The wire art scene in Cape Town is set for a major boost as Cape Town Tourism, the V&A Waterfront and the Cape Craft and Design Institute is gathering their forces together in an event that in the month of August will see Capetonians wiring beads at the Waterfront. 10 wire artists have been selected to take part in the project. Their art works will be displayed in September and auctioned in October to select buyers of investment art.
Aptly named wire+plus [this is Cape Town], the project is a collaborative initiative by the Cape Craft & Design Institute, V&A Waterfront and Cape Town Tourism.

An adjudication panel pooling the partners together with established and well-respected sculptors Etienne de Kock and Brendhan Dickerson and industrial designer Felix Holm, selected 11 talented wire artists who all live and work in the Western Cape. During the month of August ten of the 11 artists are to make wire art pieces in the public eye at the Waterfront.

The highlight is a public art piece in the true sense of the word. It is to be produced by a wire artist who will facilitate public participation in the art piece. The public will be provided with wire and beads, compliments of one of the largest producers of wire in South Africa, Allens Meshco, and the Bead Merchants, who are contributing 500 kilograms of beads for the project!

During tourism month, September, Waterfront visitors will be able to view the complete wire art pieces at a Waterfront exhibition, which will build op to the grand finale – the first wire art auction of its kind in Cape Town, in October. It is expected that prestigious art investors and corporates will vie for these 11 wire works of art.

The contest provides an opportunity to showcase the talent of creative wire artists and recognize their contribution to the growing craft sector in the Western Cape. Photographs of the final art works will be used for 2008 calendars and catalogues. The proceeds will go towards the wire artists, further promoting the wire art sector in the Cape, and towards a street children project, The Ark in Faure. The children will take part in the public wire art exercise, and be trained by the artists in the skills of wire art.

Etienne de Kock, sculptor: “I am excited by the artists’ originality of their thinking and their excitement to explore in art, in a medium that they have always just seen as craft; they are pushing their own boundaries, lifting their own game plan. I am expecting outstanding quality.”

Catherine le Sueur, Bead Merchants, who donated more than 500 kilograms of beads: “We are delighted to be associated with this project, as the wire artists of Cape Town are very important bead consumers.”

Marjorie Naidoo, CCDI: “I am thrilled to see how the wire artists have responded to the challenge of producing large, one-off, interpretative art, as opposed to the commodity products they usually make. They are seeing Cape Town with a fresh perspective in an unusual and exciting medium, and they are seeing themselves as artists. The CCDI is proud to be developing and promoting their talent.”

Mariette du Toit-Helmbold, general manager of Cape Town Tourism said in support of the contest, “Cape Town has such a unique creativity celebrated throughout our City, from the street corners to world class art galleries – it is real and it gives expression to our sense of place and belonging, telling a story of where we have come from and what we want to become. It is such a pleasure participating in this event.”

Cape Town Tourism has developed a dedicated platform to showcase Cape Town’s art and crafts to the world through its network of 20 visitor centres. “In the light of 2010 and the great influx of visitors to Cape Town now, during and beyond the FIFA Soccer World Cup, we have to create more and more opportunities for the creative sector to benefit from tourism and for the world’s heart and imagination to be captured by our people’s creativity. In so doing we help to create not only beautiful memories and memorabilia of our destination, but a lasting legacy for the future,” she concluded.

Notes to the Editor:

• The Cape Craft & Design Institute aims at contributing to the Western Cape’s drive to build a better home for all, supporting craft producers, networking all players in the product-to-market chain, promoting Cape Craft and encouraging unlimited creativity and innovation.
  
  
• Cape Town Tourism promotes tourism and tourism services in the City, and encourages emersion into destinations and cultures, which gives Cape Town its unique energy and appeal.


• The V&A Waterfront as a prominent property developer is committed to the development of small business opportunities, and sees this competition as an ideal channel to establish the profile of wire artists.


• Other sponsors are the Western Cape Cultural Commission and Business Arts South Africa (BASA)

Issued by: HR Strategic Communications

On behalf of: Wire+plus [this is my Cape Town]

Media enquiries: Hélène Rossouw

082 771 8834

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MEDIA VERKLARING

Vrydag, 27 Julie 2007

V&A WATERFRONT RAAK GEDRAAD IN AUGUSTUS

Foto-onderskrif: Draadkunstenaar Tawanda Dengedza met sy “krale berg” inskrywing vir die draad+plus [dit is my Kaapstad] kompetisie.

Die draadkuns sektor in Kaapstad berei voor vir groot dinge deurdat Kaapstad Toerisme, die V&A Waterfront en die Kaapse Handwerk en Ontwerp Instituut kragte saamgesnoer het vir ‘n geleentheid in Augustus waar Kapenaars sal kan meedoen aan die string van krale op die Waterfront. 10 draadkunstenaars is gekies om aan die projek deel te neem. Hul draad kunswerke gaan dan in September ten toon gestel word en in Oktober onder die hamer kom.

Met die gepaste naam draad+plus [dit is Kaapstad], is die projek ‘n gesamentlike inisiatief deur die Kaapse Handwerk & Ontwerp Instituut, die V&A Waterfront en Kaapstad Toerisme.

‘n Beoordelingspaneel wat bestaan uit al die projekvennote, en bekende en gerespekteerde beeldhouers Etienne de Kock en Brendhan Dickerson en industriële ontwerper Felix Holm, het 11 talentvolle draadkunstenaars gekies wat almal in die Wes-Kaap werk en bly. In Augustus-maand gaan tien van die 11 kunstenaars draadkunswerke in die publieke oog maak op die V&A Waterfront.

Die hoogtepunt is ‘n publieke kunswerk in die ware sin van die woord. Dit gaan gemaak word deur ‘n draadkunstenaar wat die publiek, besoekers en verbygangers sal aanmoedig om aan die kunswerk deel te hê. Mense sal voorsien word van draad en krale, met die komplimente van een van die grootste vervaardigers van draad in Suid-Afrika, Allens Meshco, en Bead Merchants, wat 500 kilogram krale vir die projek bydra!

In toerisme maand, September, sal besoekers aan die V&A Waterfront die voltooide kunswerke kan sien by ‘n tentoonstelling op die Waterfront, wat sal opbou na die groot hoogtepunt – die eerste draadkunsuitstalling van sy soort in Kaapstad, in Oktober. Daar word verwag dat invloedryke beleggers en maatskappye sal meeding vir die 11 draadkunswerke.

Die kompetisie bied ‘n geleentheid om die talent van kreatiewe draadkunstenaars ten toon te stel en hul bydrae tot die groeiende handwerk bedryf in die Wes-Kaap.

Foto’s van die finale kunswerke gaan vir 2008 kalenders en katalogusse gebruik word. Die opbrengste sal aangewend word vir die draadkunstenaars, vir die bevordering van die draadkuns bedryf in die Kaap en vir ‘n projek vir straatkinders - Die Ark in Faure. Die kinders sal deelneem aan die publieke draadkuns projek, en die kunstenaars gaan hulle touwys maak in die vaardighede van draadkuns.

Etienne de Kock, beeldhouer: “Ek is opgewonde oor die kunstenaars se oorspronklikheid in hul denke en hul entoesiasme om kuns te eksploreer, in ‘n medium wat hulle nog altyd net as ‘n handwerk beskou het; hulle is besig om hul eie grense te verskuif, om buite die alledaagse te begin dink. Ek verwag buitengewone kwaliteit.”

Catherine le Sueur, Bead Merchants, wat meer as 500 kilogram krale bydra: “Ons is opgewonde om met hierdie projek geassosieer te word, omdat die draadkunstenaars van Kaapstad baie belangrike krale verbruikers is.”

Marjorie Naidoo, CCDI (Cape Craft & Design Institute): “Ek is opgewonde om te sien hoe die draadkunstenaars reageer het op die uitdaging om groot stukke vertolkende kuns te skep, teenoor die kommoditeitsprodukte wat hulle gewoonlik maak. Hulle beskou Kaapstad uit ‘n nuwe perspektief in ‘n ongewone en opwindende medium, en hulle kyk na hulself as kunstenaars. Die Kaapse Handwerk en Ontwerp Instituut is trots om hul talent te ontwikkel en te bevorder.”

Mariette du Toit-Helmbold, algemene bestuurder van Kaapstad Toerisme sê ter ondersteuning van die kompetisie, “Kaapstad het so ‘n unieke skeppendheid wat deur die hele stad gevier word, van die straathoeke tot wêreldklas kunsgallerye – dit is werklik en dit gee uitdrukking aan ons sin van plek en dat ons hier hoort; dit vertel die storie van waar ons vandaan kom en waarheen ons streef. Dis so ‘n vreugde om aan hierdie projek deel te hê.”

Kaapstad Toerisme het ‘n toegewyde platform ontwikkel om Kaapstad se kuns en handwerk aan die wêreld ten toon te stel deur ons netwerk van 20 besoekersentrums. “In die lig van 2010 en die groot instroming van besoekers na Kaapstad nou, tydens en na die FIFA Sokker Wêreldbeker, moet ons meer en meer geleenthede vir die kreatiewe sektor skep om uit toerisme te baat en om mense vanoor die wêreld se harte en verbeeldings aan te gryp met ons mense se skeppendheid. Deur dit te doen, help ons om nie alleen lieflike herinneringe en soeweniers te skep van ons bestemming nie, maar ook ‘n blywende erfenis vir die toekoms,” sluit sy af.

Aantekeninge vir die Redakteur:

Uitgereik deur: HR Strategiese Kommunikasie

Namens: Wire+plus [this is my Cape Town]

Om individuele onderhoude op te stel / radio onderhoude / ander media navrae, kontak Hélène Rossouw

082 771 8834

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