On 4 April 2024, the second edition of First Thursdays at the Silo District, sponsored by American Express, which is operated in South Africa under license by Nedbank, will bring art enthusiasts together around this popular quarterly happening, which was founded as a way to experience galleries and museums on foot around the city.
1. The art
The exceptional exhibitions at Zeitz MOCAA, which include SALA; Mame-Diarra Niang – Self as a Forgotten Monument; Seekers, Seers, Soothsayers; Seismography of Struggle; and Past Disquiet, and VIGIL by Justine Mahoney and Dzuvula by Rich Mnisi, First Thursdays at the Silo District presents an opportunity to engage with some of the very best art and design from the continent.
2. Half-price museum entry
Zeitz MOCAA is one of the most beautiful museums in the country, featuring exceptional curation, spectacular architecture and beautiful views of Cape Town. For First Thursdays, guests get in for half price (just R125), which includes guided tours every hour starting at 18:30. Plus, enjoy the eclectic organic wines of Vinehugger, and a bite to eat from some of Makers Landing’s food fundis. Don’t forget to grab a box of gourmet popcorn on your way in.
3. The Marguerite Oelofse Cover Portrait Photobooth Experience
Marguerite Oelofse is one of South Africa’s top photographers. She has won awards like the Claire Aho Award for Woman Photographers 2022 – The Pink Lady Food Photographer of the Year and had her work exhibited at the Royal Photographic Society. She’s shot for Marie Claire, Elle, GQ, Wanted, Glamour and JAN the Journal (which recently called her “Magic Maker”).
Step into the photo booth just outside Zeitz MOCAA on 04/04 from 18:00 and have your pic snapped by Marguerite Oelofse. Share it on socials using #WithAmex.
4. A panel discussion on business acumen for artists and cultural entrepreneurs
In partnership with the Cape Town Creative Academy, IQOQO is hosting the Commercialising Creativity: Business Acumen for Artists and Cultural Entrepreneurs panel discussion moderated by Jess Wright (Head of Mentoring of Business Acumen for Artists course at the Cape Town Creative Academy). The discussion features Nene Mahlangu, a multidisciplinary artist and one of five winners of the 2023 Amex ZA Graphic Arts Challenge – an exciting initiative for graphic artists, illustrators and designers in South Africa. Her work is the backdrop of the discussion and the visual identity of the overall event, Mahlangu is set to be in conversation with leading voices on the topic of commercial creative practices and entrepreneurial success: Bonolo Kavula, who is a visual artist and a graduate of Michaelis School of Fine Art and Business Acumen for Artists; Khensani Nobanda, who is Group Executive: Marketing and Corporate Affairs at Nedbank; and Lara Rosmarin, who is the Head of Entrepreneur Development and Incubation at UVU Accelerate.
The talk will take place at the Cape Town Creative Academy and will start at 17:00. Find us in Silo 5, 2nd Floor, Silo District, V&A Waterfront, Cape Town.
**Plus – all guests who attend the panel discussion will stand the chance to win one of five sets of double tickets for the Amex VIP catered experience at Zeitz MOCAA.
RSVP here
5. DJ Raresoftware
Zeitz MOCAA will come alive with gritty, techno-laced beats provided by DJ Raresoftware (aka Alexandra-Naledi Holtman aka Gonubie).
In a recent interview with Connect Everything Collective (CEC), Raresoftware said “starting out, I have had this really deep interest in dance music – but I also have been classically trained as a flautist. Raresoftware was born to express the electronic, EDM, techno aspect of who I am. Gonubie, on the other hand, was born out of my show on Hamshack Radio – where I got to share more of my different sonic interests and genres. I knew I wanted to make something from scratch, and I had no idea what it would be. What ended up being organically expressed was this experimental, ambient, fourth-world collection of music. The desire to make dance music still exists, but Raresoftware and Gonubie are two functions of who I am as a whole, and they exist as an expression of a natural accumulation that has taken place.”
Find out more and get your tickets for Zeitz MOCAA at first-thursdays.co.za
