Investec Art Fair begins tomorrow
TOMORROW is the beginning of the Investec Cape Town Art Fair – Africa’s biggest contemporary art fair – at the CTICC.
It continues until Sunday.
For its seventh edition the Tomorrows/Today Prize, supported by Fondazione Fiera Milano and Zeitz MOCAA, will be awarded to one of 10 artists featured at the exhibition.
The winner will be chosen by a jury led by Investec Cape Town Art Fair curator Tumelo Mosaka and including Renaud Proch, director of Independent Curators International of New York City, and South African artist Berni Searle.
The artist selected will receive R50 000 and a solo exhibition at Zeitz MOCAA.
Mosaka said the aim of the Tomorrows/Today Prize is to shine a light on emerging and under-represented artists, set to be tomorrow’s leading names.
“The art scene is not short of rising stars. The point is how to provide visibility. For Investec Cape Town Art Fair visitors – especially those who intend to invest in the future – it is important that the art fair sets the bar while ushering in a new crop of artists,” he says.
Cape Town artist Zyma Amien, represented by Art First Gallery (London, UK), is one of 10 artists in the running for the coveted Tomorrows/ Today Prize.
“I have been making art from a young age as my family has always been making art. They made wedding dresses, bridal rooms, head pieces and even built houses. So I was making art without being aware of it,” said Zyma.
Her work entails printmaking, drawing, installation and digital video, and often conveys socio-political issues of the garment and textile industries.
Amien completed her Masters (cum laude) at UCT after graduating from Unisa with a BA in Fine Arts.
“After studying at Unisa, I could visualise my concept by using my making skills. I suppose my family’s skills all came in handy.
“Contemporary art is not just about drawing and painting, but rather about an idea and using materials that are embedded with meaning,” said the artist.
Amien said she would be “over the moon” if awarded the Tomorrows/ Today Prize.
“I am honoured to be part of the Investec Art Fair, and it is a bonus to be part of the curated space. I am very nervous but excited to start setting up (for the art fair). A huge thank you to Art First London for sponsoring me,” she said.