Nurturing Yesterday, Rendering Tomorrow (NYRT)

A multi-sensory dialogue across time, haptics and fine-art illustration.

Overview & vision

Opening on Friday 23 June 2023, Nurturing Yesterday, Rendering Tomorrow (NYRT) was a multi-day immersive programme spanning an opening night, an artist panel discussion and an intimate Sunday walkabout. The exhibition explored the interconnectedness of time, perception and human imagination.

By pairing fine-art physical illustration with a responsive digital landscape, the project dissected how traditional storytelling and historical archives evolve into the future.

The execution

A dual-artist framework

• Bushy Wopp - Nurturing Yesterday. Focused on history, memory and nostalgia through highly detailed, precise line-work and vibrant imagery on 200gsm True Fibre paper in white wood frames (42 × 59 cm). Featured works included BestFriends, FriendlyVandal and Zeitgeist.
• Andadawg - Rendering Tomorrow. Focused on a bold, cosmic future, challenging conventional ideas of dimension and space. Works were printed on 200gsm True Fibre paper in black vinyl frames (42 × 59 cm), including Stella, Lightyear and Shaman.

Haptic & spatial installation. Beyond framed prints, a tactile installation of segmented, interconnected circular pieces - each embedded with unique textures - invited viewers to physically touch the segments to connect with the archive.

Advanced presentation. Both artists used a frame-free, three-piece digital print layout on custom Perspex table installations (3 × 66 × 66 cm) for their centerpieces - RiseUp I (Bushy Wopp) and Tamkhulu (Andadawg) - augmented by a projected room where human silhouettes integrated with digital assets, bridging audio, visual and haptic planes.

What worked & strategic impact

• Seamless tech-art fusion. The contrast between Bushy Wopp's historical nostalgia and Andadawg's futurism created a thematic arc mirrored by the AR technology.
• High-fidelity tracking. Embedding custom image-targets onto heavy fine-art papers proved high-end physical printing and mobile AR rendering could coexist without compromising gallery aesthetics.
• Intellectual exchange. The Saturday artist panel repositioned the conversation around digital art in South Africa - from "trend" to a critical tool for archiving historical heritage.

Reception & community feedback

NYRT drew a strong community turnout across all three days. Attendees praised the tactile nature of the show - being allowed to physically touch the circular materials while watching the art shift on their screens made them feel like active agents of the narrative rather than passive spectators.

The exhibition's manifesto note resonated deeply:

Storytelling - how my people remember. How my people archive. How we inherit the world.

- Koleka Putuma