On the first Thursday of the month, the residents of Cape Town come together to transform the city’s streets, restaurants and galleries into a buzzing hub of cultural fervour. This evening of artistic appreciation and end-of-week merriment has become a tradition, breathing new life into Cape Town’s urban spaces after the sun sets.
Locals and visitors flood the city centre, eager to immerse themselves in the diverse artistic tapestry of this gathering. Barriers to accessing the arts are broken down, allowing everyone to participate in the experience.
Also read: Here are 5 lesser-known museums to visit in Cape Town
Here are some of the galleries, restaurants and spaces that will be open this Thursday, along with a bit about the artwork that will be on exhibit there. The full list of galleries exhibiting this month can be found here.
EBONY/CURATED: ‘African Galleries Now’ group exhibition
EBONY/CURATED proudly presents ‘African Galleries Now,’ an exciting physical manifestation of the renowned annual online fair, in collaboration with Artsy. In partnership with the esteemed African Art Galleries Association (AAGA), this event unites a network of ten pan-African galleries, showcasing the vibrant realm of contemporary African art.
Immerse yourself in the captivating works of forty talented visual artists, carefully curated across the participating galleries. Hailing from diverse corners of the continent, these artists represent the creative pulse of Zimbabwe, South Africa, Mozambique, Angola, Namibia, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Uganda, Nigeria, Botswana, Mali and Cameroon.
Among those featured in this group exhibition are Rentia Retief, Liam Van Der Heever, Elléna Lourens and Lindisipho Gulwa, along with many other talents.
- Location: 67 Loop Street, City Bowl, Cape Town
- First Thursday times: 5pm to 8pm
- Gallery website: ebonycurated.com
99 Loop Gallery: ‘Remembering’ by Emma Aspeling and ‘Bone + Clay: a dreambeast compendium’ by Johann Nortje
The 99 Loop Gallery is delighted to present the solo exhibitions of Emma Aspeling and Johann Nortje, displayed for the first time on First Thursdays, June edition. Enter the main gallery space, where Emma Aspeling’s ‘Remembering’ installation takes centre stage, displaying a collection of her vibrant mixed media works and paintings.
Venture upstairs to the gallery’s upper floor and be enchanted by Johann Nortje’s ‘Bone + Clay: A Dreambeast Compendium,’ an extraordinary display of sculptures and paintings that gives glimpses into the whimsical world of his ‘dreambeasts.’ In this collection, Nortje’s intricate details and imaginative forms bring these magical creatures to life.
- Location: 99 Loop Street | Corner of Loop and Church Street
- First Thursday hours: 5pm to 8pm
- Gallery website: 99loop.co.za
Alliance Française du Cap: ‘Colours of Soul’ by Joviale N Muaka and Hannah Yason
The Alliance Française presents ‘Colours of Soul,’ two complementary bodies of work by Congolese prophetic artist Joviale N. Muaka and British-born contemplative artist Hannah Yason, both based in Cape Town.
Joviale N. Muaka’s and Hannah Yason’s works celebrate the artist as a channel. Both artists see their work as a link between the spiritual and physical worlds, and they value the ability to connect to the source in their artistic process.
Not only do both artists use colour and an abstract style, but each painting contains a profound message or insight. Both artists are able to connect deeply with their audiences because of this deep connection. Each artist’s work reflects their spiritual journey and honours the interconnectedness of all things.
- Location: 155 Loop Street, City Bowl, Cape Town
- First Thursday times: 6pm to 9pm
- Gallery website: cpt.alliance.org.za
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Association for Visual Arts: ‘STONED: Remembering the 80s’ Curated by Cheryl Traub-Adler
This exhibition brings together the work of artists from the Cape Town-based Michaelis School of Art, the Community Arts Project and the Vakalisa Art Associates network. These paintings and posters were created during a critical period of apartheid repression. A decade in which Southern Africa was embroiled in an unreported civil war, and artists used their talents as a form of resistance and expression of their trauma.
Prior to the internet, printed mediums such as woodblock, scraperboard, linocut, pencil and ballpoint pen were used to make social commentary and disseminate information. In this exhibition, the viewer is invited to take part in the reactivation of these memories as well as to consider collective humanity and what is at stake.
Featured artists include Ngela Ferreira, Billy Mandindi, Brett Murray, David Hlongwane, Diane Paulse, Emile Maurice, Gaby Cheminais, Garth Erasmus, Grant Schreiber, Jane Solomon, Janet Purcell, Jann Cheifitz, John Muafangejo, Jonathan Berndt, Kevin Brand, Louise Linder, Lovell Friedman, Lynne Lomofsky, Manfred Zylla, Mario Pissarra, Michael Barry and Nicolas Maritz.
- Location: 35 Church Street, City Bowl, Cape Town
- First Thursday times: 5pm to 8pm
- Gallery website: ava.co.za
Gracht Gallery: ‘LIMEN’ by Johannes Scott
‘Like daydreaming, the primal real has a way of seeping through the barrier of symbolic reality, triggering a contingent gaze that bestows a trivial domestic object with an aura of phantasm.’
This winter, Gracht Gallery presents a cabinet selection of Johannes Scott’s ceramic art and paintings. Excluding First Thursdays’ times, please consult the website for ad hoc hours and appointments, as the gallery will be closed intermittently for refurbishment in preparation for the spring launch.
- Location: 160 Buitengracht Street, Bo-Kaap, Cape Town
- First Thursday times: 5pm to 8pm
- Gallery website: gracht.co.za
The Pink Room at Gorgeous George: An Art/Music Show by Gorgeous George
Every First Thursday, the Gorgeous George Hotel transforms into a hub of artistic expression and rhythmic melodies.
The Pink Room, located on the first floor, hosts regular exhibitions and exciting music events. This month’s exhibition will feature Esther Mahlangu, Michael Taylor, Trevor Coleman, Cecil Skotness, Adriaan Kohler, Simon Stone, Athenkosi Kwinana, Norman Catherine, Emari Van Straten, George Pemba, Cathy Abraham, Stephané E. Conradie and Frances Goodman.
Allow the music by DJs Fileur and Dario Leite to serve as a melodic backdrop and synchronise with the vibrant ambience as you lose yourself in the artistry, elevating the evening to new heights of enjoyment.
- Location: 118 St George’s Mall, Between Church + Longmarket, Cape Town CBD
- First Thursday times: 5pm to 11pm
- Gallery website: gorgeousgeorge.co.za
Explore the enchantment of First Thursday, where the arts intertwine with Cape Town’s pulsating heartbeat, forging connections and reviving the urban landscape in remarkable ways.
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Picture: First Thursdays Cape Town
