On Saturday 16 June, the 2018 season of Art & Design Saturday at Keyes Art Mile is further bolstering its position as an essential part of Joburg’s creative calendar with the announcement that The Emporium will become a regular feature of the event’s offering.
Taking its inspiration from the contemporary art stores of the world’s leading galleries and museums, The Emporium will be a monthly bespoke, luxury event featuring the work of carefully selected art and design creatives.
Echoing the ethos of the current Art & Design Saturday season, this highly curated environment will be a space for art lovers, creative aficionados, newcomers to the design scene and those seeking a one-of-a-kind retail experience.
The Emporium at Art & Design Saturday will see visitors browsing through exquisitely crafted objects and offerings – from an artist-inspired scent to a large-scale, mohair tapestry or a limited edition chandelier. These experiences will be showcased within the broader Art & Design Saturday context which features an unmissable mix of visual art activations, the chance to meet contemporary artists and designers, the viewing of short films in a private cinema, visiting galleries in the precinct and taking advantage of Keyes Art Miles’ retail outlets and eateries – including BGR, MESH Club, Milk Bar, Marble, SMAC, TMRW, True Design, Okapi, Shelflife and Anatomy.
The first Emporium turns its focus to the “The Process and Power of Making” by taking a behind-the-scenes look at some of SA’s best artists and design studios. Making its debut on 16 June with a mix of fashion, jewellery, perfume, lighting, printmaking and product design, the exhibitors taking part in the June event are: Anatomy Design, Between 10&5, David Krut Projects, Frazer Parfum & Nandipha Mntambo, Jacob van Schalkwyk & Stephens Tapestry Studio, Made By, Mema Designs, Vatic Studio presents AKJP.
A programme (see below) of talks and demonstrations by the participating exhibitors will be held throughout the day in the Atrium and MESH Cinema.
Art enthusiasts will also have special access to the tech wizards behind Mary Sibande’s new interactive and VR installation, A Crescendo of Ecstasy produced in collaboration with TMRW Gallery.
And last but not least, a mix of disco, hip-hop, vintage and electro R&B, vocal house and jazz will play throughout the day courtesy of DJ, sister duo Zanele and Zodwa.
Visitors are encouraged to diarise the second edition of the Emporium to take place on 14 July with a new selection of Emporium artists and designers alongside a “Focus on Photography” celebrating iconic South African images from the archives of the Market Photo Workshop and the Alf Kumalo Estate.
Other highlights of Art & Design Saturday on 16 June are:
At Everard Read Gallery one can expect to catch the last day of the exhibition Botanical Art Worldwide: Linking People With Plants Through Contemporary Botanical Art – an international exhibition initiated by the American Society of Botanical Artists in which 25 different botanical art societies have participated. The 25 participating countries/regions, representing 6 continents, include Australia, Bermuda, Brazil, Canada, Chile, China, Colombia, Costa Rica, France, Germany, Indonesia, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, Russia, Scotland, South Africa, South Korea, Thailand, Ukraine, the United Kingdom, and the United States.
At CIRCA Gallery Forests of the Night is curated in response to Botanical Art Worldwide: Linking People With Plants Through Contemporary Botanical Art. The exhibition showcases the work of a selection of South African artists, who incorporate botanical elements in their work as they engage in wider conversations in contemporary art.
TMRW digital gallery will be exhibiting Mary Sibande’s long-awaited new interactive and VR installation, A Crescendo of Ecstasy.
Anatomy, True Design, Okapi and Shelflife will all be open for browsing.
For more information on the 16 June programme, visit keyesartmile.co.za
The inclusion of bespoke Emporiums as part of Art & Design Saturdays adds to the already popular combination that has drawn visitors to Keyes Art Mile over three different Saturdays in March, April and May. Each of these have traversed a different creative field – from May’s furniture focus in the exhibition, Masters of Modernism: Exploring Craftsmanship in Design, to the spotlight on new technologies in April’s Art X Tech focus and the latest in local menswear design in March. The 2018 season of Art & Design Saturday at Keyes Art Mile brings together new and established creative voices, providing a space for both critical engagement and laid-back entertainment.
