Lisa Malcomess (aka the Lady in the Purple Hat) sips on a glass of Veuve and imagines she is choosing a Christmas gift at the opening of Everard Read’s Summer of Sculpture exhibition at the Mount Nelson Hotel
Sipping Veuve Clicquot and nibbling on delicious snacks while perusing Everard Read’s new Summer of Sculpture exhibition in the manicured gardens of the Mount Nelson Hotel is a fine way to spend a summer evening in Cape Town. But even without the trimmings, this exciting to engaging collection of 22 pieces, mainly in bronze and steel, by 18 artists would captivate.
The elegant Brendhan Dickerson piece engages in a gentle dance with the gustiest of Cape Doctors (South-Easter wind), while Gail Caitlin’s life size “Wild Dogs” hunt ominously on the front lawns of the hotel.
Samuel Allerton’s “Requiem”, a deserted piano encircled by vultures, is a powerful reminder that when a culture stops cultivating the arts it is usually an early sign of a disintegrating society.
My favourite, if I really had to pick one, was Deborah Bell’s “Emperor Sovereignty”, a majestic piece influenced by ancient cultures, myths and archetypes. But I would also be extremely pleased to find Florian Wozniak’s light-hearted “Hard Drive” granite sculpture in my Christmas stocking.
It was exciting chatting to the artists. Nothing makes art feel more alive than meeting the person who created it.
Beezy Bailey, Wilma Cruise, Dylan Lewis, Anton Momberg, Gavin Younge and Nicolas Lehman are a few more of the names represented.
Visitors can wander through the lush, tranquil gardens viewing the artworks at their own leisure or a guided tour can be arranged through the gallery.
The exhibition runs until the end of April 2014. For more information, contact Lena Sulik [email protected] on 021 418 4527.