussion between students and the artist, with questions focusing on conceptual art, process and the role of art in society.
“Meeting an artist of such stature and participating in discussions of his artistic output inspired the students,” said Dr Combrink. “It gave them insight into the possibilities of art in present-day South Africa.”
The event reinforced the role of the NWU in supporting academic engagement with the arts while connecting students to practitioners shaping contemporary artistic discourse.
Ed Young presents his broader body of work during the guest lecture.
Ed was awarded the Helgaard Steyn Award for Sculpture 2025 for his work Other People’s Tears Are Only Water. The installation features a piano reduced to a third of its original size, fitted with a mechanism that produces a repetitive high-pitched E note.
