Southern Guild presents a solo exhibition entitled Between Dawn and Dusk, featuring over 100 pieces by Philippe Bousquet.

The highly-acclaimed assemblage artist will be presenting his renowned jewel-like sculptures and introducing new directions in his work, including fine art, portraiture and larger-scale structures. The show presents Philippe’s intellectual unpacking of the space that we perceive between the two states of dawn and dusk.

For Philippe, there is no dark and no light; they are merely concepts created by our minds. Through this thinking he hopes to create an open invitation for the audience to seek meaning within grey areas and to look beyond the traditional constructs that we are faced with for a deeper story.

Through the traditional form of assemblage that involves the creation of art with found objects and discarded items, Philippe intends to offer a story that is open to interpretation based on the audience’s personal experiences, political stances, religious views and social commentary.

The exhibition runs from 24 March to 26 May and is located at Unit 1, 10-16 Lewin Street, Woodstock, Cape Town.

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These bright-eyed, life-size, one-of-a-kind puppies are part of a range of lights called Robots, designed by Philippe Bousquet. You can see them at the Guild Design Fair in Cape Town until Sunday 9 March.

A French architect-turned-jeweller-turned-designer, Philippe’s first collection of scrap-metal lights sold out overnight at the Design Indaba in 2008. Encouraged by feedback to create work inspired by green principles – such as zero waste – he has since been toiling away. Among other creative endeavours, he designed another range of lights, shown at Design Indaba in 2010, called After Dark. Adding to the green credentials, he eliminated welding from the process and did not use any new materials, except for wiring and bulbs.

For this collection, Philippe has extended his range of materials to include other scraps, such as plastic and wood. Inspired by sci-fi movies of the 1950s and 60s, the results are even more charming and delightful. We’re particularly enamoured with these pooches’ quirky tails!

In addition to this new range, Philippe has opened an exhibition space. To view or buy any of his artworks, furniture and lights, visit the Red Dog Showroom in Pretoria.

Red Dog Showroom, Unit 89 Business Park, 354 Derdepoort Road, Silverton, 082 579 6160, philippe@thereddog.co.za, thereddog.co.za

The Guild Design Fair is the first expo of international collectible design in Africa and is showing at the V&A Lookout in Cape Town until Sunday 9 March. Read more here.

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Here at VISI we are always excited for excellent new local design, especially by fresh new talent. For instance, we love Bloemfontein-born Atang Tshikare’s geometric architectural line drawings etched onto the wooden tables made by Cameron Barnes Furniture. Better known as a graphic designer, Givan Lötz also explores the optical limits of geometry with his unusual mirrors, not to mention Meyer von Wielligh’s naturally elegant Leaf sideboard.

Speaking of limits, two artists stood out for us as having really pushed their materials. Cameron Platter continued to subvert the ordinary with incendiary new meaning with his plastic garden chair that is in fact wood. Meanwhile, getting somewhat controversial, Michael MacGarry presented chopsticks made out of human bone. Interestingly, because of the human material, the work can’t be sold and we can’t help wondering what it’s fate may be!

A perennial VISI favourite, Dokter and Misses (whose design of Wyatt Hairdressing is featured in VISI 68 SPRINGLOADED) show off just why their refined formalist-with-an-African-twist designs are amassing an international cult following. Their collaboration with Dawn Dludlu in particular has us gaga. In fact, isn’t it awesome the frontiers that craft is being taken to – have a look at Marisa Fick-Jordan’s striking wirework.

One of the highlights of the Southern Guild show is always seeing artists and designers punch out of their comfort zone. Take artist Conrad Botes who takes his comic-book style and produces real three-dimensional functional furniture – we’re sure that a Botes headboard and bedside tables would enhance our dreams at night.

Photographer David Ross also showed what he’s learnt about design from behind the camera all these years with his range of mobiles (as seen in VISI 68 SPRINGLOADED). Oh and, also previewed in VISI 68 SPRINGLOADED, are Philippe Bousquet’s delightful scrap metal sculptures that, with his dogs and robots, bring retro-futurist fun and animation to the otherwise predictable genre of lighting.

One of our favourite must-have pieces though is designer and sculptor Xandre Kriel’s Samoosa table. Besides its metallic beauty, that a designer found inspiration in the rather ordinary samosa for something so beautiful blows our collective minds, making us want to open our wallets and get drastic with the plastic. But then, if we’re going to bring out the plastic there’s also Pierre Cronje’s wonderful Puzzle Bench, not to mention the exquisite collaboration between artist John Murray and carpet manufacturer Paco Pakdoust – although perhaps the latter is almost too good to walk on!

Of course you can see all of this for yourself by visiting the museum until Sunday 3 November. Presented in partnership with steel giant Arcelor Mittal SA and featuring over 200 works by 100 artists and designers, this is Southern Guild’s most extensive exhibition since being founding in 2008 – incredible considering how busy they’ve been promoting SA design overseas this year (read more here).

www.moadjhb.com, www.southernguild.co.za

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Now in its third year, the Sanlam Investments Foodwinedesign Fair 2012 once again brought together some of the country’s most impressive furniture makers, decor and textile designers, top wine makers, and specialty food producers.

Taking place took place from 23 to 25 November 2012, the tented showroom took up the majority of Hyde Park Shopping Centre’s rooftop and was landscaped to provide a fresh indoor and outdoor space.

The show started quietly but by Friday evening was already gathering momentum when shoppers arrived to peruse hot local design before cooling their heels in the dining areas while sipping sundowners and snacking on an array of fine food.

See our Foodwinedesign 2012 gifting guide. 

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