8 Things to Do at Solo Studios 2024

WORDS Gina Dionisio PHOTOS Supplied

Solo Studios 2024 taking place in the quaint Swartland town of Riebeek Kasteel between 9-11 August offers abundant ways to fill your cultural and culinary cup.

Solo Studios 2024 is spotlighting The Riebeek Valley which has become the nexus for a vibrant and growing artistic community. Between 9-11 August, the Riebeek Kasteel will host numerous food, wine and art events.

Take a seat

Isabella Niehaus, a well-known resident chef, stylist, and internationally renowned cookbook author from Riebeek Kasteel will be showcasing her edible art at Solo Studios’ series of Long Table dining events. These intimate dinners, taking place on Friday, August 9th and Saturday, August 10th, will each seat only 14 guests and feature wine pairings from Swartland producers, including Jolize van Wyk of Great Heart Wines. The dinners will be held at the Potager Kitchen of Jan Seidel, located at The Valley Potager, overlooking his vegetable and plant garden.

Beyond the canvas

This year, Solo Studios is going beyond the canvas to showcase a variety of performing arts, taking place day and night including poetry and music ensembles:

• The Moon Looks Delicious From Here – multidisciplinary artist, writer and performer Aldo Brincat will give two performances of his solo theatre smash hit The Moon Looks Delicious From Here, which recently garnered a Special Jury Award at the Bitesize Theatre Festival in London. This one-man performance offers a dynamic semi-biographical portrayal of the relationship between a caring father and his son, set against the backdrop of South Africa’s constantly evolving political landscape.
• Swartland – along with his participation as an exhibiting artist at Pictorex, observational photographer, poet and producer Rudolph Willemse will bring his production of Swartland to Solo Studios, featuring Afrikaans poetry from his third volume of poetry.
• Winelands Philharmonic Orchestra – the orchestra will perform a concert featuring internationally renowned South African violinist Eriel Huang. With the orchestra also collaborating with the Riebeek Valley Steelband, the concert aims to celebrate the richness of our local talent and the vibrant landscape of the Riebeek Valley.

Studio strolls

One of the highlights of Solo Studios is the chance to wander from one studio to another and engage with the artists. This year’s participating studio solo artists include Sharon Bischoff, Wiehan de Jager, Ade Kipades, Solly Smook, André François van Vuuren, Riaan van Zyl, Emma Willemse, Lizette Visser, Kevan Moses, Paul Kristafor, Wiehan de Jager, Gordon Williams, Sharon Bischoff, Andries Dirks, Carin Dorrington, JP Meyer, Katja Abbott, Louis Nel, Julia Buss and Peter Steere.

Collaborative canvases 

Local artists are opening their studios to artists outside the community in the spirit of collaboration, adding to the weekend’s creative energy, while also exposing visitors to more styles of artistic expression. These collaborations are a natural fit between artists whose styles and bodies of work are complementary. This year’s collaborative artists are Paul Kristafor, Clayton Sutherland, Mare Louise Smit, Hannelie Strydom, Adele Sherlock, Elske Hendersen and Binky Newman of Design Afrika.

Love for olives (and wine)

Dip into samples of award-winning olives, olive oils, tapenades and other olive products at the Olive Boutique, Het Vlock Casteel and Kloovenberg (which produces both olives and wine) and sip your way through Chenins, Cabernet Sauvignons and Shirazes at local wine estates Allesverloren and Riebeek Cellars.

Gallery hopping

This year’s list of participating galleries includes RK Contemporary Gallery, Gallery 7, Pictorex, 1 Royal Guesthouse (a lovely local guesthouse and co-sponsor of Solo Studios) and Die Kunshuis.

Art for good

Explore the vibrant art community at Gallery 7 in Riebeek Kasteel and support emerging artists. In partnership with Riebeek Valley and Swartland Tourism, the gallery will showcase a collection of small portraits created by participating Solo Studios artists during the festival weekend. Each artist was tasked with producing an artwork on a 210mm x 210mm canvas. These mini works will be auctioned at the One Shot Auction, with bidding taking place from Friday morning throughout the weekend. Winners will be announced on Sunday 11 August at 3pm, with proceeds going back into the community.

Walkabouts

Take a guided walkabout and delve deeper into the understanding of a work, an artist and even a creative movement. At this year’s Solo Studios, ticket holders can sign up for several guided walkabouts running throughout the weekend, with knowledgeable guides who will walk them through a range of studios for a curated experience. To keep the groups intimate, limited space is available, so be sure to book well in advance.

Solo Studios 2024

This year Solo Studios takes place in Riebeek Valley from Friday 9 to Sunday 11 August. | solostudios.co.za

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