Travel Concepts, which forms part of The Concepts Collection, are leaders in handcrafting luxurious event, wedding and travel experiences across Southern Africa. With Cape Town expecting its typical surge of tourist arrivals at this time of year, despite the water crisis, we spoke with Travel Concepts founder, Richard Holt about art in the city.
“Cape Town has got it all in terms of scenic beauty and as we like to describe it, natural art at its finest. However, look past the obvious scenic splendor and you will find a hugely creative city with a burgeoning and inspiring art scene in many other forms."
Here they share a few of their top artistic picks the Mother City has to offer:
CITY ART: First Thursday’s
On ‘First Thursdays’, the streets of Cape Town’s CBD come alive with pedestrians, from trendy hipsters and young professionals, to active retirees, or families with dogs in tow, to foreign visitors – all looking for a fun night out! The concept is simple and hugely successful, on the first Thursday of every month, inner city art galleries and local boutiques as well as other cultural attractions in Cape Town stay open till late to encourage visitors to explore the city and all its offerings on foot.
DESIGN ART: Southern Guild Gallery
Situated in the new trendy Silo district of Cape Town’s waterfront, the owners of Southern Guild have spearheaded the high-end design category in Africa over the last 10 years, putting Africa on the world stage and propelling local artist-designers to make spirited, challenging and complex work. We think the gallery is a wonderful celebration of world class Africa, showcasing the very best of aspiring African artists and local limited-editions.
SCULPTURAL ART: Dylan Lewis Sculpture Garden
Hidden away on magnificent mountain slopes outside Stellenbosch, this expansive garden is home to hidden paths and a plethora of lush indigenous plants, but most importantly it houses over 60 structural pieces by world-renowned sculptural artist, and South African native, Dylan Lewis. The garden is home to multiple species of fynbos, creating a link between nature and art that is evident through the many sounds and scents in this venture that has been more than eight years in the making.
WINE AND ART: Our suggested artistic wine tour
The scenic splendor of the Cape Winelands serves as the artistic backdrop to a whole number of beautifully manicured and exclusive wine estates that are literally becoming art galleries in their own right. From dozens of designer wine estates we recommend sampling award winnings wines, whilst strolling through sculpture gardens at Tokara or Leeu Estates, marvel at the paintings and design at Delaire Graff, the gallery collections and designer restaurant at Cavalli or the art gallery and spectacular interior design at the owner’s cottage at Grand Provence.