Art, like wine or prestigious polo events, can be intimidating and leave you feeling out of your depth if you're not "into" it. But this year, the Cape Town Art Fair — Cape Town's prestigious art event — has incorporated a programme of talks that will open the doors to the art world a little wider, welcoming in the most novice of art lovers amongst us.
The annual fair will this year host exhibitions, interactive installations, walking tours and special projects from more than 80 galleries. As part of the Talks Programme, former South African Constitutional Court Judge Albie Sachs, and Curator of The Smithsonian National Museum of African Art in Washington DC, Karen Milbourne, will be headline speakers addressing a range of issues from collection building to investing in art.
Alongside the series of talks, debates and panel discussions, this year's fair also incorporates its Unframed presentation. According to a media statement, the Unframed section of the fair is "intended to broaden the visitor experience and engagement with the galleries exhibiting at the fair". As the name suggests, the Unframed section features work that breaks away from the painting-hanging-on-a-wall concept of art and shows large sculptures and installations which do not fit into any of the booths at the fair.
The participating artists and galleries in the Unframed section are Mary Sibande from Gallery MOMO (Johannesburg and Cape Town), Liza Grobler from Everard Read/Circa (Johannesburg and Cape Town), and Michael Linders and Katharien de Villiers -- both from SMITH gallery (Cape Town). Sibande, a renowned South African artist and winner of the 2013 Standard Bank Young Artist Award, will debut her newest work at Cape Town Art Fair 2017.
To bring the Unframed experience to life, the Cape Town Art Fair organisers have dispersed the works all through the venue to "create a number of unexpected encounters".
What you need to know
When is Cape Town Art Fair happening?
From Friday 17 February to Sunday 19 February 2017
Where is it happening?
At the Cape Town International Convention Centre (CTICC)
What are the fair's opening hours?
Friday 17 February 2017: 11h00 – 19h00
Saturday 18 February 2017: 11h00 – 19h00
Sunday 19 February 2017: 11h00 – 19h00
What do tickets cost?
Tickets range from R50 for kids under 12 to R140 for general access and can be booked on the Cape Town Art Fair 2017 website.