Last week was the irrepressibly contagious Infecting The City Public Arts Festival, which turned Cape Town’s central streets into a stage. Photographer Sydelle Willow Smith shot this striking photo essay for us so that you can either fondly remember the highlights or, at least, taste what you missed.

In recent years public art has continued to expand beyond the familiar and more permanent examples like sculpture. Instead, is a wider more inclusive spirit of public art champions dance, theatre, performance art and, even, controversial intervention. All of which is, of course, taken out of traditional spaces, into spaces where the public can’t interact easily. 

Pioneering this progressive approach to public art for the past seven years now, is the Infecting The City Public Arts Festival that, from 10 to 15 March, gave Capetonians a taste of what life could be like if our city throbbed with daily public art events. The festival saw over 300 artists take over the city and present work in a variety of venues including street corners, sidewalks, squares, gallery steps, public gardens and museums. The real treat for is that all of this was free, gratis, mahala. With an evening and an afternoon programme, a step outside the office for lunch turned into surprise art shows for many.

Besides being an official World Design Capital 2014 project, this year’s festival was also made special by award-winning shows like Nelisiwe Xaba and Mocke J Van Veuren’s Uncles and Angels, which won the coveted FNB Art Prize in 2013, made it all the more special. Standard Bank Award winner for dance in 2011, Mamela Nyamza also presented a new work in collaboration with actress Faniswa Yisa, which they debuted last year in France at the Festival d’Avignon, and brought home for the first time at the festival. 

“Our intentions with this festival are to bring curiosity, wonder, beauty, empathy, pain and new ideas out onto the streets for everyone to engage with,” explains Tanner Mervin, executive director of the Africa Centre, the non-profit organisation behind the festival.

infectingthecity.com

View our highlights from last year’s Infecting the City here.

See more of Sydelle Willow Smith’s photo essays here.

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Photographer Sydelle Willow Smith focussed her lens on the colourful and fascinating House on Fire in Swaziland. Browse this beautiful visual essay capturing the creativity and culture that goes into their individualistic carvings.

The House on Fire has been described “one of the most eclectic venues in the world”, a description we think is well deserved considering the many influences and artistic disciplines it accommodates. Located on a family farm on the Swaziland countryside, this fantasyland is part-gallery, part-studio and part-live-entertainment-venue.

It is the brainchild of Jiggs Thorne. Born and raised in Swaziland, and an artist focusing on theatre, poetry and fine art himself, Jiggs was inspired by the artists he was exposed to while studying in South Africa. When he went back home, he saw the need for both artisanal development and a live entertainment venue, and House on Fire was born.

Jiggs put together a core team of artists comprising himself, Noah Mdluli who at age of 48 has been carving soapstone since he was 20, and woodcarver Shadrack Masuku whose work had caught Jiggs’s eye years prior to the opening of House on Fire, when he used to sell his wares to passing tourists as a roadside vendor.

Together the team also runs an on-going artist development programme, through which they employ freelance artists. They’ve participated in numerous exhibitions around the world and their work has landed in several private collections, including the Oppenheimer collection where it sits side-by-side with the Masters.

“It’s been an amazing 11 years, and we’ve had performers from all over the world” says Jiggs. This is because the space is also home to Bushfire, a three-day international music festival that attracts some 20 000 music lovers to Swaziland in May every year. South Africa’s own Hugh Masekela, Lady Smith Black Mambazo, Freshlyground and Toya Delazy have all graced the stage there. All 100% of the profit made during the festival go towards Swaziland’s Aids orphans through the reputed NGO Young Heroes. The merchandise proceeds are earmarked through NPO Gone Rural boMake.

Jiggs considers the space to be a work in progress, constantly evolving and inspired by those who work in it, entertain in it; those who visit it, and of course the needs of the community that it serves.

www.house-on-fire.com

Browse more of Sydelle’s stunning visual essays here.

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Vir professionele kreatiewe mense, soos talle van ons lesers, is ’n blinkgepoetste konvensionele kantoor allermins die volmaakte werkplek. Dikwels is die ligging, bure, interessantheid en egtheid belangriker maatstawwe om te verseker die werkomgewing bly inspirerend. VISI het ’n draai gemaak by Side Street Studios in Woodstock om uit te vind wat van die stad se beste ontwerpers en kunstenaars hierheen lok.

Die opgang van Albert Road in Woodstock as dié plek vir ontwerpers, ambagslui en makers van mooigoed om te werk, eet en koop is al ou nuus. Jy het waarskynlik al gehoor van die Woodstock Foundry, die onafhanklike ontwerperwinkels en Superette by die Woodstock Exchange, ensovoorts… En tog is daar altyd nuwe plekke wat hulle deure open, die meeste van hulle uniek genoeg om ons dadelik ons aandag te trek en maar weer Albertweg met sy mal verkeer en hipsters op enkelratfietse te trotseer. Die ontwikkeling van Side Street Studios is nog so ’n gebeurtenis.

Side Street Studios het in wese die tuiste geword van die ontwerpers wat die Woodstock Industrial Centre verlaat het toe dié gebou begin het met sy transformasie tot die Woodstock Exchange. Die ontwikkeling is geleë op die hoek van Stasie- en Albertweg, net ’n blok verderaan, en het op “organiese” wyse ondersteuners gelok nog voordat die restourasiewerk en naamsverandering afgehandel was: Gevierde kunstenaars soos Barend de Wet, Stuart Bird en Faith47 het hulle intrek geneem, tesame met ontwerpers soos Kraftisan en Thingking. (Laasgenoemde het ’n voet in albei kampe met ’n toonkamer in die Woodstock Exchange en ’n werkswinkel in Side Street Studios.)

In sy nuwe, skoner inkarnasie is Side Street Studios nou ook die tuiste van ’n versameling ruimtes wat die algemene publiek uitnooi om deel te neem, te kyk, dalk ’n boek, koffie of kunswerk te koop, of selfs aan ’n warm, sweterige capoeira-klas deel te neem.

Van die straat af is die eerste ding wat ’n mens opval ’n reusagtige helderkleurige muurskildery deur die kunstenaar Oscar San Biguel van Madrid. Dit pas mooi in by die graffitikultuur van die omgewing, maar bring ook ’n vars estetiese aanslag. Dis allermins die laaste ding wat die oog vang, want sodra jy die gebou se binnehof betree, wag daar nog muurkunswerke.

Terwyl jy ’n draai maak, kan jy gerus inloer by die There Be Light-ateljee, die tuiste van die konseptuele kunstenaar Nix Davies. Dit is ’n “immer veranderende ruimte met die vermoë om enigiets te wees wat jy jou kan voorstel dit moet wees”: Dit het al diens gedoen as ’n galery, werkswinkel, lesingsaal, bioskoop, kombuis, kleuterskool en restaurant, en Nix is altyd byderhand om te help om die verskillende projekte in die ruimte te verwesenlik.

Dit gaan egter nie net oor die permanente strukture nie. Side Street Studios het ook al gasheer gespeel vir “pop-up”-winkels, weeklikse saamtrekke en eenmalige tentoonstellings wat die ruimte telkens op vars maniere gebruik. Die Moederstad se Yang Zhao het dit al gebruik om haar al hoe gewilder dim sum-aande, Beijing Opera, aan te bied, terwyl die fotograaf Max Mogale se tentoonstelling van verskillende kunstenaars se werk die mure en gange op al die verdiepings van die gebou gebruik het.

Die mees onlangse semi-permanente aanbieding is Busk Tuesdays, waar drie opkomende kunstenaars – musikante, digters en kunstenaars – genooi word om in ’n “rou, onbevange” omgewing op te tree. Toegang is gratis en die gaste word aangemoedig om die musiek finansieel te ondersteun.

Dit is Side Street Studios se oop benadering tot kreatiwiteit wat ons telkens teruglok – dít en die belofte dat ons elke keer wanneer ons daar ’n draai maak, behalwe die interessante gebou, kuns en mense ook iets nuuts en inspirerends sal raakloop.

Side Street Studios, Albertweg 48, Woodstock, info@sidestreet.co.za.

Koop VISI 66 The Office om ander inspirerende werkruimtes te sien wat ons ontdek het.

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Lees in Afrikaans.

For creative professionals, like many of our readers, the perfect workspace is not the conventional airbrushed office. Instead location, neighbours, edginess and authenticity are more important in ensuring that the surroundings continue to inspire. VISI visited Side Street Studios in Woodstock to see what has drawn some of the city’s finest designers and artists. 

The rise of Albert Road in Woodstock as the place to work, eat and shop for designers, artisans, thing-makers and those who love them, is no longer breaking news. You’ve probably already heard of the Woodstock Foundry, and the indie designer shops and Superette at the Woodstock Exchange, the list goes on… Yet there’s always a new place opening up, and most are unique, grabbing our attention again, demanding that we go back and brave Albert Road taxi traffic and hip young city things on single-gear bikes. The development of Side Street Studios is another such occasion.

Essentially Side Street Studios mopped up the designers who left the Woodstock Industrial Centre when it started changing into Woodstock Exchange. Situated on the corner of Station and Albert road, it is just a block down. Organically it grew support and, even before its own renovation and name change, the Side Street Studios was quickly filled with celebrated artists including Barend de Wet, Stuart Bird and Faith47. Design residents include Kraftisan and Thingking – the latter kept a foot in both camps, with showroom in the Woodstock Exchange and workshop in Side Street Studios.

In its new cleaned up incarnation, Side Street Studios is now also home to a selection of spaces that invite the general public to participate, look, maybe buy a book, coffee or artwork, even get hot and sweaty in a capoeira class.

From the street, the first thing you’ll notice is a massive, brightly coloured mural by Madrid-based artist Oscar San Biguel, which fits in well with the graffiti culture of the area, while also introducing a fresh aesthetic. That’s not the last you’ll see either, go inside the building’s courtyard and there’s more murals to feast your eyes.

While you’re at it, pop into Let There Be Light studio, home to conceptual artist Nix Davies. It is a “changing space that has the ability to be whatever you can imagine it to be”. No really, it has been used as a gallery, workshop, lecture room, movie theatre, kitchen, nursery and a restaurant, and Nix is on hand to help towards the realisation of different projects within the space.

However, it’s not just about the permanent structures. Side Street Studios has also been home to pop-ups, weekly events and once-off exhibitions that are constantly finding new ways to use the space. Cape Town’s Yang Zhao has used it to host her increasingly popular pop-up dim sum nights, Beijing Opera. Photographer Max Mogale hosted an exhibition of various artists that made use of the walls and passages on all the floors of the building.

The most recent semi-permanent happening is Busk Tuesdays, which sees three emerging creatives (musicians, poets and artists) invited to perform in a raw environment. It’s free and patrons are encouraged to embrace and support the music by giving them money.

It’s this open-ended approach to creativity of Side Street Studios that has captured our imagination and kept us going back. That and the promise that every time we go back, between this building, covered in and housing art, and the people that frequent it, we’re bound to see something that will inspire us. 

Side Street Studios, 48 Albert Road, Woodstock, info@sidestreet.co.za.

Get VISI 66 The Office for some of the other inspiring workspaces that we found or view others online. 

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Every year for the past seven years, creative pilgrims and anarchists have made the journey into the Karoo desert for the annual Afrikaburn event. Just back form this year’s event, photographer Sydelle Willow Smith shared some of her gorgeous pics.

Based on the infamous Burning Man event in the US, the Afrikaburn website explains that it is “a community of participants who come together to create art, burning structures, costume, performance, theme camps, music, mutant vehicles and much, much more.”

The organisation is run on through a volunteer culture and the event itself is completely money-free. It is not bartering that replaces it, as many mistakenly believe, but a gift economy. Everyone does various things to contribute to the event, for free and without expecting anything in return.

The only thing for sale at the event is the ice, by the organisers, who cycle the money back into essential operation costs. If this all sounds preposterous and like it can only lead to chaos, have a look at their 10 Principles to understand the community spirit.

More information about Afrikaburn www.afrikaburn.com

To see more of Sydelle’s photoshoots for us click here.

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The Cape Town city centre came alive last week, from 11 to 16 March 2013, during the Africa Centre Infecting the City festival of interactive public art and performance in unlikely urban spaces.

From the Iziko Whale Well and Company Gardens to the Cape Town Station and Church Square, genres ranged from ballet to skateboarding and from crystal rainbows to hidden Kewpie dolls. 

Sydelle Willow Smith poked her camera everywhere, being the official photographer for the Africa Centre and Cape Town Partnership’s Creative Cape Town. Here she has selected some of her favourite moments and photos from the festival.

29 APRIL 2013 UPDATE This new video by Creative Cape Town captures the spirit of this extraordinary event.

 For more information and coverage, visit www.infectingthecity.com

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Read in English.

Die Woodstock Exchange, Kaapstad se kookwater nuwe ontwerpbestemming, huisves nou amper al die Moederstad se koelste jong ontwerphandelsmerke onder een dak. Sydelle Willow Smith vertel die storie in haar foto-essay.

Ná ’n grootskaalse bou-en-breekprojek wat ’n jaar geduur het, het die Woodstock Exchange laasmaand stil-stil (en nieamptelik) sy deure oopgemaak, amper asof hy die Moederstad uitdaag om nié notisie te neem nie. Maar toe hulle ’n week voor Kersfees die papier afpluk van die nuwe vensters op straatvlak om die blinknuwe, supergroot Superette-eetplek te onthul, was die spreekwoordelike kat uit die sak.

Gewilde Kaapse ontwerperhandelsmerke soos Pedersen + Lennard, Honest Chocolate, Dark Horse, Thingking, Lady Bonin’s Tea Parlour en Word of Art neem die grootste deel van die grondvloer in beslag, terwyl die eerste verdieping spog met nog ontwerpers en galerye. Die res van die sentrum bestaan uit kantore, onder meer dié van Google en die Bandwidth Barn.

As handelsruimte volg die Woodstock Exchange in die spore van Europa, waar ontwerpers in dieselfde ruimte produkte ontwerp, vervaardig en verkoop – dit gee klante die geleentheid om die ontwerpers te ontmoet, te sien hoe produkte gemaak word en om dan iets eksklusiefs saam huis toe te neem. As ontwerpbestemming sluit die tweede fase van die ontwikkeling in die installasie van verskeie groot kunswerke, vertel die ontwikkelaar Nick Ferguson.

Die sentrum wat voorheen as die Woodstock Industrial Centre bekend gestaan het, is regtig lieflik herontwerp en opgeknap in ’n styl wat ’n mens nywerheidsjiek sal noem – die volmaakte tuiste vir ’n skeppende gemeenskap wat hul beste voet voor gaan sit tydens die Moederstad se jaar as die 2014 Wêreldontwerphoofstad.

Wees egter gewaarsku die parkeerplek is taamlik skraps, en ons beveel aan jy gaan maak eerder ’n draai op jou fiets. Die hele projek is uiters fietsvriendelik met onder meer hope fietsrakke en die Starling and Hero Bicycle Café, en daar is boonop openbare storte ingerig om die huurders aan te moedig om die speke te laat sing werk toe.

Woodstock Exchange, Albertweg 66, Woodstock, woodstockexchange.co.za

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Lees in Afrikaans.

VISI also visited the super-sized new Superette at Woodstock Exchange, see more here.

The hottest new design destination in Cape Town, the Woodstock Exchange now houses almost every hip young design brand under one roof. Sydelle Willow Smith tells the story in this photo essay.

Just last month, after a year’s worth of construction the Woodstock Exchange hush hush, unofficially threw open its doors, almost daring Cape Town not to notice. However when the paper came down from the new street-level windows to show a relocated and super-sized Superette diner, just a week before Christmas, the cat was out the bag so to speak.

Popular Cape Town design brands such as Pedersen + Lennard, Honest Chocolate, Dark Horse, Thingking, Lady Bonin’s Tea Parlour and Word of Art have taken up most of the ground floor. The first floor features more designers and galleries, while further up are offices including that of Google and the Bandwidth Barn.

As a retail experience, it takes its cue from Europe, where designers work, produce and retail in the same space giving customers the opportunity to meet the designers, see how it’s made and take home something exclusive. Further, as a destination, the second phase will be the installation of large-scale artworks, says developer Nick Ferguson.

Beautifully designed and refurbished in an industrial chic aesthetic, the building previously known as the Woodstock Industrial Centre is upbeat and announces an optimistic creative community that will put their best foot forward during the 2014 World Design Capital.

However, be warned, parking is very scarce and we highly recommend cycling. Not only is the entire project extremely bicycle friendly with lots of cycle racks and the on-site Starling and Hero Bicycle Café, but they’ve even built public showers to encourage tenants to cycle to work.

Woodstock Exchange, 66 Albert Road, Woodstock, woodstockexchange.co.za

VISI also visited the super-sized new Superette at Woodstock Exchange.

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