Cape Town Art Fair 2013

The Kalk Bay Modern Gallery joined over 40 notable Galleries in exhibiting at the first of its kind contemporary South African Art Fair 2013 at the V&A Waterfront in Cape Town.

 

 Organised and promoted by exposition giants Fiera Milano, who also hosts other annual Art Fairs in Milan and Istanbul, chose Cape Town for its magnificent beauty, international tourism and recognition of its status as Design Capital of the World in 2014. It was an interesting and exciting interlude to the pool of creative talent that a small country like South Africa brings.

                                                                                                                                                                                                        

Set to be the nation’s leading showcase for contemporary South African art in the future, the countries leading art galleries representing over 140 artists make it the biggest ever collection to date under one roof.  The intended formula for the exhibition was to introduce a fresh, affable environment that is filled with contemporary art of exceptional quality.  Each visitor to this lifestyle event will discover something of great value and interest. 

Sam Nhlengethwa -" Lets go II"

                                                                                           

Representing over 18 artists that are currently with the Kalk Bay Modern Gallery, director Cheryl Rumbak's choice of work across all mediums attracted a lot of interest and conversation as it was a true reflection of the quality of art at the Gallery.

Gerald Tabata -

                      

In this blog, a snapshot of some of the artists we featured,  if you would like any more information do not hesitate to contact us and we can send you more images and details etc.  We do ship worldwide and are happy to arrange transportation and framing.

Nicolaas Maritz - Orange Grail Vase and Chair , enamel on board,

Deborah Bell

      

Stephen Hobbs

Ben Coutouvidis

Claire Gavronsky - Evolutionary Choice 2011

Artist Arlene Amaler-Raviv was present for most of the weekend and delivered intriguing insights to the public about her most recent works. Arlene did an interview on her work for Art South Africa which we will be updated on our blog page in due course. Here she shares a small snippet of insight into her mammoth work titled "twitter". 

 

““twitter” was painted during  an alienating 3 month stint in Berlin. By its very title, “twitter” refers to the social network that seemingly connects people in somewhat random ways across the globe. Drawing on her baggage of images, as disparate as aerial photos of the New York Stock Exchange to cattle being traded as lobola for a bride, Amaler-Raviv fragments and reconstructs the chaos of a gargantuan electronic world of trade, capital and power, into an existential landscape where disconnected individuals search through the debris, picking up “the pieces”.

                                                          

'twitter' by Arlene Amaler-Raviv, mixed media

 "twitter" was created over a period of a year and constructed using hundreds of pieces of paper of different  mixed media.  Visually sewn together and expressive of the radical chaos that ensued with the collapse of the New York stock exchange and  Egyptian social uprising. The impact and power of social media as a platform to education and resolution are depicted here with great energy and symbolic reference.       

  Watch her  interview on YouTube by clicking the link http://youtu.be/GT5GLGi8nxo

 The Cape Town Art Fair was not only a mere exhibition space but also a platform for artists to reach a wider audience and international clientele.  Amongst the backdrop of creative talents from all genres and mediums,  education was also promoted in a series of interesting lectures and interviews sponsored by Art South Africa, during the course of the weekend.

Talks such as "From There to Here-Emerging Artists": Siphiwe Ngwenya with Maboneng Arts,  Investing In Art: Fred Scott from Stephan Welz, "The Power of the Auction": Strauss & Co – Emma Bedford and "Druid Walk" by  Willem Boshoff.

Artist - Willem Boshoff

A highlight of the lectures was  "Druid Walk" by Willem Boshoff.  A true alchemist, his interactions with all that surround him make this profound intelligent mind a fascinating subject to observe.  One of the main themes of his lecture was on truly "seeing" as opposed to "looking", and how our perceptions and interactions with the present moment affect our future encounters, making our lives richer and more meaningful.

Walter Oltmann -

Another Kalk Bay Modern artist that received much attention during the span of the weekend was Walter Oltmann. His intricate and delicate drawings with slightly dark undertones and innuendo's, entice  mystery and intrigue. Oltmann's fascination with the natural world intertwined with the evolutionary process of metamorphosis, appeal to everyone’s sense of journey.              

  

Walter Oltmann, "Caterpillar Man"

All in all, although the Exhibition is still in its formative years, it was a great insight into the contemporary art scene in South Africa.  The enormous talent of emerging artists makes this fair a perfect opportunity to purchase art in South Africa. 

John Catlin, "Mandela"

Thank you to all the Kalk Bay Modern supporters who attended and came by to say hello!