Augury After Autogogues, a solo exhibition by Miné Kleynhans, Sasol New Signatures Winner 2024

Sasol and the Association of Arts Pretoria are proud to announce the solo exhibition of Miné Kleynhans, winner of the 2024 Sasol New Signatures Visual Arts Competition. As part of her award, Kleynhans will present her first solo body of work, titled Augury After Autogogues, at the Pretoria Art Museum. Her exhibition opens officially on 4 September 2025.

Currently based in Bloemfontein, Miné Kleynhans is the Project Coordinator at the University of the Free State’s Art Gallery. She holds a Master of Fine Art (Cum Laude) from the same institution.

Her solo exhibition, Augury After Autogogues, is a speculative and satirical exploration of contemporary mysticism and self-truths in an age of information overload. Through a series of imaginative installation pieces and invented devices, the exhibition introduces the concept of the “Autogogue”, a self-styled oracle who seeks meaning through intuition, emotion, and personal interpretation. Audiences can expect interactive sculptural works, many of which have been created by new processes and mediums for the artist, such as welding, steelwork, and 3D printing.

“The idea for the exhibition came to me on a flight home from the Sasol New Signatures award ceremony,” Kleynhans explained. “It felt fully formed, like it had been waiting for the right opportunity to emerge.”

Each of the works that will be featured in the exhibition, reflects Kleynhans’ fascination with how individuals respond to the speed, scale, and complexity of modern life. Her devices mimic outdated tools and mystical instruments, blurring the line between satire and sincerity in a commentary on our emotional and spiritual capacities, requiring the viewer to define their own understanding of Kleynhans’ curious cosmology.

The exhibition will coincide with the 2025 Sasol New Signatures exhibition at the Pretoria Art Museum, which includes the final 105 artworks selected from the eight regional submissions centres across South Africa. The winners of the 2025 competition will be announced on September 3. Each artwork that has been selected stands as a testament to the nation’s diverse artistic tapestry, highlighting the richness of contemporary expression. The Sasol New Signatures exhibition will run from Thursday, 4 September to Sunday, 2 November 2025.