If you’re a human currently living in this planet – and especially if you’re reading VISI – it’s pretty much guaranteed that the modernist movement has profoundly shaped the way you live. From the buildings you walk past to the chairs you sit on, the art that catches your eye, the books you read and even the device you call your mates on, Modernism’s influence is everywhere.

It’s always been underpinned by one idea: that design can build a better world. And thank goodness for that. It turned the drudgery of industrialisation into a world that embraced the beauty of Abstract Expressionism, Art Nouveau, Art Deco, Bauhaus, Mid-century Modernism, Brutalism, Minimalism, Postmodernism… the list can go on.

So where are we now on the modernist continuum?

Well, it’s definitely bounced back from Postmodernism’s eclectic, playful, often ironic approach. Structure and form have returned – but in these strange and complex times, global design is beginning to increasingly reflect our need for something a little softer. We want authenticity and connection; we want muted colours and curvy shapes along with all that reductionist geometry. Think of it as the melding of Mid-century Modernism and Minimalism.

Mid-century Minimalism is what we’re calling it.

Our features in this issue echo this journey. We kick off with a jaw-dropping Mid-century Modern gem of a home in Pretoria. Trust me and turn to page 84 – you won’t believe it. We then move on to three houses that have recently been beautifully reimagined, skilfully managing that trick of a brief yet respectful nod to the original, while embracing a contemporary reinvention. Finally, we end with a new build in Southern California that perfectly represents the Mid-century Minimalist aesthetic.

Modernism in its architectural form has also had a big influence in Africa, and this issue cannot but include a piece on that. African Modernism has cleverly blended the modernist manifesto with local craftsmanship, traditions and cultural narratives – and architect and lecturer Juliet Kavishe’s insightful piece on the movement’s positive sociopolitical impact on our continent is a must-read on page 76.

As always, we profile some of South Africa’s amazing design talent – like Bonolo Chepape of Lulasclan and Walter Train of White Sheep Studio – and we bring you the highlights of the super-successful third edition of Cape Town Furniture Week, of which VISI is a proud partner. Plus there’s a 28-page special section on bathrooms, if you’re looking to create your dream space. Oh, and there will be oxblood… More about that on page 176.

So much to read. Off you go!

– Steve Smith, Editor | info@visi.co.za

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The PangeaSeed Foundation has announced the list of 11 South African and three international mural artists taking part in Sea Walls: Artists for Oceans, their renowned public art programme in Cape Town.

You might have already noticed the murals of mesmerising sea creatures popping up on the sides of buildings throughout Cape Town. They are all part of the Sea Walls: South Africa, presented by the Save Our Seas Foundation, public art programme.

Heading to Cape Town for the inaugural Sea Walls project in Africa will be Antonio Segura, aka DULK, a native of Spain famous for his surreal depictions of threatened animals. DULK and Germany’s Yeye Weller, whose powerful cartoon style has attracted clients such as Warner Bros and the New York Times, will join Si Omar (aka Cracked Ink), the British street artist based in New Zealand known for his character-based, monochromatic creations.

DULK, Weller and Cracked Ink will join top South African artists Amy Lee Tak, Aweh Migo, Breeze Yoko, Care One, DBongz, Marie-Louise Koen, Marti Lund, Sonny Behan, Stefan Smit, and Dirty Native Njabulo Hlophe to add more works to PangeaSeed’s network of more than 500 murals in 19 countries created by more than 400 artists utilising the motto: A Drop of Paint Can Create an Ocean of Change.

Marti Lund’s artwork – the first of 13 public murals to be completed – is a mark of solidarity for efforts to prevent unregulated mining up the West Coast, where hundreds of kilometres of pristine coastline are being mined for diamonds and heavy minerals, with many more under threat.

The murals aim to inspire ocean stewardship through visual storytelling, drawing on local environmental and historical challenges.

In Newlands, the work by DBongz will pay homage to its location on a wall on the side of the Cape Town headquarters of the South African National Deaf Association. Armed with buckets and tools to collect ocean plastics, a young child signals via sign language his intent to protect endangered species whose natural habitats are being destroyed by humans.

Apart from the actual work in locations such as Gardens, Kalk Bay, Newlands, Muizenberg, Cape Town CBD, and Salt River, visitors can enjoy a week-long, free-to-the-public programme that includes a youth outreach at local schools, a coastal cleanup, and self-guided driving tours to the murals. Sea Walls: South Africa, in partnership with SJ Artists and Wavescape, will culminate in a free community event at Jack Black’s Taproom that features short film screenings and a panel discussion at the intersection between science, art and activism.

“Our collaboration with Sea Walls puts Cape Town on a global map as a special leg on a unique tour of art and activism that brings to life how critically important the oceans are to our survival. It’s also a way to leave behind a legacy for Cape Town residents and our artistic community to engage with each other, and feel part of the global Sea Walls family, who make such a visual impact in the quest to protect our oceans,” says Project Manager for Sea Walls: South Africa Shani Judes.

Follow Sea Walls: Artist for Oceans on Instagram to keep tabs on all the murals currently being painted.

Looking for more local art? Sign up to our weekly newsletter, here.

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Durban-based industrial and product designer Siviwe Jali, a finalist of Nando’s Hot Young Designer (HYD) Talent Search 2020, recently won Best New Talent at Decorex Cape Town 2022. We caught up with him to find out more about the projects he’s proud of, his artistic process and what makes him the most creative.

Siviwe’s work formed part of an exhibition of past and current designs by the various finalists and winners of HYD as curated by Clout/SA’s director, Tracy Lynch. His works included Nokhanya Lights, Ntsimbi server and Cupisa bench. The lights are a collaboration with Ashanti Design, the server was brought to life with the assistance of TanDesignSA and the bench is made by Pedersen + Lennard.

He’s also the founder of the Durban-based industrial and product design consultancy uMugqa Studio. With a clear line (uMugqa means line in isiZulu) drawn between identifying a problem and solving it, uMugqa Studio aims to elevate functional, social-conscious design.

Who is Siviwe Jali?

I am an Industrial designer from Durban. An extroverted introvert, design nerd and coffee connoisseur. I grew up in Durban for most of my life, where I spent most of my childhood at the beach and running around with my friends getting up to mischief. My hobbies include reading, listening to music and podcasts, watching movies, and designing and making things. I can’t sit still – always tinkering and doing something.

Where did you design journey begin?

I was always interested in arts and crafts as a kid, but the spark really started in primary school when my older sister started studying graphic design. I saw that I could create a path for myself in this type of field. When the time came to choose a career in matric, I wanted to do psychology. I was short of a few points for that, but could still apply for design school. The funny thing is that objects like furniture affect one’s psychology, behaviour and health.

What inspires your designs?

A lot of places – from personal experience, observation and a lot of curiosity about mashing up my interests. People are also a huge source of inspiration, as is my culture.

Tell us about your favourite projects.

The Kwena Square Bench and Bin project I recently did was really good. The Nokhanya Light with Ashanti is another special project because I worked on that design for years, and partnering with them really took the design to the next level. And, of course, the Ntsimbi Server because of how quickly it came together. I had never designed anything like it before.

Tell us about your creative process.

Lots of research; I am very strict about doing the best research for a project. Sometimes I look into data and research for days before I start to design. I use quick sketches when I start to conceptualise, then move into more detailed drawings. Then I go on to CAD and do quick renders and if things still don’t make sense or I need to feel the object, I will create a prototype. None of this is set in stone, sometimes I jump around and patch things together.

What’s your dream design job?

A social impact project that benefits an underserved community and also results in some form of profit. That very narrow trade-off where capitalism is being used for good!

What have you been doing since being a finalist in the Hot Young Designer 2020 competition?

I have been working on my practice, uMugqa, and developing a range of products.

Do you have some exciting upcoming projects or collaborations that you would like to share?

Everything I am working on is still in development and so I have to keep it hush-hush.

Any advice be for a budding furniture designer?

Learn how to see details: observe how people use objects and get deeply curious about how things are made. This will lay the foundation. After that, remember to have child-like wonder and play a lot. Also, try to come up with an opinion and point of view for life that bleeds into your work. Interesting people create interesting work.

Love Siviwe’s work? Follow him on Instagram for more.

Looking for more design inspiration? Sign up to our weekly newsletter, here.

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A one-of-a-kind knife is going on auction in support of the Eat Out Restaurant Relief Fund.

Schaffer Blades owner Wesley Keudel-Schaffer has carved out a niche for himself as a bespoke knife maker. And now he’s looking to give back to a restaurant industry in peril due to COVID-19. Earlier this month, he reached out to the Eat Out Restaurant Relief Fund, offering a gorgeous hand-made knife as a donation.

Wesley says: “I have learnt that firstly, a knife is a cutting tool. This is where the alchemy of the steel interests the engineer in me. Secondly, a knife is a work of art. As humans, we naturally relate to the emotional response that art gives us. As knife makers, we try to incorporate both aspects into making the perfect knife.”

A knife is also a chef’s best friend and this particular one could be worth well more than its value of R10 000. Today, it goes on auction for a good cause.

The Eat Out Restaurant Relief Fund is supporting restaurants that are making meals for feeding schemes. So far, it has paid out R1 140 000 in donations to 38 restaurants across SA, helping them make more than half a million meals during May.

All money raised from the auction of the gyuto Japanese chef’s knife that Wesley has crafted will go to restaurants feeding those in need.

It has a 196mm x 49mm Damasteel Björkmans Twist blade hardened to around 63HRc. Its western-style handle is of side-cut carbon fibre, African ebony, Arizona ironwood burl and sterling silver. This beautiful item also comes cased in a custom 16-inch knife case from Robbins Custom Cases.

“It can be said that this knife is handmade through every process and it is truly unique,” says Wesley. “There will only be one of its kind in the world.”

It’s yours if you want it. Simply bid on Eat Out’s Facebook page from 12 noon till 8pm SAST on 28 May 2020. The opening bid is R2 000. All money raised will go to restaurants feeding those in need.

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 From large monochrome murals and a majestic chandelier by local lighting design studio willowlamp to a book on Soviet underground stations and trendy wall shelves, these are the top VISI Picks of the Week Series – Week 306.

1. MonkeyBird’s Murals

The secret Bordeaux-based team that makes up MonkeyBird create giant murals in black and white. Their subject matter depicts mythological animals done in a cross-contour style with gold accents.

Image credit: MonkeyBird via thisiscolossal.com

2. New Chandelier From willowlamp

Adam Hoets, founder and designer of local lighting design studio willowlamp, draws on sacred geometry and nature when creating his intricate chandeliers. willowlamp’s latest lamp, the Crystal Mandala, is inspired by the brand’s original Mandala design.

Images courtesy of willowlamp

3. Cécile & Boyd Launch Candle

Interior design and creative direction studio Cécile & Boyd’s new hand-crafted scented candle features a beautiful frangipani fragrance and a long burn time. It is available to purchase online and at the brand’s Durban and Cape Town shops.

Images courtesy of cecileandboyds.com

4. Christopher Herwig’s Soviet Metro Stations

After documenting 15 cities in seven countries and taking over 15 000 photographs, photographer Christopher Herwig has now released a new book that showcases the astounding, diverse architecture of underground metro stations in the former U.S.S.R.

Image credit: Christopher Herwig

5. Etage by destroyers/builders

Linde Freya Tangelder of destroyers/builders created her Etage pieces by drawing inspiration from Danish architect Per Kirkby and the project “House V_H” by Belgian agency Dhoore Vanweert. The shelves are available in three different sizes and materials, including brass, aluminium, ash and oak.

Images courtesy of destroyersbuilders.com

Browse more like VISI picks of the week series – week 306 on picks of the week 40.

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From terrazzo furniture and a brand-new sneaker collab to “embroidered” cakes and fun ice blocks, these are top VISI picks of the week series – week 295.

1. Apt X Huguet’s Terrazzo Furniture

Architecture studio Apt collaborated with tile manufacturer Huguet to create a terrazzo bench. The collaboration saw the combination of three new terrazzo types to create a bench, that if reproduced, would be entirely unique, made up of individual fragments that would otherwise have been discarded.

Image credit: Andrés Fraga via Archdaily

2. Blue Bears by Monkey Business

Monkey Business collaborated with designers Alma Shaham and Oded Friedland on a new range of ice blocks. The frozen Blue Bears, which are filled with non-toxic fluid, are available in two sizes, a mother and cub. Perfect for summer picnics!

Images via monkeybusinessusa.com

3. PUMA x SUE TSAI Collaboration

Inspired by the nostalgia of high school memories and first loves, visual artist Sue Tsai has collaborated with PUMA on a new collection of sneakers. Covered in poetry, doodles, embroidery and patches, the range also features apparel and matching accessories. The PUMA x SUE TSAI collab is available at PUMA Select stores, X-Trend, Superbalist, Hipkicks and Madaiza.

Images courtesy of PUMA

4. Patagonia’s Recycled Black Hole Bags

Outdoor brand Patagonia has launched a new range of water-resistant bags made from 10 million recycled plastic bottles. Both the body fabric and the webbing of the bag make use of the recycled plastic.

Images via patagonia.com

5. Leslie Vigil’s Tapestry Cakes

California-based cake artist Leslie Vigil creates spectacular cakes that look like they’ve been embroidered with thread. Inspired by nature, Leslie also bakes cakes that mimic succulents and beautiful bouquets.

Images via leslievigil.com

Find more like VISI Picks of the Week series – week 295 here.

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Based on the concept of a capsule coffee machine, Click & Grow uses pre-seeded biodegradable plant capsules combined with modern technology to create indoor herb gardens.

Imagine a minimal-effort self-sustaining garden that comes complete with a self-watering tank, a grow light and a diverse selection of plant pods for sale online. Well, Click & Grow Indoor Smart Gardens are now sold in South Africa.

With more than 45 varieties of fruits, leafy greens and herbs to choose from, you have a compact garden at your (green) fingertips, available online.

The Smart Garden 3, R2 450

The concept behind digital farming is to move away from conventional – and often bland-tasting – store-bought herbs in wasteful packaging.

These smart gardens feature a sleek design, perfect for your kitchen countertop. In addition to aesthetics, with Click & Grow you are encouraging local food production, minimising waste and promoting organic eating.

Click & Grow says it is working towards making essential, fresh, vitamin-packed food free for everyone on this planet, because we all deserve to enjoy fresh food and thrive. The company is moving towards this goal through offering high-quality indoor gardens and food-growing systems that support its mission of building large self-sustainable farms in places where they are needed the most.

Use the promo code VISI101 at checkout to get R500 off an indoor garden. The promo code is valid until 3 June 2019. Visit digitalfarming.co.za to shop.

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From giant pigeon murals and a permanent lamp installation in Sweden to customisable occasion books and a multifunctional stool, these are the top VISI picks of the week series – week 254.

1. Adele Renault’s Pigeon Murals

“I really feel that pigeons get a bad rep,” says Content Producer Michaela Stehr. “I love how artist Adele Renault highlights the beauty of these creatures as opposed to the regular belief that they’re just an urban nuisance.”

Image credit: thisiscolossal.com

2. Hark & Hare

“Cape Town-based studio Hark & Hare creates beautiful, customisable occasion books that illustrate and celebrate treasured memories,” says Online Editor Lindi Brownell Meiring. “The idea is that it’s a collaborative gift for someone special – a group comes together to contribute to the book, with each individual being allocated a double page spread to share their memory of the person the book is for. I love that written memories are accompanied by personal illustrations.”

Image credit: harkandhare.com

3. X-Stool by MUT Design for BOLIA 

“How cool is this little stool, designed for Scandinavian brand Bolia?” asks Features Editor Amelia Brown. “A modern reinterpretation of the iconic Butterfly Stool, the X-Stool is a multifunctional piece that can be used as a seat or side table.”

Image credit: mutdesign.com

4. Lamp Installation by Front at Sweden’s National Museum

“After five long years undergoing a renovation, the National Museum of Sweden has finally reopened,” says Editor-in-Chief Sumien Brink. “I adore the permanent lamp installation in the museum’s library, designed by Swedish studio Front. It’s a reworked version of the classic green lamps often seen in libraries.”

Image credit: Andy Liffner via frontdesign.se

5. Custom Lamps for La Petite Ferme by Janet Ceramics

“These beautifully crafted table lamps were created especially for the newly refurbished La Petite Ferme in Franschhoek,” says Managing Editor Samantha Charles. “I especially like the first nature-inspired lamp, which the brand describes as inspired by ‘the gills of a mushroom, the rings of a tree trunk, perhaps the layers of an anthill.'”

Image credit: janetlightbody.com

Browse more like VISI picks of the week series – week 254 on picks of the week 143.

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Artist duo Bigert & Bergström were commissioned by Sweden’s housing co-operative association to create a space where residents of Kiruna, the country’s northernmost city, could come together.

Previously featured here, the Solar Egg, made up of 69 golden faceted mirrors, is actually a public sauna. “We have worked a lot with interactive and social sculptures where visitors can go inside or sit on a sculpture,” says the duo in the above clip. “One could describe our art as an intersection where people, nature and technology come together.”

Watch the clip above to get a peek inside this clever design.

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Sports brand adidas in collaboration with Parley for the Oceans – an environmental initiative – has created a pair of adidas sneakers made from plastic waste collected from the oceans. London-based designer Alexander Taylor designed the shoes, which use adidas’s existing manufacturing processes.

“This project triggered a new way for me to work and imagine how my studio could adapt and evolve in the future. A designer can be the agitator and the agent for change. He must be entrepreneurial in spirit, seeking out collaborators to reach amazing solutions that outperform and offer truly viable alternatives to current methods,” says Taylor.

The upper part of the shoe is made entirely from recycled plastic. In fact, the only part of the shoe that contains virgin material is the thermoplastic polyurethane in the sole.

Until the end of July, sneakerheads can enter a competition to win one of the only 50 available pairs by producing an Instagram video showing how they plan to “avoid single use plastic items and support Parley’s Ocean Plastic Programme.”

Although full details on the competition have not been revealed yet, keep a close eye on adidas’s social media accounts.

(h/t) designboom.com

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