Explore the Cape Town Art Fair
The city is able to serve as a destination for international galleries seeking access to a new market of collectors.
In less than a month, the City of Cape Town will again become a global player for the seventh Investec Cape Town Art Fair. From February 15 to 17, the art fair is expected to continue the tradition to develop not just the event, but the city.
Fair director Laura Vincenti points to the broader offer, which attracts more international galleries and galleries from Africa. Globally, there are about 250 art fairs and South Africa is at the top of its game – and the proof is visible at Cape Town Art Fair – which demands global attention.
Newcomers to Cape Town fair last year included internationally recognised galleries such as Perrotin, founded in Paris, France, with numerous outposts in Europe, North America and Asia, and conceptual heavyweight Galerija Gregor Podnar in Berlin, Germany. Galleria Minini and Galleria Continua, both well established as prominent players in Europe’s contemporary art scene, returned to the fair as well.
It’s an ideas exchange on a global scale – and that’s what makes the art fair so exciting. Vincenti says: “The fair creates a world-class setting that places internationally renowned names in contemporary art alongside the most exciting emerging artists from across the African continent, something you cannot find at other fairs.”
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On February 16, Strauss & Co is set to host the Cape Town contemporary art live auction. Hosted during the fair, it shows how collectively the secondary art market is involved in establishing Cape Town as a centre for art exchange.
Having foremost art galleries in the world at the fair also illustrates Cape Town’s ability to serve as a destination for international galleries seeking access to a new market of collectors, and insight into the region’s art scene, currently one of the fastest-growing in the world. The fair is also a great way to entice visitors to stay in Cape Town outside of busy and overcrowded summer months.
Vincenti, who has gained valuable experience managing the design of Italian art fair Artissima, as well as other large-scale art biennales and international exhibitions, is now making use of her expertise to further develop Cape Town’s position as an international destination for art and culture.
“The Investec Cape Town Art Fair team promotes the city of Cape Town when we travel abroad, functioning as unofficial ambassadors,” she says. “International people know the city primarily as a tourist destination. But now, its relevance as a cultural destination is growing. The connection between the two is very important.”
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If you’ve ever rubbed shoulders with the art world, you would know that it’s sometimes tight-knit, and this creates a level of trust in terms of ensuring international visitors also take part in the fair. But doing that takes some backing.
Investec SA’s head of marketing, Danni Dixon, says: “Investec’s involvement last year, as headline sponsor, was a great success. We are thrilled to be supporting African art, and to be bringing African art to the world. Investec Cape Town Art Fair is a catalyst in the city’s cultural evolution.”
Vincenti says: “The city has the infrastructure to push the art agenda. Cape Town is comparable to any other art capital in the world. It’s the right place for artists to develop their practice and for collectors to enjoy. We’ve got top hotels, top restaurants, top attractions. Now is the perfect moment for the city to be seen, to be explored.”
For more information, exhibitions and programmes during the fair, visit investeccapetownartfair.co.za To find out more about the Strauss & Co contemporary art auction, visit straussart.co.za
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