CAPE/ Africa Platform - is this the way forward?
by Kresta Tyler Johnson
Since the demise of the Johannesburg Biennale there has been a dearth of large-scale exhibitions of contemporary South African art. The CAPE/ Africa Platform is an initiative that seeks to fill the void with "an international-scale art event that aims to provide a platform for contemporary African culture and promote greater cohesion among Cape Town, South Africa, the continent and the Diaspora". As South African cultural development makes great strides, this proves a timely project to facilitate its continued growth.
Obviously the CAPE team has struck a chord. They have created a solid foundation of arts and business experts to assist in the formation of the programme. Their sponsorship alone attests to their foresight, with investments currently exceeding R935000 for development and research - and this is only the beginning.
CAPE/ Africa Platform has provided a plan for the next three years that will culminate in three programmes that include a forum for the visual arts in conjunction with VANSA; a CAPE conference/ summit in September 2005 and a CAPE exhibition in September 2006. Three years is a limited time-frame in which to organise such a large-scale endeavour, but CAPE has the energy and willingness to make this happen.
The expanding team at the core of CAPE and the increased public exposure have forced CAPE to relocate to larger offices as of May 1. I think anyone interested in promoting or participating in the invigorating energy burgeoning in contemporary art in South Africa will be elated with CAPE's prospects. A collaborative exhibition of this nature would represent a boost for both the country's and continent's significant art venues.
For further information, email the Cape Africa Platform on info@capeafrica.org.
