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"In divination, you enter a playful mode where you pretend that a palm line or tea-leaf pattern has deep, revealing meaning. We similarly step into that mindset when we engage with art – by pretending, it somehow becomes true," says Miné Kleynhans.
While Kleynhans' win of the Sasol New Signatures 2024 visual arts competition thrust her art into the spotlight, she has been developing her practice of facilitating dialogue between art and the public for many years. Notable highlights include her involvement in the Richmond Land Art Project as project coordinator alongside Willem Boshoff, and her transformation of a gate turnstile at the University of the Free State into a toy windmill, interrogating how universities are gate-keeping entities. Based in Bloemfontein, where she daylights as the manager of the University of the Free State Art Gallery, her work blends rich conceptual depth with interactivity, transforming viewers into active participants.
We were struck by the utter strangeness and mysterious beauty of Kleynhans' 2024 winning work, Meditations on Resentment – an interactive ritual sanctioning the experience and expression of resentment, an emotion often held with secrecy. It was then that she told us, "I really enjoy the idea that people can play with my art," and this has been a thread she's continued to develop.
For her 2025 solo exhibition, Augury After Autogogues, the artist turns her lens on ideas of divination and truth. You wouldn't know this by simply looking at them, but the works on display are tools of the 'Autogogue' – a term coined by Kleynhans to describe a "self-styled oracle who seeks meaning through intuition, emotion, and personal interpretation" – and promise us a higher understanding of ourselves. Whether or not they deliver on this front is another question. The undercurrent of doubt in the efficacy of these tools allows us to explore what truth means in our age of rapid-fire information, and if we can ever truly know ourselves.
Kleynhans explores new materials and processes in these works, from steel and welding to 3D-printing. The fascinating results feel like relics from a forgotten future – part science fiction, part sacred ritual. We caught up with her to dig into the thinking behind the exhibition, the curious philosophy that underpins her work, and the path that led her here.
The title of your winning Sasol New Signatures exhibition, Augury After Autogogues, is fantastic. Could you tell us a bit about how you came to this?
It was quite a challenge to come up with a title that would tie together the different themes running through the exhibition. To ‘Augur’ means to predict, while ‘Autogogue’ – a made-up word inspired by mystagogue or synagogue – suggests a kind of mystic or spiritual role that’s automated or self-guided. I settled on Augury After Autogogues because the exhibition itself acts like a prediction: now that we’re all Autogogues, what might the future look like?
We read that the concept for this show came to you “fully formed” after winning the Sasol New Signatures art prize in 2024, on the plane ride home. What was going through your mind at the time?
I have to admit, “fully formed” might be an overstatement. But the idea that came to me was to build the exhibition around a character, an oracle-like figure who uses various devices to make predictions and find meaning in the world. I thought it would be a fun and cohesive way to approach the whole show.
"I believe imagination and play are at the heart of both making and viewing art." – Miné Kleynhans
In our interview with you in 2024 you said that you like to create work that "asks people to play-pretend with you." Through doing so, your works allow for reflection and the arrival at unexpected truths. How do imagination and play facilitate this?
I believe imagination and play are at the heart of both making and viewing art. I often explore the idea of divination in my work and see a parallel between experiencing art and divination. In divination, you enter a playful mode where you pretend that a palm line or tea-leaf pattern has deep, revealing meaning. We similarly step into that mindset when we engage with art – by pretending, it somehow becomes true.
Your works are wonderfully interactive. Have you always been drawn to art that comes alive through participation in this way?
I’ve always loved making sculptural work. Lately, I’ve realised that creating sculptures is less about making images and more about creating ‘situations.’ This is especially true when the work is interactive – a ‘situation’ calls for a different level of participation from the viewer.
In what ways does having to be aware of how people might engage with your work affect your process?
The way I structure my works is often inspired by the gestures I want to prompt from people engaging with them – whether that’s kneeling, stabbing, erasing, or something else. I’d like to develop this aspect even more in future projects.
"The ways these artworks ‘deal’ with the flood of data are clumsy and outdated – our spiritual and emotional capacities just aren’t developed enough to keep up with our information technologies." – Miné Kleynhans
Tell us a bit about how your practice has changed or shifted since winning Sasol New Signatures 2024?
Conceptually, I’ve continued along the same thread I’ve been exploring for a while, adding more layers to the conversation. But I’ve also expanded the range of materials I work with and developed the aesthetic ‘language’ of my sculptures significantly.
What was it like working towards this solo?
For the most part, it was a lot of fun. I worked hard, but on something I truly love doing. I only wish I’d had a little more time to polish things off – but I suppose that’s always the case!
Your installations for this show are unusual in the best possible way and utilise a variety of mediums – from metal to glass and 3D-printed objects. Which was the most challenging to create, and why?
State of Reproach was the toughest because I’ve only recently learned to weld. Welding is much faster than working with wood, but it’s tricky when you’re just starting out.
The exhibition plays on themes of divination and our age of information overload. How do the instruments that you have made for Augury After Autogogues address the gap between access to information and actually being able to understand it?
I think the exhibition captures a feeling many people share: despondency or helplessness when faced with overwhelming information. The ways these artworks ‘deal’ with the flood of data are clumsy and outdated – our spiritual and emotional capacities just aren’t developed enough to keep up with our information technologies.
"Right now, it’s hard to tell what’s genuine guidance and what’s just being sold – that tension probably defines where we are culturally." – Miné Kleynhans
What “tools of divination” do you partake in, if any? You seem to be both poking fun at the idea and yet there’s something sympathetic, and perhaps even reverent, in your execution too.
I’m glad you picked up on that conflicted feeling! I have a Tarot deck and a bunch of books on divination. I’m drawn to the mystery and depth these practices offer, but I get suspicious when they start feeling like just another fad. Right now, it’s hard to tell what’s genuine guidance and what’s just being sold – that tension probably defines where we are culturally.
Describe what it was like seeing the work you’ve been creating over the past year come together at the Pretoria Art Museum?
I was nervous. Because of personal circumstances, I worked in many different places throughout the year, so I only really saw it all come together during installation. But it looked just as I imagined, and I’m very happy with it.
Did any of the feedback or response to your exhibition surprise you?
Yes! I didn’t realise people found the exhibition title hard to pronounce. Also, I know my work tends to be a bit cryptic. I really appreciate it when conversations with visitors reveal that something I wanted to express actually resonated with them.
What are you most looking forward to going forward? Any plans for what you’d like to explore next?
I’m excited about participating in more substantial exhibitions. Mostly, I feel like I’m still just starting to explore what I want to do in my art, and I hope to keep growing and experimenting.
You can interact with Kleynhans' work yourself at Pretoria Art Museum with her exhibition Augury After Autogogues, on show until Sun, Nov 2, 2025. Showing alongside it is the Sasol New Signatures 2025 exhibition featuring the works of the 106 finalists of Sasol New Signatures 2025. Find out more about the winners and read our interview with the overall winner for 2025, Juandré van Eck.
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