Spier Light Art Festival opening

SPIER presents its first Light Art Festival, which starts tonight and runs to January 31. Each night, this historic wine farm in Stellenbosch will light up with an array of artworks incorporating light and sound.

Join the opening ceremony today and tomorrow, choreographed by Jay Pather.

Sound and light sculptures will be revealed as the audience follows the procession of performers across a multisensory, cross-cultural wonderland.

“Some of the works are whimsical and flitting, ironic; some may be glimpsed from a distance and in passing, some will require more time and interaction,” says Pather.

“These experiences – of walking and pausing, catching a glimpse or settling down to absorb – invite us to be introspective, adventurous and playful in turn,” says Pather.

A key work on display is

(“Written in the stars”) by Berco Wilsenach, produced in 2009 as part of a body of work called

– an artistic investigation into different decoding systems with which our visible night sky can be mapped and explained to a visually impaired audience.

The panels are lit from within, creating an effect of thousands of dots floating in mid-air. This creates an experience of endless space and an infinite number of dots reflecting within each of the panels. This is the first time will be exhibited outside, drawing upon the real stars above for an even more immersive artistic experience.

Expect to encounter excerpts from Stravinsky’s ballet, choirs, giant puppets, dancers in illuminated costumes and light projections in the bamboo forest.

Arrive early and enjoy a light dinner before the procession starts.

Guests can also pre-book a readymade picnic hamper, ready for collection between 5pm and 7pm from the Spier Farm Kitchen,

You can also create your own picnic from a selection of cold cuts, cheeses, salads, breads, pâtés and dips from the Spier Farm Kitchen,

Settle in for a farm-to-table feast at Eight Restaurant.

Alternatively, Vadas Smokehouse & Bakery will be serving up “low and slow-smoked” meats.

Date: Saturday December 8 or Sunday 9.

Registration is between 5pm and 6.30pm. The procession starts at 7pm. Price:

R580 per couple for 2 adult entry tickets, a picnic dinner for 2 and a bottle of Spier wine.

R200 per adult includes a complimentary glass of wine.

R75 per child under 12.

For more information or to make a booking, visit www.spier.co.za

SPICED BEEF FRIKKADELS WITH DIPPING SAUCE

Makes 10-12

Ingredients

15ml oil

1 red onion, finely diced

15ml Staffords creamed garlic

5ml Staffords chilli paste

500g mince

30ml Staffords VIP Sauce

1 tomato, deseeded and finely chopped 1 egg

150g fresh breadcrumbs

45ml parsley, roughly chopped salt and milled black pepper

Horseradish and Yoghurt Dipping Sauce 20-25ml Staffords creamed horseradish 5ml Staffords garlic paste

15ml mayonnaise

80ml thick plain yoghurt

50ml grated cucumber, drained & dried salt and milled black pepper cos lettuce leaves, for serving

Method

Preheat the oven to 180°C.

Heat the oil in a pan and gently fry the onion for 3 minutes. Add the creamed garlic and chilli paste, and cook for 2 minutes. Transfer the mixture to a mixing bowl and allow to cool.

Add the remaining ingredients and mix well. Using floured hands, shape the mixture into frikkadels.

Heat a little extra oil in a pan and fry the frikkadels in batches over a medium heat, until browned. Transfer the frikkadels onto a baking sheet and bake for 10-12 minutes.

Combine all of the Horseradish & Yoghurt Dipping Sauce ingredients together, and season to taste.

Serve the frikkadels in lettuce, in lettuce leaves, with some of the dipping sauce.