March 2014 diary

The sun’s scorching rays become a gentle kiss, mornings bear a slight chill and we snuggle a bit longer under the covers, but no need to become a homebody just yet. March is packed with art shows, designer pop-ups, trend talks, mushroom hunts and more!

Ongoing

V&A Market on The Wharf
Nobel Square, between the Two Oceans Aquarium and the V&A Hotel, Cape Town 
The V&A Market on The Wharf is quickly entrenching its position as Cape Town’s ultimate gastronomic destination. An array of artisanal foods, on-site demo kitchens and a kids entertainment area are just a few of its laurels. The market is open all day Wednesday to Sunday. 

Neighbourhood Goods Market
The Old Biscuit Mill, 373 Albert Road, Woodstock, Cape Town
Every Saturday, rain or shine, from 9am to 2pm, this is the hotspot for locavores. Expect over 100 specialty traders including local farmers, fine-food purveyors, organic merchants, bakers, grocers, mongers, butchers, artisan producers, celebrated local chefs and micro enterprises – not to forget the designers. Get there early for parking. 

Neighbourhood Goods Market
73 Juta Street, Braamfontein, Johannesburg
Every Saturday, from 9am to 3pm, this is the younger cousin of the Cape Town mother event. Not quite as big and epic, but steadily growing alongside the exciting Braamies rejuvenation. 

City Bowl Food Market
14 Hope Street, Gardens, Cape Town, citybowlmarket@gmail.com 
Every Thursday from 4.30pm to 8.30pm and Saturday from 9am to 2pm, this food and wine market offers easy access to fresh produce and tasty fare. Thursdays in particular have become quite a social affair and Saturdays sometimes also have a fashion component. 

Capital Urban Market
107 Corobay Avenue, Menlyn Maine, Pretoria
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. Read more here. 

Alley Cat
32A Stanley Street, Richmond Hill, Port Elizabeth, 076 974 4344
If you’re into classics such as Grease, Rocky Horror Picture Show and Beetlejuice, you’re in good company! Stop on by at the open-air movie alley and ice cream bar, and settle in for a cosy movie night under the stars. Check out their Facebook page or sign-up on their mailing list for details.

The Chinese Girl
Delaire Graff Estate, R310, Helshoogte Pass, Stellenbosch, 021 885 8160
The original Chinese Girl by Tretchikoff is once again on South African soil. Officially unveiled near the end of last year, together with the reopening of the Graff Diamonds Store, you can now view it firsthand. Read VISI’s Tretchikoff fun facts here.

Cupcake and wine pairing
Delheim Estate, Knorhoek Road, Stellenbosch, 021 888 4600
Think Rooibos, lemon-infused cupcakes with honey cream cheese icing paired with a fun and fruity chardonnay and you’re in the realm of resident chef Christine Claasen’s pairings. Available seven days a week at R75 for four cupcake pairings – booking recommended. 

Artisan chocolate and wine pairings
Boschendal Estate, Pniel Road, Groot Drakenstein, Franschhoek
Treat your taste buds to a sensory feast of exclusively developed chocolates with a range of flavours including apricot, lime, orange marmalade, spicy Glühwein and lemon cream, to match with the impeccable 1685 range of Boschendal wines.

Pottery classes
Art in the Forest, Rhodes Drive, Constantia Nek, Cape Town 021 794 0291
Start or improve your pottery skills with South African master-potter Anthony Shapiro, who is now offering ceramic classes from the studio space at Art In the Forest. With a maximum of eight students per session, individual attention will ensure that you don’t leave empty handed. 

Lalela Project Summer Exhibition
One&Only Cape Town, Dock Road, V&A Waterfront, Cape Town
The Lalela Project is a year-round, community-based arts education initiative that is aimed at sparking the creative thinking and awakening the entrepreneurial spirit of disadvantaged youth in the Western Cape. With one of its newest projects recently recognised as a must-visit in Cape Town by the New York Times, this exhibition features a year’s array of work by Lalela Project students.

Artisan chocolate and wine pairings
Boschendal Estate, Pniel Road, Groot Drakenstein, Franschhoek
Treat your taste buds to a sensory feast of exclusively developed chocolates with a range of flavours including apricot, lime, orange marmalade, spicy Glühwein and lemon cream, to match with the impeccable 1685 range of Boschendal wines.

Actuality and Illusions
Erdmann Contemporary, 63 Shortmarket Street, Cape Town, 021 422 2762
Until 7 March, you are invited to check out the delightfully diverse “group exhibition that requires more vision than eyes” featuring work by the likes of Nomusa Makubu, Connor Cullinan, Bronwen Vaughan-Evans, Jeannette Unite, Clare Menck and Hannelie Taute. The opening is from 6pm to 8pm.

Guild Design Fair
The Lookout, V&A Waterfront, Cape Town
Until 9 March, South Africa’s first international design fair promises the world’s most beautiful, evocative and thought-provoking objects from the likes of Nacho Carbonell, the Haas Brothers, Rossana Orlandi and many more. Read more here.

Animal Series
NIROXprojects, 264 Fox Street, Arts On Main, 072 350 4326
Until 9 March, the gallery will present a new series of works from the Animal Series by Johan Thom. Besides etchings, drawings and sculpture, the exhibition also includes the artist’s collaborations with Willem Boshoff, Diane Victor, David Koloane, Bevan de Wet and Guy du Toit. Opens at 12pm.

South African Bicycle Builders
SAM (South African Market), 107 Bree Street, Cape Town, 079 808 0641, shop@ilovesam.co.za
Until 10 March, make your way to an exhibition of locally built authentic, classic and historic bicycle frames, which include names like Le Jeune, Hansom and Lotus to name but a few. Jointly curated by Nic Grobler and Stan Engelbrecht, the fun begins at 5pm. Read our article about the new South African Market here.

I LOVE KARTELL sale
Shop 9, Fourth Avenue, Parkhurst, Johannesburg, 011 447 7062
Hudson Building, corner of Hudson and Strand streets, De Waterkant, Cape Town, 021 418 5382
Until 12 March, get your favourite designer goodies at prices to steal!

Group Show
Momo Gallery, 52 Seventh Avenue, Parktown North, Johannesburg, 011 327 3247
Until 12 March, see some of South Africa’s most iconic artworks all under one roof. Artists include the likes of Joël Mpah Dooh, Andrew Tshabangu, Mary Sibande and Blessing Ngobeni.

Nihiliphobia, This Is Where I Leave You, Living Just Enough and Loco-Metta
Brundyn+Gonslaves, 21 Loop Street, Cape Town, 021 425 5150 
Until 13 March, four exhibitions kick off this discerning gallery’s annual programme. Be seduced by the poignant photography of Carla Liesching, the evocative miniature crime scenes by Gabrielle Alberts, the sensitive photographic documenting of Mack Magagane and Kutlwano Moagi, and the mesmerising videography of Emeka Ogboh. The opening is at 6pm.

Crossing the Line
Barnard Gallery, 55 Main Street, Newlands, Cape Town, 021 671 1553
Until 13 March, artist Robert Slingsby explores the bittersweet realities of urbanisation and the consequent threat of extinction to ancient traditions through haunting large-scale drawings of locals in remote areas of Ethiopia.

A Struggle Without Documentation Is No Struggle
Absa Gallery, Absa Towers North, 161 Main Street, Johannesburg, yolandel@absa.co.za, 079 495 7353
Until 13 March, see the original photographs of acclaimed photographer Dr Peter Magubane. The exhibition covers photographs taken from 1954 to 1994, covering historic moments in South Africa’s history. RSVP by the 11 February to reserve parking. Opens at 6.30pm for 7pm.

Shaping a Shared World
District Six Homecoming Centre, 15 Buitenkant Street, Cape Town, 021 469 1087
Until 15 March, a joint exhibition will showcase innovative works from two Higher Education Institutions – the Cape Peninsula University of Technology and Aalto University in Helsinki, Finland. The work responds to the question: “How can we create the future we want?” With a collaborative arts, design and technology exhibition, they will unpack and explores the 10 megatrends towards 2020.

M + M Space Design Sale
Shop 10/11 Flanders Mall, 14 Flanders Drive, Mount Edgecombe, 031 539 1072
Until 15 March, you can get 25% off all merchandise except for Charlotte Rhys products and artworks. Invest in some designer decor items and support local while you are at it.

Picnic Concerts Series
Backsberg Estate Cellars, R45, Franschoek, info@backsberg.co.za, 021 875 5141
Until 16 March, bring your friends and family and spend lazy Sunday afternoons in a beautiful vineyard setting. Enjoy great food and wine, while listening to some of the best of SA’s superb local music talent. Pre-sale tickets are available from www.plankton.mobi.

Venus At Home
North West University Gallery, Main Campus, Potchefstroom, 018 299 4341
Until 20 March, artist Usha Seejarim takes you on a journey of fascination with the everyday. Drawing from personal experience she explores issues of identity with pertinent questions about nationality, culture and the concept of “home”. Opening address at 6pm by Michelle Constant, who wrote an essay about South African creativity for our new WILD DESIGN issue.

Connectivity
Salon91, 91 Kloof Street, Gardens, info@salon91.co.za
Until 22 March, Northern Californian artist Tahiti Pehrson will have his first solo exhibition in South Africa. Working in paper for nearly 15 years, his recent works explore the fragility and interconnectedness expressed by physical structures. Large-scale installations of geometrical hand-cut paper are layered into three-dimensional structures. Opening at 6.30pm. RSVP is preferred.

Four Walls Group Exhibition
34FineArt, Second Floor Hills Building, Buchanan Square, 160 Sir Lowry Road, Woodstock, 082 354 1500
Until 29 March, you will be able to see the works of street artist and filmmaker Mr Brainwash, famous Louis Vuitton designer Takashi Murakami, renowned local collage artist Asha Zero and, the youngest of the artists on show,Jade Doreen Waller who is scheduled for her first solo exhibition in London later this year.

I Saw This
Whatiftheworld Gallery, 1 Argyle Street, Woodstock, Cape Town, 021 802 3111
Until 29 March, is the latest multimedia exhibition of artist Cameron Platter that examines the disciplines of consumption, excess, detritus, discord and conflict within a fragmented South African identity. Opening at 6pm.

Soft Walls
Market Photo Workshop, 2 President Street (entrance Bus Factory), Newtown, Johannesburg, info@marketphotoworkshop.co.za
Until 2 April, one of VISI’s favourite photographers, Sydelle Willow Smith (see some of her work for us here), will showcase evocative images that figuratively investigate the subtle ways in which African nationals and South Africans, in relationships, make sense of their space, experiences and complexities. The opening is at 6pm.

Of Love and Loss
Stevenson, Buchanan Building, 160 Sir Lowry Road, Woodstock, Cape Town, 021 462 1500
Until 4 April, award-winning visual activist and photographer Zanele Muholi will present a solo exhibition portraying all her documented weddings and funerals in the black LGBTI community in South Africa, which all serve as reminders of the need for a safe space to express individual identities. The opening is from 7.30pm to 9.30pm.

Wim Botha
Stevenson, Buchanan Building, 160 Sir Lowry Road, Woodstock, Cape Town, 021 462 1500
Until 5 April, artist Wim Botha will have a solo exhibition comprising three installations, each occupying an entire room. The show will be characterised by the complex interplay of traditional materials, such as marble, bronze, wood and oil paint, and ephemeral materials such as cardboard and polystyrene, which allow Wim to continue a recent turn in his work towards spontaneity, improvisation and coincidence.

Green Picnics
Delheim Wine Estate, Knorhoek Road, Stellebosch, 021 888 4600
Until 30 April, you can enjoy an eco-friendly picnic complete with cotton blankets and a hand-woven basket brimming with homemade goodies all snugly wrapped in biodegradable bamboo packaging. Seated on the lush lawns alongside the Klip River, soak up the abundant bird life, kick back and relax.

Walls: Art in Good Company
Tokara, Helshoogte Road, Stellenbosch, art@tokara.com
Until 30 April, you are invited to embark on the lush wine route where you can check out the group exhibition of 13 South African artists, including Nontombembi Booi, Johan Coetzee and Victor Ivanoff.

Retrospective
Iziko South African National Gallery, Government Avenue, Cape Town, 021 467 4660
Until 11 May, you can see the first major solo exhibition of artist Rotimi Fani-Kayode whose photographs constitute a profound narrative of sexual and cultural difference. The black male body becomes the focal point of photographic enquiry in his large-scale colour and black-and-white portraits.. Opening at 5.30pm for 6pm.

Saturday 1 March 2014

Joburg Joburg: Responding to the Centre
Cornerhouse Rooftop, 77 Commissioner street, Johannesburg
Aimed at engaging its immediate surroundings, this rooftop exhibition featuring artists Diane Victor, Louis Olivier, Gordon Froud and others, is located in a city centre loaded with ironies, histories and a new energy. Opens at 3pm. Sundowners and artists’ walkabouts start at 6pm.

Another Dimension
Casamento, Woodstock Foundry, 170 Albert Road, Woodstock, 021 448 6183
Until 30 March, dream-like collages by artist Maggie Roberts are paired with new and signature furniture pieces to show the harmony that can be created between beautiful furniture and fine art.

Monday 3 March 2014

#CreativeHustles 
FADA Gallery, University of Johannesburg, Bunting Road Campus, 011 027 0474
From 2.30pm to 6pm is the first in this year’s series of free events for young people, aged 18 to 30 years, to engage with established creative industry professionals and arts practitioners. You will have the chance to hear from, and speak with, leading South African and international designers. Three emerging young designers will also pitch their problem-solving products or ideas to a panel of design experts and you the audience. Free but registration required.

Fusion: routes and roots
artSPACE Durban, 3 Millar Road, 031 312 0793 
Until 22 March, Durban University of Technology fashion and textile lecturer, Lee Scott Hempson will exhibit her work. Emotive and evocative, it reflects a “double consciousness” that has allowed her to depict and combine her many interests, fusing her ideas into a silhouetted form.

Relocation sale
Private Collections, 1 Corlett Drive, Corner Oxford Road, Illovo, Johannesburg, 011 447 9356
Until 15 March, you are invited to travel back in time, explore the exotic and experience the unique from 30% less. Sourced in India, a country rich in culture, sculpture and art, the varied selection of decorative elements includes anything from hand-hammered brass items to animal figurines and there’s bound to be a piece waiting just for you.

Thursday 6 March 2014

First Thursdays
Central Cape Town, goodevening@first-thursdays.co.za
Kickstarting every month with a bang is First Thursdays, when various galleries, shops and eateries in central Cape Town open their doors until 9pm and the city becomes a museum like no other.

Back to the future
Slee Gallery, 101 Dorp Street, Stellenbosch, 021 887 3385, mgallery@slee.co.za
Until 16 March, you will be able to see more than 60 pieces of platinum art jewellery created by selected graduates from the University of Stellenbosch since 2007. Opening at 6.30pm by Dr Elizabeth Gunter, departmental chair of visual arts at the university. 

Bombay Babe pop-up shop
Coco Karoo, The Old Scout Hall, 17 Durban Road, Chelsea Village, Wynberg, Cape Town, 021 797 9528
Until 8 March, get the first pick from fashion designer Ariane Besson’s first capsule collection inspired by her stay in India. Viewing begins at 11.30am and drinks and snacks will be served from 4pm to 7.30pm.

Trend talk
Home Fabrics, 184 Bronkhorst Street, Nieuw Muckleneuk, Brooklyn, Pretoria, invitations@hf.co.za, 012 460 6645
Celebrate the newly opened showroom and get up to speed as Natalie Stevens and Garth Wastie report back on the collections recently launched in Paris, including names such as Designers Guild, Christian LaCroix, Osborne & Little, Clarke & Clarke and Soleil Bleu. Starts at 4pm. RSVP to confirm attendance.

Start A Collection
State of the Art and G2 Art, 61 Shortmarket Street, Cape Town, 072 470 9272
These two galleries are showing their support for World Design Capital 2014 by giving first-time buyers an amazing opportunity to start their own art collection through discounts of up to 20% on selected pieces. Discounted prices are only valid between 5pm and 9pm on the day.

Johannesburg Sensorium
Lizamore & Associates, Shop 1, Chester Court, 142 Jan Smuts Avenue, Parkwood, 011 880 8802
Until 26 March, immerse yourself in this Lizamore Mentorship Programme solo exhibition, which attempts to map Joburg’s spirit into an image that evokes a fleeting glimpse of the quintessential qualities of this particular place – a search for the “Johannesburgness” of Johannesburg. Opens at 6pm.

Saturday 8 March 2014

The Penn’s Pop Up Art Shop
Connect on 4th, 67 Fourth Ave, Linden, Johannesburg
Get your hands on some original coveted prints, drawings and paintings by Richard Penn and Robyn Penn, both recipients of the Ampersand Fellowship who will be heading to New York City soon. Coffee, lunch, snacks and drinks will also be on sale by Lily Rosemary and the Jack of Arts, while Full of Beans will also be on hand to ensure coffee lovers are well catered for. Opens at 10am.

Sunday 9 March 2014

Impressions of Rorke’s Drift: The Jumuna Collection
Museum Africa, 121 Bree Street, Newtown, Johannesburg, 011 833 5624
Created at the Rorke’s Drift missionary school in the 60s and 70s, this is without doubt one of the most significant collections of Rorke’s Drift Art in existence today. Many of these works have never been seen by the public and include a large selection of works by respected artist John Muafangejo, as well as tapestries, pottery and various memorabilia from the school. Opening at 3pm for 3.30pm.

Monday 10 March 2014

Infecting The City
Various spots around the Cape Town city centre
With 2014 celebrating both 20 years of democracy and freedom, and being World Design Capital 2014, you can look forward to this free annual public arts festival also being bigger and better than before. Expect to see a  range of international and local collaborative works in unusual places throughout the city, encompassing entertaining, engaging and thought-provoking performance art, dance, music, visual art and other forms beyond conventional categories. View our photo gallery from last year’s event to get a taste of the unexpected urban poetry the festival promises.

I Want to Swim a Thousand Miles
Erdmann Contemporary, 63 Shortmarket Street, Cape Town, 021 422 2762
Until 11 April, activist Manfred Zylla will showcase his inter-active solo exhibition that comments on manmade disasters such as the spills off the coast of Norway and Alaska. 

Tuesday 11 March 2014

2014/2015 Trend Forecast
Inscape Education Group, 302 The Armoury, Buchanan Square, 160 Sir Lowry Road, Woodstock, 082 652 0976
Trend forecaster Dave Nemeth will be in Cape Town for one day only and covering trends for the interior design, architecture, furniture and decor industries, as well as related retail industries. There are three sessions – Trends Forecast, Visual Design Trends and The Future of Business – starting at R250 per session, with combo packages also available.

Wednesday 12 March 2014

The Design Share Party: Vol05
Instant Grass, 155 corner of De Beer and Smit streets, Braamfontein
A monthly gathering where artists and people concerned with art come share their work and inspiration. This month they feature co-founder and director at Gamatong brand communications firm Ithateng Mokgoro, photographer and filmmaker Chris Saunders, and graphic designer and events organiser Frederica Lourenço. Starts at 7pm for 8pm.

Stellenbosch Street Soirees
Between Bird and Andringa streets, Stellenbosch, 021 886 8275
End on a summer high with the last, but certainly not the least of these pop-up pavement celebrations with fine wine, delicious street food and chillaxed vibes. AmaZink AllStars will also be bringing their township theatre to town with a pulsating music and dance performance. R50 gets you a wine glass and a ticket to get a taste of more than 20 Stellenbosch wine farms.

Trend talk
Home Fabrics, The Foundry, Ebenezer Road, Green Point, Cape Town, invitations@hf.co.za, 021 425 8287
Celebrate the newly opened showroom and get up to speed as Natalie Stevens and Garth Wastie report back on the collections recently launched in Paris, including names such as Designers Guild, Christian LaCroix, Osborne & Little, Clarke & Clarke and Soleil Bleu. Choose from 10am and 4pm timeslots. RSVP to confirm attendance.

Thursday 13 March 2014

OH_Thursdays
36 Nerina Avenue, Kommetjie, 021 422 3803, tours@oharchitecture.com
As part of its World Design Capital 2014 project, OH Architecture will be hosting a tour of an architect’s house every Thursday. This Thursday the tour will cover the house of Roelof Uytenbogaardt in Kommetjie, designed by Uytenbogaardt and Rozendal. It costs R50 to enter and students get free entry. Booking is essential. Starts at 6pm.

Friday 14 March 2014

Winemaker’s Table
Delheim Estate, Knorhoek Road, Stellenbosch, 021 888 4600
Every Friday afternoon in March, you can enjoy a delicious three-course lunch in the cellar with delectable estate wines and winemaker Reg Holder. Limited to eight guests per lunch, it costs R380 per head and starts at noon.

Saturday 15 March 2014

Secret Market
Spier Wine Farm, R310 Baden Powell Road, Stellenbosch, 021 809 1100
Due to popular demand Spier is hosting another market to celebrate the harvest. The Cape’s most creative food vendors, bakers, florists and farmers will setup shop for the day on the lawns along the Eerste River.

MTB Grape Taste Fun Ride
Delheim Estate, Knorhoek Road, Stellenbosch, 021 888 4600
Join farm co-owner Victor Sperling for a scenic cycle through the vineyards. Limited to 15 people, costs R130 per person and includes breakfast. Starts at 8am.

Tuesday 18 March 2014

Trendtalk #8
Plascon Auditorium, 71 Waterkant Street, Cape Town, 084 791 1111
Refresh your perspective on 2014 with this quarterly trend update by leading figures in the fields of development, design innovation and trend analysis: consumer insights and media editor Louise Marsland, professional trend researcher Chris Reid and social entrepreneurial design group Yenza (read more here). Starts at 3.30pm. Entrance is free but a donation to Rock Girl is encouraged.

Trend Talk
Home Fabrics, 113 Florida Road, Morningside, Durban, invitations@hf.co.za, 031 303 1202
Get up to speed as Natalie Stevens and Garth Wastie report back on the collections recently launched in Paris, including names such as Designers Guild, Christian LaCroix, Osborne & Little, Clarke & Clarke and Soleil Bleu. Starts at 4pm. RSVP to confirm attendance.

STUB001 Final Exhibition
Muti Gallery, 3 Vredehoek Avenue, Oranjezicht, Cape Town, 071 687 4732, 021 462 5162
STUB is a global design and talent exchange project that forms part of the official WDC2014 programme. Together with Dutch artist SIT, 16 Ubuntu academy students have worked on an art project, “finding identity within”, by creating self-portraits that will be used by fashion label Kuyichi for the Summer 2015 collection. Be the first to see the final artworks and meet the young artists from 7pm to 10pm.

Knysna Literary Festival
Various venues, Knysna, 044 382 5574
Until 23 March, PamGolding Properties will be presenting a diverse four-day programme led by some of South Africa’s top literary talent including John van de Ruit, Frank Chikane and Karen Jayes. Ticket prices vary by event. 

Wednesday 19 March 2014 

Reuben’s Wine and Dine evenings
Reuben’s One&Only Cape Town, 021 431 4511
Forming part of a series of monthly five-course gourmet dinners throughout the year, expect superb food, wine and entertainment. Each event will highlight a different five-star rated wine farm, with the pairings perfected by sommelier Luvo Ntezo and Reuben himself. The cost is R350 per person and booking is recommended. 

Fashioning Africa
Museum of African Design (MOAD), 281 Commissioner Street, Johannesburg, 011 592 0517
Until 27 April, you can get a glimpse of some of the continent’s most exciting contemporary fashion designers. With 12 African countries represented across a series of mannequins, designer stories and photography, on a 30m catwalk, the multidisciplinary exhibition aims to explore the history of African fashion and surveys the current landscape of fashion in Africa. 

Thursday 20 March 2014

Yonder
55 Main Street, Newlands, Cape Town, 021 671 1666, gallery@barnardgallery.com
Until 1 May, one of VISI’s favourite photographers, Lien Botha, who has shot numerous stories for us (see some here) will show her signature enigmatic and thought-provoking work (read more here). Opens at 6pm.

Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Joburg
Sandton Convention Centre, 011 269 6960
Until 22 March, the stage has been set and with more than 34 of the South Africa’s top designers all lined up to present their Autum/Winter 2014 collections in 15 shows over three days. What better way to spend your long weekend than schmoozing with the local fashion industry’s rock stars? Get your tickets online.

Decorex Durban
Durban Exhibition Centre, Durban
Until 23 March, prepare to be inspired by some of the best in local interiors at Africa’s premier décor, design and lifestyle portfolio, equipping you with everything you need to turn your house into a home.

Third Thursdays
East City Cape Town, goodevening@first-thursdays.co.za
Following the great success of First Thursdays, Third Thursdays puts the East City on the map with various galleries, shops and eateries opening their doors until 9pm. Start off at the District Six Museum and move on up to Roeland, Harrington, Buitenkant and Canterbury streets. 

Graduating Projects 2013/14
Gauteng Institute for Architecture, 77 Juta Street, Braamfontein, 011 403 0954
Until 30 April, Gauteng’s schools of architecture will showcase the exciting and thought-provoking thesis work of their best students, who explore the relationship of their chosen medium and the resulting execution. Starts at 6.30pm for 7pm. RSVP to attend.

Friday 21 March 2014

Bloc outdoor furniture sale
Bloc Showroom, Shop seven, The District, 41 Sir Lowry Road, Cape Town
Until 4 April, you can bring style and comfort to your outdoor living area with a 10% discount on all Bloc outdoor furniture. Please allow for a four to six weeks manufacturing lead-time.

Saturday 22 March 2014

The Personal and This Particular
The Forge, 12 Windsor Road, Kalk Bay, Cape Town, theforge.kalkbay@gmail.com
Until 12 April, immerse yourself in a site-specific retrospective installation covering 30 years of porcelain and other works by celebrated ceramicist Katherine Glenday.

Monday 24 March 2014

Gather, Traces and SUMI-E
artSPACE Durban, 3 Millar Road, 031 312 0793
Until 12 April, three exhibitions include the poignant work of Megan Bonnetard, meditative art of Ingrid Adams, and a group exhibition curated by Grace Kotze celebrating the creative nature of the human spirit with artists ranging from teens to retirees.

Wednesday 26 March 2014

Ceremony
91 Kloof Street, Gardens, Cape Town, 021 424 6930
Until 26 April, artist Mia Chaplin will be having her first solo exhibition of oil paintings. Ranging from abstract to botanical and human forms, feel free to browse, contemplate and maybe invest in one, or two, or three. Starts at 6.30pm. RSVP to attend. 

Don’t be Afraid of the Shadows
The South African Human Rights Commission, Forth Floor, Forum Three, Braampark Office Park, 33 Hoofd Street, Braamfontein, 011 877 3600
Philippe Bousquet will be showcasing a specially curated exhibition of artworks on Human Rights, exploring issues such as child abuse, police brutality, poverty, inequality and environmental destruction. 

Samesyn
Culture Urban + Contemporary Gallery, Woodstock Exchange, Unit A102, 66 Albert Road, Woodstock, Cape Town, 021 447 3533
Until 3 May, local pop art greats Anton Kannemeyer, Conrad Botes and Claudette Schreuders will showcase hand-printed, limited-edition lithographs in one big “post-apartheid, political pop and individuation” exhibition. Opens at 6pm.

Thursday 27 March 2014

OH_Thursdays
32 Woodford Avenue, Camps Bay, 021 422 3803, tours@oharchitecture.com 
As part of its World Design Capital 2014 project, OH Architecture will be hosting a tour of an architect’s house every Thursday. This Thursday the tour will cover the house of Gwen and Gabriel Fagan, Die Es, in Camps Bay. It costs R50 to enter and students get free entry. Booking is essential. Starts at 6pm.

Monuments + Mobiles
Slee Gallery, 101 Dorp Street, Stellenbosch, 021 887 3385
Until 10 April, photographer David Ross will be showing a powerful monochromatic series on South African Monuments, alongside his newly developed interest in mobiles and suspended sculptures (read more here). Opening at 6.30pm.

Silent Auction
The Field Office, 37 Barrack Street, East City, Cape Town, 021 461 4599
Once again Pedersen + Lennard will be making their old used stock available for purchase at ridiculous prices to make room for an exciting new range of furniture for the café. All tables and benches, as well as everything on display, must go. Get there early to avoid disappointment. Starts at 5.30pm.

Red
Goethe-Institut Johannesburg, 119 Jan Smuts Avenue, Parkwood, 011 442 3232
Until 16 May Simon Gush examines the larger political and social story of a red Mercedes Benz 500 SE that was presented to Nelson Mandela in July 1990, which also resulted in a wildcat sleep-in strike that closed production at the factory. Comprising installation elements and a new documentary, it opens at 6.30pm.

Last Thursdays
Visual Arts Building, Victoria Street, Stellenbosch, Western Cape, 021 808 3052
The Stellenbosch version of the First Thursdays global initiative that has already taken off in Cape Town offers the chance to visit local galleries and shops, as well as view work by the students of the Stellenbosch University Visual Art Department on the last Thursday of the month.Starts at 5pm. 

Friday 28 March 2014

Creative Mornings
Friends of Design, Academy of Digital Arts, 186 Bree Street, Cape Town
At this month’s networking breakfast, from 8.30am to 10am, Faith47 and Lyall Sprong will talk about their urban design initiative #ANOTHERLIGHTUP, which saw them working with the Design Indaba Trust to create and fund a street light system to bring safety to one of the most dangerous neighbourhoods in Cape Town. RSVP to attend. 

Saturday 29 March 2014

Entrepo Warehouse Sale
Unit 1A Queenspark Studios, Queenspark Avenue, Salt River
Get famous designer brands at a steal at this once-in-a-lifetime warehouse sale. Starts at 9am – get there early!

Stellenberg book talk
Montebello Design Centre, 31 Newlands Avenue, Newlands, 021 685 0676
Join owners Andrew and Sandy Ovenstone for a short talk and signing of this book about one of South Africa’s most loved and admired gardens. Starts at 11am. RVSP to attend.

Sunday 30 March 2014

Recite
The Cape Gallery, 60 Church Street, Cape Town, 021 423 5309
Until 26 April, you can see new paintings by Michaelis graduate Kitty Dörje reflecting her interest on how modern media, like the internet, TV and YouTube, allow for imagination to enter the real world. Opens at 4.30pm and introduced by senior lecturer at Michaelis, Andrew Lamprecht.

Save the date

18 to 21 April
KAMERS: Easter in Johannesburg
The Forum Campus, Bryanston, Johannesburg

25 to 28 April
Decorex Cape Town
Cape Town International Convention Centre, Cape Town

10 to 11 May
Winter Sculpture Fair
NIROX Sculpture Park, Cradle of Humankind

28 May
Plascon 2014 Colour Design Awards deadline

7 July
Cobra Product Design Competition Deadline

3 August to 7 August
Architecture Otherwhere Durban 2014
37 Margaret Mncadi Avenue, Victoria Embankment, Durban

6 to 10 August
Decorex Johannesburg
Gallagher Convention Centre, Johannesburg

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