Heritage mural to transform Salt River into a visual wonderland
THE fifth edition of the International Public Art Festival (Ipaf) is set to transform Salt River into a visual wonderland featuring a large-scale mural dedicated to the 300-year history of the area.
The mural will be painted by local children who are currently learning about street art in their curriculum.
Hosted by Baz-Art, an organisation that facilitates street art, the event is Africa’s largest public art festival.
Attracting big-name local and international artists, this year’s “100% Sustainable” theme focuses on art as a mechanism for inclusion and activism. Synonymous with empowerment, Ipaf will examine how to answer the needs of today without compromising the world future generations will inherit.
“Ipaf 2021 will be a testament to how public art can activate social change and cohesion within our communities,” said festival manager Lauren Fletcher.
“Art pushes and reflects the current thoughts of society. And as an arts festival, we act as a vehicle to represent and reflect on these moments. Sustainability is incredibly relevant and important,” she added.
This year they partnered with the Salt River Heritage Community, which will assist in giving all participating artists a solid understanding of the nuances and history of the area. This serves as inspiration for the Ipaf 2021 murals.
Participating individuals went through a rigorous selection process that saw them propose creative, 100% sustainable public art interventions.
Some of the artistic proposals included sculptures made from recycled material; artworks in biodegradable paint that washes away to create a whole new work over time; temporary works that fade into nature; and installations that bring people together through shared spaces.
“The soft power of visuals is often underestimated, but our environments have a vast impact on our mindsets, ideals and inspirations. Through a public art festival platform, artists have an opportunity to create beautiful public works that can make us question and rethink. Let’s move away from the get-rich-quick schemes, dog-eat-dog worlds and single-use plastic packed lunches, and get inspired by the long term,” said Fletcher.
Aiming to serve as “economic boosters” in the regions where they are hosted, Fletcher said: “We are proud to be part of the Salt River community and we work directly with Salt River businesses.
This ensures that the economic spend is going to the community the festival is hosted in.”
The goal for Ipaf 2021 is to show that sustainability refers not just to the environment, but also to economically and socially-sound practices, Baz-Art co-founder Alexandre Tilmans said.
“The world is made up of those three aspects and, to make it a better place, we need to respect each of them. By working with local residents and creating a leading example out of our city on how art can benefit its citizens, we believe that we can contribute to a faster recovery from the pandemic.”
As a festival partner, the City said they were excited about the platform for emerging artists.
“The City of Cape Town is once again thrilled to be partnering with Baz-Art for Ipaf. This is an initiative that not only provides a platform for local emerging talented artists, but also beautifies some of Cape Town’s communities with amazing street art murals,” the City said.
The five-day festival runs from February 10 to 14. Besides the visual intrigue, Ipaf will also be partnering with green NGOs to conduct educational tours on foot, skateboard and bike.
There will also be workshops and talks on topics including “guerrilla gardening” and propagation and composting.