The two Joburg Art Fairs have contributed to the groundswell interest in contemporary art and design in the country.  Artlogic has created a new event to drive the Art Fair’s audience into the country’s top galleries, design shops and restaurants. The Spring Art Tour Cape and Joburg will consist of specially curated gallery exhibitions, design shows and restaurant menus.  We have partnered with Wanted Magazine, Mail & Guardian online, 702 and Cape Talk to cover the event.

We are continuing the BMW Art Talks launched at this year’s Art Fair with the talks now taking place in the participating venues.  All events are free of charge, but be sure to book at restaurants to avoid disappointment. Grolsch beer will be served at the evening events.  Go and get the September edition of the Wanted Magazine for in-depth info on the Spring Art Tours and follow the action on www.mg.co.za.

Ross Douglas, Director of Artlogic and the man behind the Joburg Art Fair, “We have worked to make  the Joburg Art Fair the preeminent art brand in the country within 2 years, we believe the Spring Art Tours will become equally powerful art brands”.

Spring Art Tours

Cape 1 – 4 October

Joburg 8 – 11 October

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SPRING ART TOUR Cape
Thurs 1 Oct – Sun 4 Oct 2009

The Cape leg of the Spring Art Tour, encompassing both Cape Town and Stellenbosch galleries, specially designed projects and restaurants, will take place in the first week in October. With a firm emphasis on the gastronomic possibilities in and around the city by the sea, Artlogic has negotiated a series of special functions and menus in restaurants and delis all over the greater Cape Town area. Along with familiar and time-honoured favourites, tour-goers will be able to appreciate a few new additions to the scene. Ultra cool wine bar Caveau, La Perla (established in 1960 and still the rendezvous place of choice) as well as the Grand Café in Camps Bay and the recently developed, deliciously retro hole-in-the-wall Boo Radley’s will all play host to your tastebuds. While these and many others cook up tailor made tour menus, wine enthusiasts will be able to savour the latest vintages and appreciate the private collections at Stellenbosch’s Delaire Graff and Glen Carlou estates.

The weekend of October 1^st to October 4^th will be the best times to peruse the latest exhibitions by some of the most renowned and established Cape Town galleries. Goodman Gallery Cape, Michael Stevenson, Whatiftheworld and SMAC will already be familiar to those who visited the Joburg Art Fair in April, while a host of younger galleries like iArt in Cape Town and the Red, Black and White Gallery in Stellenbosch have been added onto the schedule of openings to take place over the four-day period. The Rupert Museum, Glen Carlou and Delaire Graff will all be giving visitors the rare opportunity to see some of the finer pieces in their respective private collections over the weekend. Look out for the art videos at Twiice International on Thurs the 1^st, and the opening of Gregor Jenkin’s new studio on Shortmarket Street on Fri the 2^nd.

The Cape Town installment of the BMW Art Talks will take place on Saturday. Attendees will get an inside look at the careers and repertoires of some of South Africa’s foremost contemporary artists, gallerists and other leaders in the cultural and literary landscape.  Trendsetters, glamoristas, intellectuals and those wanting to do a bit of mingling in the right circles will appreciate the Grolsch Spring Party at the Neighbourhood Bar on Long Street, to take place on Saturday the 3^rd.

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SPRING ART TOUR Joburg
Thurs 8 Oct – Sun 11 Oct 2009

An exciting programme of gallery openings, unique projects, special menus as well as a series of talks and lectures will light up Jozi from Thursday through to Sunday. Tour goers can expect to see their favourite galleries from the Joburg Art Fair represented, as well as a complement of smaller special projects to be held at venues Joburgers will have come to know well over the years. Goodman Gallery, Everard Read Johannesburg, Gallery MOMO, David Krut Projects as well as Seippel Gallery, Afronova and many others have worked in conjunction with Artlogic to align their individually planned exhibition openings with the Spring Art Tour schedule. The special projects itinerary includes art video projections and performance pieces hosted by an extensive list of up-market venues throughout the city. Arts on Main in the Maboneng Precinct, one of the leading examples of the urban regeneration revolution and central meeting place for the creative industries, will be the focal point for the Spring Art Tour Grolsch Party, the place to be on the night of Saturday the 10^th.

Paco, Tonic, Willow Lamp, Paul Smith and Black Coffee, some of the leading names in furniture, interior and clothing Haute Couture both in South Africa and abroad, will be participating in the Spring Art Tour special projects lineup. Tour goers will also be able to sample the finest local and international cuisine and fresh produce on offer as part of the special lunch and dinner menus cooked up by Joburg’s finest eateries. The historic Troyeville Hotel, decidedly anti-mall 44 Stanley, urban oasis Narina Trogon as well as Fino’s in Parktown North (amongst many others) will all be part of the four day tour, allowing those experiencing intellectual overload to take a break and pause for a nibble or a cocktail

As in the Cape, Artlogic will roll out the Joburg installment of the BMW Art Talks on Saturday the 10^th, featuring top galleries, artistsd and various exciting book launches.

Artlogic intends for the Spring Art Tours to be not only one of the cultural and social events of the season in the future, but also to be respected as one of the leading art brands in South Africa. With the success of the Joburg Art Fair already proving that this is possible in such a short time, this looks to be a more than achievable goal with the support of the cultural and corporate community at large.