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At the April edition of Keyes Art Night, Origin Art's group show Motion and Expression: The Space In Between in collaboration with Crispy Skateboards continues its run. In the Atrium, Occupying the Gallery bring their large-scale work Publish or Perish to Joburg via Cape Town. At the entrance to the Annex space, you can add to a growing cityscape in Cameron-Lee Olivier's interactive mural. Meanwhile, a stellar group of artists come together for a group show at BKhz Gallery, Between Us and the Stars.
WIN! For those wanting a deeper engagement with the exhibitions at Keyes Art Mile, grab a self-guided walkabout pamphlet that provides insights, prompts, and creative exercises to work through at your own pace. Share your completed worksheet by tagging @KeyesArtMile on Instagram and stand the chance to win a curated art night for yourself and five friends, valued at R5,000. Ts&Cs apply.
As always, Keyes delivers when it comes to food and drinks with a variety of restaurants offering tasty meals, such as The Prawnery, Momo Kuro, Kanpai, Marble, and BGR and Pantry for yummy soft serve. There'll be live music at Freshly Ground and, when all is seen and done, round the night off with DJ sets at Mix Cocktail Bar.
Keep reading for all the details.
Note: Gallery 1 at Keyes Art Mile is currently closed for renovations.
Flipping pages – Art occupiers come to Keyes
"Occupying the Gallery reimagines what a studio can be. It transforms the traditional gallery space into an open, nomadic hub of creativity, where the process of making art takes centre stage," writes co-founder and artist Mary Sibande, who runs this initiative alongside Lawrence Lemaoana. Publish or Perish, first shown at the Investec Cape Town Art Fair, saw Occupying the Gallery challenging the conventional model of art presentation, revealing, in Sibande's words, "The messy, experimental, and collaborative nature of creation." The 'occupants' this time around are Lungile Ngcobo, Mosa Anita Kaiser, Sphatho Mzantsi, and Puseletso Masemene, while their ensemble of artworks occupy the pages of a giant, book-like structure that viewers can walk inside. Publish or Perish can be seen in the Atrium of the Trumpet building of Keyes Art Mile.
Motion and Expression – artists on deck at Origin
Over 40 artists explore the skateboard deck as their canvas in the group exhibition Motion and Expression: The Space In Between at Origin Art. The gallery worked with Crispy Skateboards to bring this unusual show to fruition; a Joburg-based father and sons company known for bespoke decks and cool artist collabs. "Skateboarding is a language of motion – an act of balance, defiance, and improvisation. It is a culture built on self-expression, where style is everything, and creativity flourishes in the most unexpected spaces," reads the exhibition statement.
Motion and Expression features wide-ranging artistic voices, styles, and mediums, from graffiti to mixed media, fine art, and graphic design. The decks aren't simply hung on the walls as display objects, but activated as pieces to be ridden, collected, and lived with. "The idea is to bring the outside world into the gallery and also to take these stories back out beyond the gallery walls again."
Make your mark
The April edition of Keyes Art Night is your last chance to make your mark with Cameron-Lee Oliver's interactive piece outside the Annex of the Trumpet building. This activation began in February and continues to be built upon. The artist's statement reads: "Concrete Memory, investigates the city’s dynamic, palimpsestic nature, where layers of history, culture, and individual experience converge. Visitors are invited to contribute to the work and become part of a collective narrative, one that reflects the diversity and complexity of urban life."
To the stars at BKhz Gallery
Where to eat and drink
While art is front and centre at Keyes Art Night, you certainly won't be leaving hungry given all that Keyes has to offer on the dining front. Enjoy beautifully crafted sushi at the Japanese-fusion restaurant Kanpai or giant tiger prawns on the hibachi grill at The Prawnery. Book via Dineplan. Freshly Ground has an expanded menu and now serves drinks. For a tried and true favourite, add tasty Asian street food to the line-up at Momo Kuro on the top floor of the Trumpet building, or try the ramen at Momo's street-level store. Burger and fries? Keep it easy at BGR. Unwind with sunset drinks at Marble (also in the swanky Trumpet building), and if soft serve is your thing, head down the parking lot stairs to Pantry. At just eighteen bucks a pop, you'll be glad we told you.
Easy beats at MIX Cocktail Bar
Once you've caught up with all the Keyes art offerings, head upstairs to MIX Cocktail Bar at MESH Club for something to sip on while you jam to live DJs.
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