exhibition Archives | Visi https://visi.co.za/tag/exhibition/ SA's most beautiful magazine Mon, 24 Nov 2025 14:55:30 +0000 en-GB hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.9.5 https://visi.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/cropped-ICO-32x32-Black-1-1-32x32.png exhibition Archives | Visi https://visi.co.za/tag/exhibition/ 32 32 Here Comes the Sun https://visi.co.za/emotions-of-the-sun-veuve-clicquots-world-class-photography-exhibition-comes-to-cape-town/ Thu, 04 Dec 2025 04:00:00 +0000 https://visi.co.za/?p=652781 On show at Youngblood Gallery on Bree Street from 4 to 21 December 2025, Emotions of the Sun – Veuve Clicquot’s acclaimed photographic exhibition in collaboration with the legendary Magnum Photos agency – unites forty extraordinary works by eight celebrated Magnum photographers in dialogue with light.

The post Here Comes the Sun appeared first on Visi.

]]>
On show at Youngblood Gallery on Bree Street from 4 to 21 December 2025, Emotions of the Sun – Veuve Clicquot’s acclaimed photographic exhibition in collaboration with the legendary Magnum Photos agency – unites forty extraordinary works by eight celebrated Magnum photographers in dialogue with light.


WORDS Gina Dionisio PHOTOS Supplied


Following showcases in Milan and New York, Emotions of the Sun arrives in South Africa for the first time – a fitting destination for a project celebrating the sun.

“The Sun is our ultimate muse,” says Thomas Mulliez, President of Veuve Clicquot. “It’s a source of warmth and creativity, deeply intertwined with our philosophy. Cape Town, with its radiant light and vibrant creative community, embodies this spirit perfectly. It feels only natural for Emotions of the Sun to find a home here, a city that lives and breathes the optimism and artistry we celebrate.”

Veuve Clicquot
Nanna Heitmann

For Emotions of the Sun, each Magnum photographer received carte blanche to explore and reinterpret the sun. The result is a series of images that capture the sun’s many facets: as a force of life, a spark for play, a source of connection across cultures, and a radiant expression of Veuve Clicquot’s joie de vivre. Together, the photographs form a mosaic of perspectives spanning five continents, acting as a bridge between cultures. The celebrated photographers include Steve McCurry, Cristina de Middel, Trent Parke, Alex Webb, Nanna Heitmann, Olivia Arthur, Newsha Tavakolian and South Africa’s own Lindokuhle Sobekwa.

“Being part of this collective of Magnum photographers has been humbling and transformative,” says local photographer Lindokuhle Sobekwa. “To have my work exhibited alongside such diverse global perspectives has given me visibility on a new stage. More importantly, it’s reminded me how emotion and light connect us all, wherever we are in the world.”

Veuve Clicquot

Beyond the exhibition, Emotions of the Sun invites visitors into a fully immersive experience. At the Sun on Your Plate Café, local culinary talent Seth Shezi presents a menu inspired by the sun, perfectly paired with Veuve Clicquot’s sunny cuvées. The celebration continues at the gifting boutique, where personalisation allows guests to create bespoke Veuve Clicquot collectables, from the Clicquot Arrow and Ice Jacket to limited-edition summer accessories. | veuveclicquot.com


Tickets to the Emotions of the Sun exhibition are R200 via howler.co.za and include a glass of Veuve Clicquot Yellow Label, as well as access to the immersive exhibition, the Sun on Your Plate Café and the gifting boutique.


Don’t forget to sign up to our weekly newsletter for the latest architecture and design news.

The post Here Comes the Sun appeared first on Visi.

]]>
Q&A with Iron Artist Mark Hilltout https://visi.co.za/qa-with-iron-artist-mark-hilltout/ Tue, 14 May 2024 05:00:00 +0000 https://visi.co.za/?p=633937 We caught up with Mark ahead of his collaborative exhibition with Nyasha Mashumba titled A Retrospective in Corrugated Iron taking place on 23 May 2024 at Corrugated Iron House in Woodstock, Cape Town.

The post Q&A with Iron Artist Mark Hilltout appeared first on Visi.

]]>
INTERVIEWED BY Gina Dionisio


We caught up with Mark ahead of his collaborative exhibition with Nyasha Mashumba titled A Retrospective in Corrugated Iron taking place on 23 May 2024 at Corrugated Iron House in Woodstock, Cape Town.

When did you start creating art?

As a youngster, my father (who was a travelling salesman) would drop me off at local tips and metal scrapyards. I was fascinated by decay, in this case, rust from a very early age.

The drawings I did helped me find a place at Birmingham College of Art, where I decided to specialise in Graphic design. Graphic design led me to advertising.

Having learnt to sew with metal, I started a metal workshop in Woodstock in 2010. My medium is old rusted corrugated iron, and with this material, I made frames, table tops, sculptures, and signage. It was only after four years that I took painting with flattened corrugated iron seriously. And I haven’t stopped since.

Tell us about your style and artistic process?

Because my medium is flattened corrugated iron, my work is unique. My style comes from the decay and patina of the corrugated iron itself. My artistic process is about finding the corrugated iron – not an easy task (it must have aged for at least 100 years).

We bang each piece flat, paint one side with a vinegar and emulsion paint mixture, and leave it outside for days, weeks, or months, depending on the metal. Nyasha and I file it in our “library” according to texture and colour. And then we start the stitching process (like stapling).

What is your favourite subject matter?

The unseen, the overlooked and the glory of imperfection. It surrounds me in Woodstock every day. And every day I see something different.

What does a regular day look like for you in your studio? 

Assuming we have a full library of corrugated iron, we’ll decide on a subject to create in corrugated iron. We select the sheets of corrugated iron, making a palette of colours, and then we cut and stick the pieces back together again (with a drawing or photograph to roughly guide us).

It’s a cycle – find, flatten, paint, rust, collate, cut up, and so on.

What inspires you?

Other craftsmen and artists who see the beauty and complexity of this magnificent material and use it in their own way. There are billions of unwanted and unloved pieces of corrugated iron scattered all over the cape. There are many corrugated iron artists in the world, but to my knowledge, no one bangs it flat.

And once it’s flat you have a canvas….

Can you tell us more about this exhibition?

Our exhibition A Retrospective in Corrugated Iron celebrates the art of reinvention, the resilience of forgotten materials, and the symbolic relationship between the artist, the medium and the viewer. The exhibition is taking place on 23 May 2024 at Corrugated Iron House, 6 Ravenscraig Road in Woodstock, Cape Town. | axisartgallery.co.za


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

The post Q&A with Iron Artist Mark Hilltout appeared first on Visi.

]]>
Artists We Love: motelseven https://visi.co.za/artists-we-love-motelseven/ Thu, 21 Sep 2023 05:00:00 +0000 https://visi.co.za/?p=628194 Ahead of her solo show at WORLDART Gallery on the 5th of October 2023, we decided to catch up with Cape Town-based graffiti artist and painter motelseven to find out what it's all about.

The post Artists We Love: motelseven appeared first on Visi.

]]>
INTERVIEWED BY Michaela Stehr IMAGES @motelseven40hk


Ahead of her solo show at WORLDART Gallery on the 5th of October 2023, we decided to catch up with Cape Town-based graffiti artist and painter motelseven to find out what it’s all about.

Give us some brief background about yourself.

I’m motelseven. I’m a female graffiti artist and painter. I had my first show in 2009. After a few shows in Europe, I decided to take a break and focus on being a chef for ten years. I started painting again after a few personal changes in my life in 2020.

motelseven

Tell us about your upcoming show.

This show is about nostalgia, how our memories get warped with time. The paintings speak of mental health, trauma and anxiety and how it stems from childhood. It’s about growing up and expecting a drastic change, but we all carry that inner child inside of us. We can never really let go of that, and finding peace with it helps us to lay it to rest. There’s a poem by William Wordsworth – intimations of mortality from early recollections of childhood – and he speaks about this strange phenomenon like our innocence and magic get slowly saturated by time, but we still carry it with us.

motelseven

How did you get to the name?

I can’t say what it’s called just yet, but it’s something that most children, even the ones that follow the rules, have felt in some way or other. Depression and anxiety is such a big problem in our society, and it all stems from one place. We don’t seem to connect the dots often. It makes sense that something has broken in our society when it comes to consumerism and technology. Millennials are a broken generation, but that’s not to say we are not just inherently broken as human beings. I just think we do a lot more self-reflection these days, it’s all got skewed by social media.

Your style has evolved quite a lot over the past few years. How has growing up changed the way you view and create art?

It’s a bit obvious, but with age comes experience and discipline. It was pretty wild that I had solo exhibitions so early on in my life. In a way, it’s an extension of what I’m saying in my upcoming show. We need years to truly understand the meaning of life. I know what I want to share with the world now, and I feel like it’s the right time to do it.

How would you describe your style of work?

My work is always evolving, but for the most part, it’s playful and pensive. I am completely obsessed with anything that isn’t current. I love old cartoons and vintage toys. My paintings aren’t for everyone, but I do hope I can bring across emotion and nostalgia.

motelseven

Based on nostalgia, do you think people need to stop, pause and look back, in a world that is constantly evolving and future-focused?

I think a lot of us ARE looking back at the moment. Life has been so chaotic and uncertain, it’s comforting thinking back to a time of the Goonies and the Warriors. The only problem with that sort of yearning is that it’s warped by time. There were so many things in the 20th century that totally screwed the world, I don’t think looking back is helpful. We keep forgetting it hasn’t been very long at ALL that we have managed as a society to find a way to be liberal and kind.

Are there any other elements ton your show that go beyond paint on canvas?

There are two cool elements to this show that will definitely make it more interactive and playful. I am working with some incredibly talented and dedicated people who are with me on this journey.

What are your plans for 2024?

I really want to explore my paintings more, I also have a few very cool projects on the go. I always joke how my graffiti and fine art will never meet, but I think at some point they’ll have to. I don’t see myself in kitchens for the foreseeable future, so I’ll just be focusing on making cool things that will hopefully bring people joy.


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

The post Artists We Love: motelseven appeared first on Visi.

]]>
Q&A With Artists Lien Botha & Jaco van Schalkwyk https://visi.co.za/qa-with-artists-lien-botha-jaco-van-schalkwyk/ Thu, 07 Sep 2023 05:00:00 +0000 https://visi.co.za/?p=627539 Local artists Lien Botha and Jaco van Schalkwyk combine their talents in a joint exhibition titles After Nature, running at the Barnard Gallery from 31 August 2023. They chat to us about collaboration and the connections between their artworks.

The post Q&A With Artists Lien Botha & Jaco van Schalkwyk appeared first on Visi.

]]>
INTERVIEWED BY Alastair Whitton


Local artists Lien Botha and Jaco van Schalkwyk combine their talents in a joint exhibition titles After Nature, running at the Barnard Gallery from 31 August 2023. They chat to us about collaboration and the connections between their artworks.

Lien Botha, Jaco van Schalkwyk
Lien Botha, Jaco van Schalkwyk

In many ways, it seems that your upcoming joint exhibition After Nature, opening at Barnard Gallery on 31 August, is a long time coming given your shared interests and commitment to collaboration in the arts. Please would you tell us a bit more about the specific motivation for this project and how you hope it will be ‘read’ by those who will encounter it?

Lien Botha: It is interesting to note that both Jaco and myself were artists in residence on the German Island of Sylt during some stage of our careers, so perhaps our alliance was presaged by that sediment of the Wadden Sea. During the Cape Town Art Fair in February 2023; Alastair Whitton, fellow artist, and art director at Barnard, suggested such collaboration and when we started the discussion in April, it soon became evident that our individual processes and concerns were part of a symbiotic drift. The ‘reading’ Is best described by writer and exhibition text contributor, Vernon Head, as an “interconnected offering made into an aesthetic story; our desperate story of our last place for hope; our intrinsic belonging; our wild identity fashioned in the words of art. “We have specifically explored the juxtaposition of differing scales, and the ‘timbre’ of the exhibition is one of toned-down colour, which will hopefully underscore the contemplative nature of this collaboration.

Jaco van Schalkwyk: I have been particularly interested in collaborating with fellow artists the past few years; I believe brainstorming and conversations between different artist’s work are valuable to the art discourses of our times and society in general. Such is the case of collaborating with Lien Botha, an artist whom I greatly admire. I also see the gallery as a collaborative partner, discussing themes, negotiating the exhibition space, curating the works and planning the installation and the architecture of a proposed exhibition.

I have often noted the subtle but clear connections between your works. Although operating in distinct mediums there seem to be a number of points of commonality. Perhaps most evident is your shared interest in, and celebration of the natural world – a concern for and commitment to ‘conservation’ in the broadest sense. Furthermore, you both have an abiding fascination with Natural History museums, ‘Cabinet of Curiosities’ and natural science in general. Perhaps you could each elaborate a bit more on this?

Lien Botha: I have always worked primarily from my environment: the physical landscape as well as the internal landscape, and from this wide space comes small moments and events that can trigger an idea or concept. It is usually the ordinary that informs my work: love, loss, the memory of an ancestor, the life cycle of an insect. The world is an intricate place, fluctuating between order and disaster. But yes, you are right. . . . I have often found solace In Natural History museums.

Jaco van Schalkwyk: Lien and I are both inspired by nature and the conservation and documentation of our natural environment in South Africa and beyond. We both like to travel and document our experiences in nature, also visiting Natural History museums and so-called ‘Cabinet of Curiosities’ when the opportunity allows. I have been aware of this mutual interest for quite a while and was particularly inspired by Lien’s ‘Wonderboom’ project and publication that coincided with my solo exhibition “- arium” at Barnard Gallery in 2017. I also believe our love of storytelling is something that our work has in common – Lien through her photography and writing and for myself the juxtaposing of different paintings in series, groupings or installations. The exhibition title ‘After Nature’ also describes this commonality in our work; it could mean an apocalyptic ‘after’ we (humans) have destroyed nature on this planet, but also “ to paint or record after nature” ( i.e., realism and the imitation of nature). Lien’s recording of museum dioramas and the monochromatic palette of my works is not always ‘true to nature’ though. This almost creates an ‘otherworldly’ feeling or a constructed ‘new world’. My larger landscape painting compositions almost become backdrops or potential ‘new habitats’ for Lien’s juxtaposed bird images.

Lien, would it be fair to say that your photo constructions are of a poetic nature and how does your parallel role as an author impact or influence the way you make visual images?

Lien Botha: In a sense, the camera is both container and mediator which allows one to venture into the world and collect clues that could become part of a chronicle. I have also been intrinsically drawn to the ritualistic aspect of the medium: gathering material and equipment, observing weather reports for outside shoots, getting up early, waiting for light, clouds, or the right season. The dovetailing of image and text, which I realized in my first novel ‘Wonderboom’ (2015), remains a focal point of my practice.

Jaco, although you don’t consider yourself a photographer, you routinely use a camera as a tool in your practice. Perhaps you could expand on the relationship between your paintings and your use of photography in developing your compositions?

Jaco van Schalkwyk: My process always starts with photography, since I am a realist painter and take photos as reference wherever I go, and I also document my immediate environment. I print many of these photos to juxtapose in the studio(sometimes in strange ways to create new landscapes altogether). Sharing these photos and collages with Lien was also the way we brought this exhibition to life.

I have always felt that beyond your shared interest in the natural world and the notion of ‘landscape’ in general, that there is a sense of almost ‘remembrance’ and a certain ‘longing to belong’ in your works. How does your attachment to particular geographies affect and influence the works you make?

Lien Botha: For me, the very nature of photography alludes to the memory keeper. And through that repository, one works with what engages your days and nights at a given moment in time; you toil in order to try and make sense of the past through the present.

Jaco van Schalkwyk: I would like to think that I am not attached to only one place in particular, but more broadly to the planet and therefore conservation in general. We live in a time where almost every corner of this world has been discovered and documented; sadly, our greed and hunger for power as humans has left many of these environments and animal species under serious threat or even on the verge of extinction. Like the curious artists of the past, I am also endeavouring to document nature, but perhaps for a different reason; ‘After Nature’ is almost a final recording or documentation of nature and life on this planet as we know it.


After Nature will be on display at the Barnard Gallery from 31 August to 10 October 2023.

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

The post Q&A With Artists Lien Botha & Jaco van Schalkwyk appeared first on Visi.

]]>
REIMAGINE With American Hardwoods Launched at INDEX Mumbai https://visi.co.za/reimagine-with-american-hardwoods-launched-at-index-mumbai/ Fri, 04 Aug 2023 05:00:00 +0000 https://visi.co.za/?p=626707 Five of India’s leading architects have released upgraded designs of the traditional jhoola (an Indian swing seat) at the INDEX design show in Mumbai.

The post REIMAGINE With American Hardwoods Launched at INDEX Mumbai appeared first on Visi.

]]>
WORDS Michaela Stehr PHOTOS Govind Vishwanath, courtesy of American Hardwoods


Five of India’s leading architects have released upgraded designs of the traditional jhoola (an Indian swing seat) at the INDEX design show in Mumbai.

In collaboration with American Hardwoods Export Council (AHEC) and THINK! Design, the five creatives – Annkur Khosla, Naresh V Narasimhan, Prem Nath, Sanjay Puri, and Sonali and Manit Rastogi reimagined a contemporary version of the classic chair using American Hardwoods.

Bringing collaboration to the forefront, the project was overseen by mentor Adam Markowitz and manufactured by Bram Woodcrafting Studio in Mysore.

“Jhoolas, which were a common sight in many Indian households, seem to have fallen out of favour in recent times,” explains Roderick Wiles, AHEC Regional Director. “Nonetheless, they continue to have an allure on account of the memories they carry. For REIMAGINE, the architects were asked to draw on their childhood memories of playfulness, their teenage years of angst and to temper these with ‘grown-up’ elegance in a furniture piece for a contemporary context; a limited edition, legacy piece made out of American hardwoods. The architects were given the option to select from three species (a single species or a combination), which were American cherry, maple and red oak.”

Each participant put their spin on the original chair design, highlighting the notion of both form and function in creating a piece that is both usable and exists as an artwork simultaneously. The architects got to explore the art of joinery and the adaptability of wood as a medium, resulting in five stellar works.

Mentor Adam Markowitz elaborates on the process and his role, “As both architect, furniture designer and craftsman, my role was similar to that of a language translator, acting between the architects and the manufacturer. As with any good translation – there is a bit of artistry required of the translator to communicate the nuance from one language into another and back again. Architects by nature of their profession need to be generalists in a huge range of areas that comprise the built form, and as a result often don’t have the detailed knowledge of working with solid timber, which is a material that has great complexity.”

Part of the brief asked the architects to be considerate of environmental impacts and human elements such as well-being, comfort and visual enjoyment. Each element of construction needed to be carefully considered, from materials used for joinery to what was used for suspension, with more American Hardwood being used lowering the overall environmental impact of the finished product.


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

The post REIMAGINE With American Hardwoods Launched at INDEX Mumbai appeared first on Visi.

]]>
Kalki Ceramics’ Fynbos-Inspired Furniture at 100% Design Africa https://visi.co.za/kalki-ceramics-fynbos-inspired-furniture-at-100-design-africa/ Thu, 03 Aug 2023 05:00:00 +0000 https://visi.co.za/?p=626634 The 2022 Nando’s Hot Young Designer winners, Kalki Ceramics, showcase a new range of fynbos-inspired furniture pieces at 100% Design Africa by Clout/SA.

The post Kalki Ceramics’ Fynbos-Inspired Furniture at 100% Design Africa appeared first on Visi.

]]>
WORDS Michaela Stehr PHOTOS Supplied


The 2022 Nando’s Hot Young Designer winners, Kalki Ceramics, showcase a new range of fynbos-inspired furniture pieces at 100% Design Africa by Clout/SA.

Kalki Ceramics’ winning server will be on display with an expanded range of fynbos-inspired functional art pieces. This is just one of Clout/SA’s three incredible curated exhibitions for 100% Design Africa, which is collocated with Design Joburg and takes place alongside Decorex Joburg at the Sandton Convention Centre from 3-6 August 2023.

The Durban-based design studio, founded by Nindya Bucktowar and Nikhil Tricam, specialises in carefully crafted and curated bespoke ceramic tiles that gain inspiration from the local indigenous flora of South Africa.

Kalki Ceramics
Nikhil Tricam and Nindya Bucktowar, owners and lead designers of Kalki ceramics + Studio Kalki

Tricam and Bucktowar received the title of overall winner of the 2022 edition of the talent search competition, which saw designers from across South Africa conceptualising a condiment unit to showcase Nando’s much-loved sauces. Chosen from over 120 entries by a panel of 17 local and global industry judges, part of their prize, was the creation of their concept using Kalki’s signature handmade ceramic tiles.

Expect to see Kalki’s creative masterpiece at 100% Design Africa alongside an expanded range of fynbos-inspired functional art pieces. The range presented will include a table and benches tiled in shades of green reminiscent of local flora, lights, wall tiles and a coffee table.

Just one facet of Clout/SA’s exciting trio of curated stands, Level 2 of the Sandton Convention Centre also showcases SOL’s ‘Live from the Sunny Side’ campaign. This is an all-new collection of South African designs created for the global beer brand. The third Clout/SA stand will feature a collaboration with the Keiskamma Art Project (KAP), featuring a new range of printed wallpapers and fabrics expressing KAP’s unique embroidery style. 

Forming part of Clout/SA’s larger portfolio, Clout/SA continues to promote South African designers and local talent to a broader audience. 

One entry ticket grants access to all three shows – 100% Design Africa, Design Joburg and Decorex Joburg – which will take place across four levels of the Sandton Convention Centre on 3-6 August. For more information and ticket sales, click here.


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

The post Kalki Ceramics’ Fynbos-Inspired Furniture at 100% Design Africa appeared first on Visi.

]]>
Latitudes Art Fair Announces Shortlist for ANNA Award 2023 https://visi.co.za/latitudes-art-fair-announces-shortlist-for-anna-award-2023/ Thu, 20 Jul 2023 05:00:00 +0000 https://visi.co.za/?p=626187 Latitudes Art Fair has joined forces with Anna Awards for the second year of a contemporary art prize to discover and recognise African women-identifying artists. We take a look at who is on the shortlist for 2023.

The post Latitudes Art Fair Announces Shortlist for ANNA Award 2023 appeared first on Visi.

]]>
WORDS Michaela Stehr IMAGES Supplied


Latitudes Art Fair has joined forces with Anna Awards for the second year of a contemporary art prize to discover and recognise African women-identifying artists. We take a look at who is on the shortlist for 2023.

This year, the Anna Awards extends its reach beyond South Africa to women in the rest of the African continent. Lucy MacGarry, co-founder of Latitudes, the fastest-growing online platform dedicated to art from Africa, explains that the ANNA Award showcases women artists that show extraordinary originality, imagination and dedication in their creative careers. 

Latitudes ANNA Award
Alexandra Naledi Holtman

Nina Carew, head of the ANNA Award at Latitudes, states that ANNA and Latitudes continue to work hard to shine a light on women-identifying talent from Africa while being mindful of inclusivity and connection. “This year’s ANNA Award Top 12 offers fresh voices that have already begun to make their mark on the continent and beyond. While the cohort offers a range of interdisciplinary practices, mediums and conceptual frameworks engaged with the arts landscape on the continent at present, there is a subtle thread that weaves through and connects them all.”

708 applicants were received from 28 African countries, and the 12 finalists have been selected and reviewed by the ANNA selection committee. 

The Top twelve finalists are Nada Baraka (Egypt), Bulumko Mbete (South Africa), Buqaqawuli Nobakada (South Africa), Azuka Muoh (Nigeria), Charity Vilakazi (South Africa), Alexandra-Naledi Holtman (South Africa), Nindya Bucktowar (Mauritius), Sethembile Msezane (South Africa), Lebogang Mabusela (South Africa), Amanda Mushate (Zimbabwe), Mikhailia Petersen (South Africa) and Cazlynne Peffer (South Africa).

The winner will receive an R100,000 cash prize from ANNA, a profile on Latitudes Online and a year’s supply of ANNA products. The twelve finalists will be presented to the Latitudes audience, who will vote for an Audience Award winner and the winner will be announced on Women’s Day, 9 August 2023. 

For more information, visit latitudes.online.


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

The post Latitudes Art Fair Announces Shortlist for ANNA Award 2023 appeared first on Visi.

]]>
AI Art & Architecture: Under Water World Exhibition https://visi.co.za/under-water-world-ai-art-exhibition/ Wed, 31 May 2023 05:00:00 +0000 https://visi.co.za/?p=624437 Architect Don Albert of Sound Space Design envisions resilience and evolution beyond climate catastrophes and the 2030 singularity with Under Water Word.

The post AI Art & Architecture: Under Water World Exhibition appeared first on Visi.

]]>
WORDS Gina Dionisio ARTWORK Supplied


Architect Don Albert of Sound Space Design envisions resilience and evolution beyond climate catastrophes and the 2030 singularity with Under Water Word.

Looking ahead to the future of life on Earth amidst today’s climate catastrophes and beyond the projected Singularity in 2030 CE, Architect Don Albert from Sound Space Design in Cape Town presents a captivating tale of resilience and transformation, envisioning a new form of existence unlike anything we’ve ever known.

In a series of 38 beautiful hand-painted and digitally created works, Don explores the potential of AI for the creation of fine art, world-building, character design, architecture, city-planning, and literature, all at once.

Under Water World
Rorschach Two – 2023
80cm X 80cm, Archival Print on Diamond

Presenting a post-apocalyptic interpretation of the “mappa mundi,” Under Water World immerses the audience in a captivating journey across twelve unique underwater realms, each intricately crafted with its own distinctive visuals, characters, and compelling story.

The narrative of the exhibition unfolds through an accompanying compendium of poems, as a result Under Water World offers a showcase of artwork that prompts the audience to think about environmental ethics, the essence of humanity, authorship, and the profound influence of art and literature’s historical conventions on AI.


Visit Under Water World from 1 to 4 June at Sound Space Design, 78 Hout Street, Cape Town. The exhibition is free and open to the public. Certain proceeds from the exhibition will be donated to The SEACHANGE Project.

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

The post AI Art & Architecture: Under Water World Exhibition appeared first on Visi.

]]>
New Gallery: 16 on Lerotholi https://visi.co.za/new-gallery-16-on-lerotholi/ Fri, 14 Apr 2023 05:00:00 +0000 https://visi.co.za/?p=622715 16 on Lerotholi is a new gallery in Cape Town’s Langa aimed at showcasing and creating a platform for local talent to thrive.

The post New Gallery: 16 on Lerotholi appeared first on Visi.

]]>
WORDS Michaela Stehr PHOTOS Dillon Marsh


16 on Lerotholi is a new gallery in Cape Town’s Langa aimed at showcasing and creating a platform for local talent to thrive.

The concept behind the space is to create an inclusive gallery that exhibits art that reflects the reality and spirit of South Africa and the people who make it what it is. Founded by childhood friends Milo Ngcukana and Thulani Fesi, the duo wanted to bring a world-class gallery experience into the community where the majority of art exhibited is being created.

Upliftment and social development were also top of mind. The team aimed to build a creative social hub where artists and admirers can mingle, share ideas, and create and display work for locals and international travellers wanting to learn about the talent the country has to offer.

16 on Lerotholi – inside window display of the galley

With art as a strong vessel for change, the team sees this as an opportunity to use art as a catalyst for education and cultural shifts, as well as putting South African art on the global map, fighting the effects that colonialism has had on the art world internationally.

“While our platform puts a focus on works by artists and cultural practitioners who are from Langa, we also showcase talent from other parts of the country and across the continent,” says Mpilo Ngcukana. “One of the lasting effects of colonisation on the African psyche is the indoctrination of division and competitiveness between cultural groups. Exposing people to a diversity of artistic expressions broadens our understanding of each other and allows us to celebrate commonalities and shared values.”

16 on Lerotholi uses art as a tool. To bridge the gap between artists, art and spectators. Visit for a coffee, browse the local talent, learn about the neighbourhood and visit the community garden right next door.


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

The post New Gallery: 16 on Lerotholi appeared first on Visi.

]]>
Inside Out Centre For The Arts https://visi.co.za/inside-out-centre-for-the-arts/ Thu, 06 Apr 2023 05:00:00 +0000 https://visi.co.za/?p=622396 The renamed Inside Out Centre for the Arts (originally the Roger Ballen Centre for Photographic Art) founded by renowned local artist Roger Ballen has undergone a transformation to add to Joburg’s booming cultural landscape.

The post Inside Out Centre For The Arts appeared first on Visi.

]]>
WORDS Michaela Stehr PHOTOS Supplied


The renamed Inside Out Centre for the Arts (originally the Roger Ballen Centre for Photographic Art) founded by renowned local artist Roger Ballen has undergone a transformation to add to Joburg’s booming cultural landscape.

The space has become a significant artistic landmark on the busy Jan Smuts Avenue. Combined with the Johannesburg Holocaust & Genocide Museum and the Joburg Contemporary Arts Foundation, it completes a trio of important historical and artistic landmarks in the suburb of Forest Town. 

Designed as a multi-purpose space, the Inside Out Centre serves as a gallery and exhibition space that will focus specifically on issues relating to Africa as a continent from a distinctively aesthetic and psychological perspective. The centre will also be a hub for educational talks, panel discussions, presentations and masterclasses on the art on exhibitions and topics relevant to the arts. An educational project book, aimed predominantly at senior high school learners and based on each exhibition’s theme, will be developed for visiting school groups.

The opening of the Inside Out Centre for the Arts has been anticipated for a while. The Roger Ballen Foundation, which was dedicated to the advancement of education in photography in South Africa, was established by the artist in 2008. The Foundation sponsored exhibitions in Johannesburg of notable international artists and brought guest lecturers to students in the city. After some time, Ballen felt that the Foundation, which has since been renamed the Inside Out Trust Foundation, needed a home so that shows and programmes could run on an ongoing basis. In January 2018, he finally found a property in an ideal location to bring his project to fruition. The Inside Out Centre was built on this piece of land, and Ballen moved into the building in August 2020.

Inside Out Centre For The Arts

The name ‘Inside Out’ reflects the idea that the Centre’s exhibitions will encourage introspection, and the design of the building is inspired by the same aim. Raw concrete is used on the interior and exterior surfaces of the building, the latter of which conceals the entrance that opens into a breathtaking, double-volume, naturally lit space. 

“I sometimes think that the building looks like it has been turned ‘inside out’,” comments Ballen, who worked closely with local architect Joe van Rooyen of JVR Architects to create a landmark building.

The inaugural show, End of the Game, grapples with the decimation of wildlife in Africa. Part historical archive and part Ballen’s artistic response to these issues, the exhibition confronts the viewer with deep universal and psychological questions about the human race and its relationship to the natural world.

“In the years to come,” explains Ballen, “the Inside Out Centre will feature themes related to Africa with global application. There is a wealth of highly respected international and local artists — working in photography, installation, sculpture, drawing, painting and film — whose work centres on African themes. Over time, we will develop inspiring programmes and present thought-provoking exhibitions.” 

Exhibition viewing is by appointment only. Bookings can be made on the Inside Out Centre for the Arts website. Tickets cost R150. This price includes a copy of the catalogue for the inaugural exhibition, End of the Game. For more information, visit insideoutcentreforthearts.com.


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

The post Inside Out Centre For The Arts appeared first on Visi.

]]>