A few weeks back, I had the chance to interview Liza Essers, the emblematic director of the Goodman Gallery, opened in Cape Town in 1966 when apartheid was still raging in the country.
Discussing with her the booming African cultural scene over the last decade reminded me of a fair I loved visiting: Investec Cape Town Art Fair.
Let’s go back to February 2020. I didn’t yet know that in less than a month, the global Covid-19 health crisis would strike, abruptly halting all artistic events, including fairs. It’s winter in London, cold, damp, and gray, and my husband and I decide to take our then two-year-old daughter to Cape Town. The fair was one stop among others, and I didn’t think it would leave such a lasting impression on me.
If I had to define the Fair, here are the two words I would use: vibrant & lively.
Pauline Loeb at Investec Cape Town Art Fair 2020. Courtesy artfairmag.
A Vibrant Art Fair
Vibrant because the fair is the theater of this boiling artistic scene that is the African scene. The contemporary African art scene is a vibrant and rapidly evolving landscape, rich in diversity and creativity. It is marked by a unique blend of traditional influences and modern expressions, where artists explore and redefine cultural narratives. African artists are gaining increasing recognition on the global stage, bringing fresh perspectives to issues of identity, heritage, and socio-political realities.
Back in 2020, I was struck by the great eclecticism of the fair. First, eclecticism in the mediums represented. Sculpture, painting, photography, textile works, and even leather works, like this leather patchwork by Chloe Townsend, presented by local gallery Salon Ninety One.
Chloe Townsend, ‘We’re in this together’, 2020. Leather patchwork with appliqué detail, 160 x 141 cm, Salon Ninety-One. Courtesy artfairmag.
Speaking about mediums, Investec Cape Town Art Fair adds this year a special project dedicated to a selection of contemporary South African ceramic works, titled ‘Cabinet|Clay.’ Ceramics are clearly in vogue (a ceramic fair, Ceramic Brussels, is even launching in a few days!). I also remember an impressive solo show by South African artist Mawande Ka Zenzile, with striking pieces presented by Stevenson Gallery in a very uncommon booth, enhanced with hay.
Left: Frances Goodman, ‘Jenga II’, 2023. Glazed Ceramic, 49 x 15 x 15 cm. Courtesy SMAC Gallery. Right: Stevenson’s booth at ICTAF 2020.
You can feel that director Laura Vincenti gives participating galleries great freedom, although she decides on an annual theme that gives coherence to each edition. This year, for example, for their 11th edition, the chosen theme is “Unbound.” It aims precisely to reflect the fair’s commitment to transcending traditional artistic boundaries, embracing a world where creativity knows no limits. The Main section is curated by the Fair’s team which is lead by director Laura Vincenti and brings together 42 leading galleries presenting a rich panel of works, from the figurative paintings of Alexis Schofield at 99 LOOP to the black and white messages by Ed Young at Suburbia Contemporary.