What is the Capital Urban Market?

Capital Urban Market is a new Pretoria inner-city market forming part of the Cool Capital 2014 citizen-driven initiative to revitalise and restore the inner-city, and give local designers and entrepreneurs the opportunity to showcase and expand their brand. The market strives to breathe new life into previously loved areas in-and-around Pretoria by showcasing how design and cultural activities can draw people of all ages together. We aim to make the general public aware that through events like Capital Urban Market, our capital city can bloom into its full glory as the Jacaranda City. 

When does it happen?

Capital Urban Market’s “Special Edition” will take place once monthly when local designers and producers fill the lawns at Moyo Fountains Valley Nature Reserve, showcasing a variety of unique, handmade goods ranging from design and fashion to freshly made delicacies. The next two take place on Sunday 3 November and Sunday 26 January from 9am to 2pm.

From 1 to 15 December we are also popping up in the Market Building as part of the Mzansi Fela Festival at the State Theatre.

Who is behind the Capital Urban Market?

We are Werner Venter and Warno Rüde (landscape architects and furniture designers from Morphosis design studio), Walter Language (landscape architect) and Christél Fourie (interior designer). We all studied at the University of Pretoria.

• More information at info@marketcapital.co.za, www.marketcapital.co.za. 
• Follow @capitalum on Twitter or like Capitalurbanmarket on Facebook.

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This exhibition is four years in the making, how has the initial idea changed and grown to become this final product?

 The concept for the work arose from an obvious and almost superficial connection between Braille and star charts: each uses a coding system of dots to convey information. From this seeming visual resemblance, I came up with the idea of a blind astronomer.

 Themes about the priority we give to sight and how language is a medium for conveying information arose, and I started exploring overthrowing and questioning existing conventions.

 The use of star charts in the project also forced me to study the existing conventions of cartography. These conventions are themselves a frame of reference that we as humans have created to understand nature, but not nature itself. 

How will gallery goers experience this immersive exhibition?

The exhibition consists of three components that are spatially separated, but conceptually interrelated to each other.

The first space is filled by a large-scale installation that the viewer can move through. The successive glass panels create the spatial effect of infinity; the stars in the sky appear to float in the darkness.

The second space is an accurate star atlas for the blind as well as a “star table”. It involves two interactive tables with glass panels depicting different parts of the night sky, which can be manipulated by the viewer.

In the last space, the focus shifts to be about the conventional representation of the universe. The works are in stone and glass.

What do you hope that viewers walk away with after seeing the exhibition?

The project relies to a large extent on the synaesthetic exchange of senses. You must feel to see to understand. Hopefully this will inspire people to start looking (and touching) again… Even if it is only for a short while.

What will your next project be?

I am currently working on a large-scale permanent installation for the University of Pretoria to be completed as soon as possible. I also have an exhibition in September at Circa Gallery in Johannesburg.

The Blind Astronomer shows at the Museum of Art and Design, 281 Commissioner Street, Johannesburg, from 7 to 27 March. There are artist walkabouts at 3pm on
9, 10, 16 and 23 March. Website: www.bercowilsenach.com

To be one of the 10 readers that attend the VIP opening on 6 March, including the indulgent blindfolded wine tasting, share this post on one of your social networks – Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, Google+ or Linkedin – by midnight on Monday 4 March and tell us that you have in the comments below. 

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