The META foundation and August House, in collaboration with the Association for Visual Arts, Nel Gallery, WORLDART, Alliance Francaise du Cap and Eclectica Contemporary present
The August House//Cape Town Collab is an exploration of art institutions and their role in our communities. The project takes a historical approach but is firmly rooted in contemporary practice. Through this collaboration, they wish to think about local creative industries, their histories and to reflect on the ways the creative community has had to navigate a cultural exchange in a time of great disturbance. Cultural platforms, such as August House in Johannesburg, the Association for Visual Arts (AVA) in Cape Town and commercial galleries throughout the country, play an important role in the visual arts eco-system, each providing artists with a different but necessary element in the furthering of their careers.
August House, currently one of the largest studio spaces in South Africa, houses 50 artists from varying geographical locations, working across various mediums and in different stages of their careers. The META foundation reached out to a number of spaces in Cape Town to participate in a collaboration that aims to broaden the audience’s awareness of the ecosystem as a whole, drive diversity within the landscape and expose artists to new audiences.
Curator Carlyn Strydom, META foundation Director Sara Hallatt and Artist Vivien Kohler have conceptualised the project that will see approximately 13 artists, from August House, participating in exhibitions across the Cape Town CBD between July and August 2021. The project is partnering with the AVA, WORLDART, Nel Gallery, Eclectica Contemporary and Alliance Française du Cap on a series of exhibitions that are both independent and collective. Artists participating in the collaboration include some well-known artists such as Sam Nhlengethwa, Diane Victor and exciting emerging talents such as Thalente Khomo, Navel Seakamela, Percy Maimela and Fatima Tayob Moosa.
It is through such collaborations that the META foundation believes we can show the importance of collaborative work for the growth of a healthy arts industry.
Programme of events
‘The Cultural Life of Spaces’ at the AVA curated by Carlyn Strydom
Featuring: Vivien Kohler, Sam Nhlengethwa, Diane Victor, Michele Rolstone, Nyakallo Maleke and Thalente Khomo
Opening night: 24 July 2021
Exhibition closes: 28 August 2021
WORLDART
Featuring: Percy Maimela and Nic Ker aka DEKOR1
Opening night: 5 August 2021
Exhibition closes: 28 August 2021
Nel Gallery
Featuring: Navel Saekamela and Roland Gunst aka John K Cobra
Opening night: 24 July 2021
Exhibition closes: 28 August 2021
Eclectica Contemporary
Featuring Fatima Tayob Moosa and Mmabatho Grace Mokalapa
Opening night: 5 August 2021
Exhibition closes: 28 August 2021
Alliance Française du Cap
Featuring: Vivien Kohler
Opening night: 5 August 2021
Exhibition closes: 28 August 2021
