Creative Week Cape Town

Cape Town is a veritable creative maelstrom kicking off with the ArchitectureZA Biennial Festival, which leads into Creative Week and culminates in the Loeries Awards weekend. Here’s our highlights.

Wednesday 12 September

Future African City exhibition

Until Monday 17 September 9am to 6pm, Truth HQ, Buitenkant St

The world’s population is increasingly moving towards urban environments. The fifth annual C&CI Sustainable Design Competition invited students to submit concrete or cement design interventions that provide insight and solutions to how we can better reimagine African cities and urban systems.

There’s yummy free Truth coffee for those who present the flyer above.

Thursday 13 September

Architecture Africa Film Series

At 7pm, Cape Town City Hall

• Moving Space Student Films: A programme of the 2012 finalists in this architectural filmmaking competition.
• Missing Statements – The Architecture of Dutch Diplomacy: Documentary about the Dutch government’s move to promote their architects by building modern Dutch embassies around the world. 
• Life Architecturally: Behind-the-scenes following acclaimed Australian husband-and-wife team architect Robert McBride and interior designer Debbie Ryan.

Entry is free for AZA2012 delegates.

Friday 14 September

ArchitectureZA Conference

Until Sunday 16 September, Cape Town City Hall

“Rescripting Architecture” is the theme for this year’s event, which will be attended by over a thousand local and international architects. Read more.

Book now.

• The architect as entrepreneur
  Day 1 of AZA2012: James du Plessis is impressed by Thorsten Deckler and Joe Osae-Addo who demand that architects push beyond obvious financial limitations.

• The puppetry of architecture
  Day 1 of AZA2012: Marine Leblond is blown away by Handspring Puppet Company’s presentation on the connections between puppetry and architecture.

• Architecture as a mirror
  Day 2 of AZA2012: Kibwe Tavares’s multi-disciplinary animations and Rahul Mehrotra’s work in urban India stand out for James du Plessis.

• Architecture for everyone, and elephants
  Day 2 of AZA2012: Marine Leblond is enchanted by Indian architect Rahul Mehrotra’s humility, ingenuity and endurance, and just can’t contain her monsoon of praise…

• Bow-Wow and Adjaye
  Day 3 of AZA2012: James du Plessis was most impressed with Studio Bow-Wow’s work in fishing villages and David Adjaye’s slave museum in Washington.

• From minimalist to monumental
  Day 3 of AZA2012: The day of starchitects went from Bow-Wow’s minimalism to David Adjaye’s monumental, but what about the ‘majority world’, asks Marine Leblond.

Saturday 15 September

Do You Want To Play?

Daily until 23 September (weather permitting), various venues including the paved walkways in Company Gardens

We’re intrigued by this event that promises a game of chess with a chalk-drawn set. Every move is videotaped, photographed and hand drawn and at the end of each game a video will exist. The organiser promises that the drawing goes quickly and that he is a challenging opponent!

More info.

Toilet Cubicalism Exhibition

Opening at 5pm, shows until 15 November

There has been much public sphere palaver about toilets in the Western Cape over the past year or more and a few months ago, the World Design Capital 2014 campaign took up the cause. Finding the light side in all of this, creative director Zavick aka Supadog Botha from Studio 41 is launching an ongoing project in which every three months he invites creatives to turn the studio’s toilets into art installations. The first three installations will be unveiled by Janet Botes, Jared Aufrichtig and Kat van Pool.

More info on the Studio 41 daily events programme for Creative Week.

Sunday 16 September

Parklets

Until 23 September, various venues including 105 Harrington Street (outside Our Lucky Café) and 133 Bree Street (outside Clarke’s)

In a revival of the “Occupy” movement, Capetonians are claiming back their streets from the automobiles with a series of pop-up gardens replacing parking bays. Places to rest and reflect as well as to send the message (ahead of International Car Free Day on 22 September) that parking spaces could so easily be transformed into active, beautiful, community spaces.

Monday 17 September

A Piece of the City

Until Tuesday 17 September, Cape Town City Hall

An intense two-day studio-based masterclass aimed at practicing professional architects, academics and senior students, and presented by Atelier Bow-Wow from Japan, Elena Rocchi from Spain, and Ora Joubert and Andrew Makin from South Africa.

More info and bookings.

Before I Die

Corner of Commercial and Canterbury streets, Cape Town

Before I Die is an global public art project that invites people to share their hopes and dreams by writing them on a wall in a public space. It was originally created by Candy Chang on an abandoned house in her New Orleans neighbourhood after losing someone she loved.

Tuesday 18 September

Beijing Opera Pop-up Restaurant

Until 21 September, CHURCH, 12 Spin St, Cape Town

Yang Zhao will be making delicious dim sum at the Spier Secret Festival’s pop-up restaurant. Lunch will be served sit-down or takeaway; no booking required. For dinner there’s a set menu of three courses for R120 per person with two sittings, one at 6pm and one at 8pm; booking recommended.

Email to book.  

Nature’s Palette

At 5pm until 1 October, Freeworld Design Centre, 71 Waterkant St

Plascon’s Freeworld Design Centre is launching their newest exhibition, Natures Palette. In celebration of the new season, Karen Suskin, Helen Somogyvari, Christopher Parker and Nicholas Laird explore eco-fabulousness and its diverse colour palette.

More info.

Plascon Architecture Film Series

At 6pm, Freeworld Design Centre, 71 Waterkant St

• Moving Space Student Films: A programme of the 2010, 2011 and 2012 winners of this architectural filmmaking competition.
• Life Architecturally: Behind-the-scenes following acclaimed Australian husband-and-wife team architect Robert McBride and interior designer Debbie Ryan.

Entry is free.

Tjing Tjing Exchange

From 6pm to 10pm, Tjing Tjing Bar, 165 Longmarket Street, Cape Town

The roughly monthly or so creative market of hip young creatives will be doing a special Creative Week edition with twee ceramics, wooden sunglasses, customised sneakers, leather-and-felt iPad covers, whimsical jewellery, a pop-up portrait photobooth, and ethical meat, bread and beer just some of things that will be on offer.

More info.

Wednesday 19 September

Objectified

At 7pm, East City Alley, intersection of Harrington and Barrack Streets, Cape Town

The second of Gary Hustwit’s acclaimed design trilogy, Objectified will be screened against an alley wall with beer and food served from the Limoncello food truck. There are only 75 tickets at R75 (including refreshments) available, and only online. No tickets will be sold at the event. 

Book now.

Friday 21 September

Loeries Awards

Various venues including the Cape Town City Hall and International Convention Centre

The 34th annual Loeries Awards celebrating the best of our local advertising, media and design will get going on Friday with seminars, parties (lots and lots), and awards ceremonies. VISI in particular is looking forward to the awards in the “Design” category, but we wish everyone who has entered good luck!

More info.

Urbanized

At 7pm, East City Alley, intersection of Harrington and Barrack Streets, Cape Town

The second of Gary Hustwit’s acclaimed design trilogy, Urbanized will be screened against an alley wall with beer and food served from the Limoncello food truck. There are only 75 tickets at R75 (including refreshments) available, and only online. No tickets will be sold at the event. 

Book now.

Sunday 23 September

Spring(haas)run

At 8:30am, Haas, 67 Rose Street, Bo-kaap

Aimed at promoting non-motorised forms of transport, Spring(haas)run promises a fun bicycle or skateboard ride through the city culminating at the Company Gardens. The dress code is vintage and there are prizes for best-dressed. 

More info.

We’ll be updating this guide daily, so check back regularly for additional tips or follow us on Twitter and like us on Facebook. If you have anything you want us to include, tweet us or post it on our Facebook wall.