Contemporary African Art in Cape Town
As a fan of contemporary art, I have been eagerly awaiting
the opening of the Zeitz Museum of Contemporary Art Africa (MOCAA), housed in a
collection of former silos at the V & A Waterfront here in Cape Town. The brilliant concept has turned an unused
(and unattractive) space into a world class hotel and art museum that showcases
artwork from around the continent and beyond and it will surely become a top
attraction for visitors to the Mother City.
As you enter the building, you find yourself in the BMW
Atrium which features a massive bird installation suspended from above. According to the MOCCA website “Nicholas Hlobo’s, iimpundulu zonke ziyandilandela, inaugurates the space and combines rubber inner tubing,
multicoloured ribbons, an animal skull, and pink theatre lights”. You are also able to marvel at
the design and scale of the museum’s interior which used the original
silos in an innovative way to create a modern space filled with natural light.
There are six floors as well as the tunnels. Level 0 contains the Centre for the Moving
Image and the Centre for Performing Practice.
The permanent exhibitions can be found on Levels 1 and 2 while Levels 3
and 4 house temporary exhibitions. Each
gallery has been designed with monochromatic tones, creating a light and clean
ambience to highlight the striking works. You are free to take photographs and
there are no surly museum staff watching your every move, making you feel like
a criminal. You are free to meander
through each level and appreciate what is on display by a multitude of local
and international artists.
Level 6 features an open-air sculpture garden and offers
visitors breath-taking views of the mountain and city through the building’s
signature windows. A restaurant will
also open on this level.
An interesting gift shop is conveniently located at the
entrance/exit, filled with trendy gifts and décor items inspired by the
exhibitions themselves as well as contemporary African design. I would like to see more merchandise
reflecting some of the signature pieces themselves, as you would find in
museums around the world (specifically fridge magnets which I collect). In addition, a better quality map with more
information about the space as well as exhibitions is needed. Other than that, I am beyond impressed by the
museum as well as the exhibitions and I will definitely be a regular visitor.
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