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February 15 2024

The 11th edition of Cape Town’s premium art fair is a great advert for the brilliant artistry of South Africa.

This is a paid for editorial for The Investec Cape Town Art Fair (ICTAF).

Laura Vincenti says she’s feeling confident that the 11th Investec Cape Town Art Fair will be an immense success. Now in its 11th year and having come through a pandemic and improved many parts of its delivery in response, she’s right to believe that the fair is back to its very best.

In fact, the 2024 Investec Cape Town Art Fair (ICTAF), which takes place from Friday February 16 to Sunday February 18 and is the largest on the African continent, is on track to wow the art world.

Some 25 000 visitors and 6000 VIPs will be present. The ICTAF is a platform for collectors, galleries, artists, curators, and journalists. They are attending to create connections at the forefront of contemporary art.

Vincenti, ICTAF director, explains that few events in SA celebrate art and culture like this one does and the world has taken notice.

The festival is produced by Fiera Milano Exhibitions Africa (FMEA) of Fiera Milano S.p.A. FMEA organises the miart international modern and contemporary art fair. Investec has been the title sponsor since 2017.

The ICTAF has become a popular regular weekend on a busy global art calendar, evidenced by the variety of artists who desire to participate.

“There are 115 galleries exhibiting, representing around 24 countries. If you dig deeper, you see there 400 artists representing some 50 countries. Cape Town can be proud of this spectacle,” Vincenti, an architect and artist herself says.

Artists from SA, Mexico, Brazil, India, the US, numerous cities in Europe and all kinds of other places will attend the fair.

Global media will also cover the festivities, visiting from all kinds of places including France, Denmark, England, Spain, and Italy.

The theme for the curated sections of the 11th edition of the fair is Unbound, as it aims to break free from constrictive narratives and focus on emerging, diverse ‘unbound’ voices. 

Passion behind the fair?

Vincenti has been involved with the popular art event since 2015, having work in the artworld in Europe and beyond. The ICTAF has built an identity which draws people back every year.  

“Art has been a passion of mine since I was a child. My parents were collectors. I loved being exposed to art and worked in exhibitions and fairs in Italy, parts of Europe and then found myself in South Africa. I was drawn to the communities around art and how people find a sense of community because of it. I believe the ICTAF can create more communities. We are showing that art is available to everyone by offering as wide a variety of art and related experiences as possible,” Vincenti says.

The fair moved to the Cape Town International Convention Centre (CTICC) in 2016 and became a rip-roaring success with the support of the city and organisations including the Cape Town Central City Improvement District (CCID). The CCID has numerous programmes in place which encourage investments in Cape Town and its art scene.

Formed more than two decades ago, it drives safety and economic activity in the city which creates environments where fairs like the ICTAF can thrive.

“The Cape Town CBD has a thriving art economy and the galleries, many of them high-tier art establishments, play a big role in contributing to the cultural vibrancy and ongoing attraction of the Central City. They are at the heart of First Thursdays Cape Town, and thereby also contribute to the Cape Town CBD’s night-time economy,” says Tasso Evangelinos, CEO of the CCID. (Read about First Thursdays in Cape Town here: https://propertyflash.co.za/2023/08/03/first-thursdays-contributes-to-central-city-night-time-and-art-economy/)

According to the State of Cape Town Central City Report 2022 – A year in review, published by the CCID, in 2022 there were 29 art galleries in the city centre. (Read the report here: https://acrobat.adobe.com/id/urn:aaid:sc:EU:28ac3acf-60c1-4e0b-930a-abe937f3fdbe)

Evangelinos says the art fair was a prestigious event which also contributed hugely to the eventing economy of the CBD and the greater Cape Metropole. “We are proud that this highly successful event takes place in our precinct and we wish the organisers every success for this edition of the fair.”

New challenges were faced when the pandemic broke in 2020 but the ICTAF has since responded magnificently and is running at a capacity higher than it achieved pre-pandemic. Vincenti believes that 2024 will lay marker that says the fair is back to its best standards.  

“I think Covid-19 brought questions about how to represent art and the constraints changed the art world completely. As we got out of it, it was tough to get to a point where we felt we were delivering the experience that we felt was unique and world-class. I have worked in the art world for 25 years and I am still excited that each year I am lucky enough to help organise the ICTAF,” Vincenti says.

Cape Town is on the world art map because of events like the ICTAF. Vincenti explains that few cities in the world could challenge its art festival partly because of the organisations which help it thrive.

“The government here and business organisations understand that promoting art develops the city’s identity,” says Vincenti.  

“Thanks to our title sponsor, and very much partner, Investec, we were able to go bigger this year. We had such a massive request from galleries to exhibit and added almost 1000m2 of space. We have also added more sections to the fair,” she says.

New Projects

There are also two new large-scale projects implemented to attract hundreds of more visitors.

One is the Cabinet I Clay project which will exhibit ceramics at the entrance of the fair in a dedicated area. This project will include a selection of ceramic works which showcase artists working in clay. It includes master ceramicist, Ian Garrett and Frances Goodman, an artist who “expresses contemporary feminist concerns”. Traditional ceramicists: Madoda Fani, Chuma Maweni and Clive Sithole, will also be present. Architect Michal Korycki, co-founder of Mobius who is known for his deconstructed approach to clay structures will also be present. The relationship between art and architecture has become a more popular concept for visitors in recent years.

Other artists include Amogelang Maepa, John Newdigate, Lisa Ringwood, Siyabonga Fani, Githan Coopoo, Jeanne Hoffman, King Houndekpinkou, Chuma Maweni, Louise Gelderblom and Geena Wilkinson.

Second is a collaboration with retail fashion.

“Visitors will be able to buy fashion products with certain designs unique to the fair. I want people to be able to say they got something unique from the fair, like a souvenir,” says Vincenti.

The Fashion Forward + Retail Therapy element of the Fair involves collaborations with South African glitterati.

Fashion platform Yawa, which is owned by DJs Black Coffee and Euphonik with fashion entrepreneur Arie Fabian, will showcase their collaboration with fashion designer, Lukhanyo Mdingi. Mdingi is an LVMH prize alumnus and recent winner of the Amiri prize. The collaboration includes a set of retro LM x YAWA co-branded graphic logos and colourways, which are derived from 1970 and 1980s music equipment logo types and record company logos. Yawa also includes the “OFF-WHITE™️ LOGIC” capsule collection, an Off-White exclusive project to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the brand, which was established by the late fashion designer Virgil Abloh.

The Yawa owners are also launching a limited edition drop of 50 Off White ‘Cape Town’ T-Shirts called the OFF WHITE CITIES T-SHIRT SPECIAL PROJECT.

In terms of souvenirs, there is a selection of notebooks, chocolates, T-shirts, and totes available for those seeking Investec Cape Town Art Fair memorabilia. The fair has collaborated with local designers on an ‘Exclusives’ range, which includes candles as well as espresso and cappuccino cups. Granadilla Swimwear has produced an exclusive artist range of swim shorts, for the fair. A curated range of jewellery by Pichulik will also be available.

What else can one expect at the fair?

Talks are scheduled as well as walkabouts, dinner parties, tours, and opportunities to explore the Mother City’s art ecosystem. For the first time, five emerging artists selected from twenty artists who have been through the City of Cape Town’s Emerging Artists Programme, will be represented by a dedicated booth curated by curator Igsaan Martin. Additionally, Bo Kaap and Langa will showcase art to complement the experiences at the CTICC space. In this way art is unbound across the city. The Bo Kaap Museum will host a performance piece by Thania Petersen, accompanied by local dancers and musicians in a reimagining piece about the Cape’s history and the stories of its people.

For the first time, the CITICC will manage a food court outside the venue.  

Why people should visit the fair for the first time

“The art world can be intimidating. This is widely accepted around the world. But the Investec Cape Town Art Fair has been developed to be a platform for everyone. You can speak to galleries and artists in a very easy way, and you can ask silly questions. I am really excited about the ICTAF, which is a perfect way to enter the art world,” she says.

The 11th Investec Cape Town Art Fair will run from 16 to 18 February at the Cape Town International Conference Centre (CTICC) from 11h00 to 19h00.

Tickets can be purchased via the Webtickets link on www.investeccapetownartfair.co.za

For more information:

Visit www.investeccapetownartfair.co.za or follow Investec Cape Town Art Fair on Twitter @Investec Cape Town Art Fair, Instagram @investeccapetownartfair and Facebook @ICTArtFair.

#InvestecCapeTownArtFair

alistair@propertyflash.co.za

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