WORDS Gina Dionisio PHOTOS Supplied

A much-anticipated highlight on the decor and design calendar, Decorex Joburg offers design lovers a chance to engage with the best in local and international decor and its makers.

Throughout the four-day exhibition, visitors will encounter designer-led installations, thought-provoking showcases and carefully considered spaces that invite a slower, more intentional way of engaging with design.

Over recent years, Decorex has explored the forces reshaping our environments, from sustainability and technology to the systems and cultural shifts influencing how we live and work. This year’s theme – Soft Life – builds on this thinking, turning attention to the human experience within those spaces that prioritise wellbeing and clarity as the new markers of contemporary design.

A number of installations at this year’s showcase directly echo this broader shift towards design that speaks softly, yet with conviction. Here are our must-see highlights:

Kitchens defined by a quietly luxurious way of living

For nuuma, the contemporary kitchen is no longer defined by function alone. It’s an immersive space where materiality, atmosphere and daily ritual come together with quiet intention.

Rather than relying on excess, the brand works with refined proportions, layered finishes and subtle detailing to create luxury kitchens that feel calm, warm and deeply resolved.

Each space is designed to support the way people live, gather, cook and connect. Here, considered materials – stone, satin lacquer, textured glass and curated finishes – are chosen not only for their beauty, but for the feeling they create.

As modern interiors continue to move towards more immersive and personal expressions of design, the kitchen has become central to the experience of contemporary living.

nuuma’s work reflects this shift: bespoke kitchen design that is sophisticated, liveable and quietly luxurious for refined homes across South Africa and the African continent. nuuma.co.za | @nuuma_sa

Designer-led spaces exploring comfort

The Soft Life Pods bring this year’s theme into physical form through a series of intimate, designer-built micro-interiors that explore comfort, tactility, atmosphere and the future of wellness-driven living.

Each pod offers a distinct interpretation of intentional living, showing how thoughtful design can shape experiences, enhance functionality and create environments that feel both restorative and inspiring.

Local luminaries who shine

A new feature at this year’s Decorex, FloodLight celebrates some of the best local lighting design, brought together within a showcase shaped by the 2026 theme. At its heart is the idea of light as soft power: not simply as function, but as atmosphere, emotion and a tool for wellbeing.

Developed as a collaboration between Decorex and spatial lighting designer Martin Döller, the feature adds an experiential layer to the installation, using light to create mood, depth and theatre across the space.

New work from fresh talent

100% Fresh – Rising Talent shines a spotlight on the next generation of creative voices. Dedicated to emerging designers and makers, the platform showcases original work that explores new material narratives, evolving craft traditions and innovative approaches to contemporary living.

Reflecting the principles of Soft Life, the feature highlights designers whose work prioritises meaning, tactility and emotional connection, offering a glimpse into a future where design is not only innovative, but also more considered, adaptable and deeply relevant to the way we live.

Objects designed for living

TenxTen presents Soft Life as object-language – tactile, considered pieces that upgrade the everyday through detail and intention.

The immersive installation brings together 100 of the most compelling design objects of 2026 across 10 categories that map design from floor to ceiling. Objects have been selected by Decorex co-creative directors Alan Hayward and Garreth van Niekerk, along with a panel of category experts.

Dates & Times

30 July – 2 August 2026 | Sandton Convention Centre | Open daily 10am–6pm | decorex.co.za

Don’t forget to sign up to our weekly newsletter for the latest architecture and design news.

The post What to See at Decorex Joburg 2026 appeared first on Visi.

PHOTOS Graham De Lacy

As the final instalment in the Joburg Contemporary Art Foundation‘s acclaimed Worldmaking exhibition series, Reverse Futures expands on the themes presented in Ecospheres (2024) and Structures (2025) by exploring the techno-future.

Centred on ideas of the future from the Global South, where past, present and future are interconnected, Reverse Futures examines how the effects of colonialism, migration and technological change continue to shape both the present and our vision of what lies ahead.

The featured artworks reflect on migration, memory, ecology, the cosmos and power, inviting viewers to reconsider the role of technology. These themes unfold through immersive and unexpected encounters that challenge dominant narratives of progress, opening space for alternative ways of imagining the planet’s future without losing sight of ongoing injustices, including how they may be reproduced beyond Earth.

Visitors in the installation Event Horizon (2026) by Kamil Adam Hassim, in the Reverse Futures exhibition.

“While the central idea of the Reverse Futures exhibition engages with technology, it does this from a local vantage, asking fundamentally humane questions about the world we inhabit. How might we imagine a better world not built on power and extraction, but one that enables us to think about our future in South Africa as part of a continuum of community, environmental care and historical learning? Can artists help us to define a new path for future generations that is generative and equitable? Through spectacular and subtle ideas, offering beauty and pathos, the exhibition will excite adults and children alike,” says JCAF’s Executive Director and curator of the exhibition, Clive Kellner.

The exhibition’s curation is centred on three interconnected sections: Space, Time and Place.

Space presents the cosmos through Indigenous knowledge, displacement and perception, framing it as a site of survival and imagination; Time connects cave histories and modernist painting, showing how past and present intertwine through shared marks, gestures and the legacies of colonialism; and Place explores how technology and sensory experience can connect locations, memories and communities, creating new ways of archiving personal and collective stories.

Featured artists

• Etel Adnan (Lebanon / United States)
• Cave_bureau (Kenya)
• Kate Crawford and Vladan Joler (Australia / United States; Serbia)
• Paula Gaetano Adi (Argentina)
• Kamil Adam Hassim (South Africa)
• Traci Kwaai (South Africa)
• Ernest Mancoba (South Africa)
• Georgia Munnik (South Africa)
• Yinka Shonibare (Nigeria / United Kingdom)

Special projects

• Rebecca Potterton (South Africa)
• Wolff Architects (South Africa)

Reverse Futures runs until 5 December 2026. | jcaf.org.za

Don’t forget to sign up to our weekly newsletter for the latest architecture and design news.

The post Back to The Future appeared first on Visi.

WORDS Gina Dionisio PHOTOS Ivo Tavares

TThe brief for Casa em Melides was deceptively simple: design a family home in the Alentejo that respects the surrounding landscape. For Sabrab Architecture, the challenge was to create a modern retreat that maximises contemporary comfort without imposing itself on the land.

Carefully positioned among centuries-old cork oak trees and gently following the natural topography of the land, the home was designed with its every aspect guided by the earth. The practice sought to reinterpret Melides’ vernacular architecture through a contemporary lens, creating a series of low, horizontal volumes finished in natural lime plaster, with floor-to-ceiling windows and a pared-back material palette, allowing nature to remain the protagonist.

Inside, the approach is equally restrained. Defined by natural light, balanced proportions, and visual continuity with the outdoors, the interior atmosphere is one of tranquillity.

Here, natural materials, soft textures, and a neutral colour palette create a sense of understated elegance; contemporary lighting, bespoke timber furniture, and a carefully curated selection of collectable design pieces enrich the space without detracting from or competing with the landscape beyond the glass. | sabrab.com

Don’t forget to sign up to our weekly newsletter for the latest architecture and design news.

The post Contemporary Alentejo Home appeared first on Visi.

COMPILED BY Gina Dionisio PHOTOS Nicolas Mathéus (Belledonne Bubble House), Sharyn Cairns (Sydney Home), Jan Ras (AardtsCabin), Elsa Young/Bureaux (The Nest), KLG Architects (!Khwa ttu San Culture and Education Centre)

All these spaces from the VISI archives share one defining quality: they mimic natural formations to create a dialogue between built and natural environments. Borrowing their geometry from nests, shells, boulders and caves, and drawing their material inspiration directly from the surrounding landscape, these biomorphic homes and spaces – from the French Alps to the Namibian desert – go beyond embracing nature. They emerge from it.

Belledonne Bubble House

This remarkable house in the French Alps is home to neither the Teletubbies nor space aliens. Originally built in 1966, it was designed by Claude Costy and Pascal Häusermann, who penned a number of similar dwellings during the late ’60s and early ’70s. Conceived as a critique of Modernist radicalism, these bubble or shell houses, as they’re generally referred to, favoured curves and human proportions, and represented the duo’s idea of sculpture-as-architecture that rethought ways of living and methods of building. The couple had met at the Geneva School of Architecture (where Claude was one of the first female graduates); they designed a series of environmentally friendly buildings that promoted harmony between construction and the environment.

Given its aesthetic, it might not surprise you to learn that this particular house was originally commissioned by a yogi, who bought this beautiful parcel of land in the Belledonne mountains with the idea of founding a living and wellness space open to the public, complete with swimming pool, solarium and sauna. Karma has it that his girlfriend came across a magazine article about the Häusermann/Costy designs, and the couple duly contacted the architects, enamoured both with the houses’ design and the economical construction techniques.

Read the full feature on the Belledonne bubble house here.

Sydney Home

Designed in 1968 by icon of Australian organic architecture David Hollander, the house sits like massive boulders on a hillside, with its sweeping cement curves nestled under a canopy of gumtrees. Walk through the asymmetrical front door and you enter a cosy burrow-like interior, with winding walls, shafts of daylight coming through the skylights, and planter boxes filling the spaces with greenery. “It was nonconformist and experimental, and reflective of its time,” says passionate owner Nancy Renzi of Renzi Design, who signed on the bottom line three days after the home went on the market. “The house was absolutely stunning – I loved the way it sits in the landscape, how it feels so good inside because of the rounded walls, and the light coming through those funny windows in the ceilings. It was like a fantasy land.”

While it originally embodied the anticipation and excitement that typified the ’60s, a renovation by the former owners had unfortunately left it with echoes of the ’80s, says Nancy, and chunky timber joinery that was at odds with the floating free forms. And the security screens on the windows were jarring. “The owners had tried to make the house look normal, by introducing lots of squares and rectangles, but that is something you can never do,” she says. “They replaced the original copper fittings with shiny chrome, and introduced a palette of greys, which made it look cold and uninviting.I wanted to strip it all back and play off the form and texture – shapes are the star of the show.”

Read the full feature on this Sydney home here.

Aardts Cabin

You need game-spotter eyes to see Aardts Cabin – the kind that can spot a motionless mountain zebra cloaked in a Karoo landscape. If you possess this model of eyeball, you’ll see both on a koppie outside the Klein Karoo village of De Rust – although you’re more likely to spot the zebra first, such is the way Abrie von Wielligh’s design appears to have emerged from its rocky, scrubby surrounds. It’s a design that caught Airbnb’s eye in 2022 – the concept was one of 100 global winners of their $10-million “OMG!” competition. The rental disruptor chose 100 designs, each receiving $100 000 to facilitate the build, with the proviso it be rented out on Airbnb’s platform for a year. 

“Ag, but ja,” says Abrie dryly. “We ended up a bit short, and had to spend a little more on the construction. You know how it is when you’re building – you think, ‘Why don’t we add this and that…’” And Abrie knows dry well: although he currently lives in George, he’s originally from Namibia. “George is a bit busy and wet for us, so we started looking around for a place to get away. It didn’t make sense to have a beach house, as it’s the same climate as George.” The “we” he’s referring to are his wife Jorika and their two daughters. The family bought the piece of land near De Rust five years ago and, after walking around the property a lot, decided on a location that was hidden from the farmlands in the valley below and allowed them to burrow into the land. 

Read the full feature on Aardts Cabin here.

The Nest

In the vast ancient desert of Namibia, nature is the greatest architect. Millions of years have refined the shapes of the shelters that birds and animals create for themselves here. The gigantic nests built by sociable weaver birds in camelthorn trees – vast domed structures of twigs and grass often 3m wide – are one of the most striking examples. “They’re architectural masterpieces,” says Swen Bachran, the entrepreneur and conservationist who established the Namib Tsaris Conservancy with his neighbours in the desert, not far from the famous red dunes at Sossusvlei and the haunting 700-year-old skeletons of dead camelthorn trees at Deadvlei.

Before he owned any land in the region, he and his designer and artist friend Porky Hefer visited a spot nearby the site of The Nest, as they dubbed this fantastical house modelled on these weavers’ nests, which they created over the next eight years. At that stage, Swen was still scouting around for a potential conservation project. “Porky came to the farm and we camped on this land together,” says Swen. They sat under the camelthorn trees and marvelled at the communal nests, their perfect efficiency suggesting countless lessons in biomimicry and possibilities for vernacular design.

Read the full feature on The Nest here.

!Khwa ttu San Culture and Education Centre

Opened on Heritage Day, 24 September 2018, the Heritage Centre at !Khwa ttu is an exciting new museum that tells the story of the San people “in their own words”. The building is called The Way of The San.

Some of the themes explored in the various exhibition spaces are human origins, colonial encounters, hunting and gathering, storytelling, star lore, traditional remedies and play. This is done through rock art, artefacts, a recording of ambient sounds of nature, and a life-size video installation depicting various aspects of San life.

Designed by KLG Architects, the building has a glass facade and a curved roof, and an organic oval shape, a reference to traditional nomadic San shelters and the role of the ostrich egg in San culture.

Read the full feature on the !Khwa ttu San Culture and Education Centre here.

Don’t forget to sign up to our weekly newsletter for the latest architecture and design news.

The post 5 Spaces Shaped by Nature appeared first on Visi.

Legendary American rock band Aerosmith said it best: “Pink, it’s the colour of passion, ’cause today it just goes with the fashion”. That was 1997, and the colour has stayed in vogue. Shades of pink, from bubblegum to flamingo and fuchsia, have a timeless, fun, flirtatious, playful and cheeky energy.

In interiors, pink tiles can be used to channel the same seductive energy into spaces that are stylish and versatile. From soft blush bathroom floors to statement backsplashes in kitchens or powder rooms, pink adds warmth and character without overwhelming the space.

Designers love pink because it plays well with a variety of textures, finishes and materials, including stone-look porcelain and patterned tiles. It’s perfect for layering with other natural materials like warm woods, lustrous metallics and natural fibres. Pink is the grande dame of cheeky sophistication.

At Stiles, our pink tile collection offers shades for every mood: gentle hues for subtle elegance and bold tones for maximalist flair. Whether you’re renovating a powder room, designing a full bathroom, or adding a punch of personality to a kitchen wall, pink tiles give you the freedom to dive into “a new obsession”.

The Rosa Kit Kat from the Funky Tiles range is a pink ceramic finger tile with a matt finish. It can be applied to indoor wall surfaces including kitchen and bathroom backsplashes.

The Rosa Liso tile is a subway-shaped tile with a vibrant pink colour and a matt finish. It can be used on indoor wall surfaces and pairs well with a variety of luxurious metallic finishes. Think of opting for brushed brass, lustre gold or copper, which bring out the inherent warmth of blush and dusty pinks. For a cleaner, Art Deco or vintage appeal, polished chrome offers a brilliant, crisp contrast.

The Matiz Pink Lux tile offers a unique style. This tile has a basic subway shape, but a raised relief finish like the roof tiles in a vintage LEGO set. This range offers bold shades inspired by the art of painting. With its glossy finish, this tile can be used in a flamboyant scullery, braai area or on indoor walls.

For a more subtle touch of pink, opt for the Forme Brick Rosato. This matt tile has a subway shape and a heavily textured finish, resembling a roughly plastered wall. It has a soft, rosy-peach colour and is suitable for both indoor and outdoor floor and wall surfaces.

For a super-skinny Kit Kat design, view the Twiggy Mattone Lux. This tile has a lux finish and is ideal for indoor walls and swimming pools. Mattone is the Italian word for brick, which describes the baked, terracotta-clay colour of this tile. The Twiggy range includes ten colours designed to provide elegant and versatile combinations.

For tile enthusiasts looking to bring character into their homes, explore the full range of pink tiles in-store or online at stiles.co.za. Let your interiors sing with a pop of pink!

The post Think Pink appeared first on Visi.

WORDS Palesa Mohola PHOTOS Fredrico Farinatti

Situated outside The Colombian Coffee Company on the historic and busy Petticoat Lane as part of the London Festival of Architecture 2026, the temporary public space transforms an overlooked corner of the city into a space that invites people to pause, gather and reconnect.

This year’s festival explores the theme of Belonging, celebrating architecture’s ability to bring together both the public and the design profession. Macchiato’s circular seating, developed and built by Red Collective & Jamps Studio, references the familiar coffee ring left behind after a shared cup, but it also takes us back to the age-old tradition of gathering in a circle, whether around a fire sharing a meal and telling stories or a good old huddle. Circles have always been a symbol of closeness, bringing people together in connection and community across cultures.

There could not be a more fitting setting than Petticoat Lane. For centuries, the bustling market street has been shaped by London’s working-class communities and successive waves of migration, becoming a place where cultures, traditions and stories intersect. By creating another place to gather, Macchiato quietly adds a new chapter to that history while reinforcing the street’s enduring identity as a meeting place.

Every design decision contributes to this narrative. The colours of the park blend well with its surroundings; the soft brown tones of the pebbles reflect those of both coffee and the surrounding brick buildings, allowing the installation to feel as though it has always existed in the space, seemingly worlds away from the modern buildings in the near distance.

The oxidised patches on the steel planters introduce a rustic feel that speaks to durability and reinvention, while the steel benches bring a contrast between the old and the new. The greenery, provided by Susanna Grant of LINDA and Will Sholey of Sholey Garden and Design, softens the hard urban landscape, evoking a sense of the outdoors without having to leave the city in search of nature. The pebbles in varying shades of brown can be read as a subtle nod to the different stages coffee beans go through, from being pitted to the final stage, ready to be ground into the perfect cup of coffee.

In a fast-paced era where movement is promoted and rest areas in cities are becoming scarcer, Macchiato reminds us that meaningful public spaces do not need to be extravagant – sometimes all it takes is a shared circle, a cup of coffee and a thoughtful design to create a genuine sense of belonging. Every corner on Petticoat Lane has a story to tell, and now Macchiato is the corner where all those stories are shared. | out-architecture.com

Don’t forget to sign up to our weekly newsletter for the latest architecture and design news.

The post Common Grounds appeared first on Visi.

Located at 142 Bree Street, The Madison, a new sculptural landmark by Tricolt Group, is set to add to the convivial energy of Cape Town’s most vibrant precinct.

Defined by flowing lines and a facade that responds to light, movement and perspective, The Madison is a confident, modern addition to the CBD skyline, offering uninterrupted views stretching from Table Mountain to Table Bay.

The Madison, which comprises 391 residences and rises 23 storeys above Bree Street, is shaped by the energy of its surroundings.

Designed for Creative Living

Executive Suites – Priced from R2 650 000 | $182 000 | €158 000
Ideal for secure, lock-up-and-go city living with seamless access to premium amenities. Designed for efficiency without compromise.

Executive One-Bed Apartments – Priced from R3 150 000 | $191 000 | €168 000
Perfect for professionals seeking privacy, generous proportions and elevated everyday comfort in the heart of the city.

One-Bed Apartments – Priced from R3 550 000 | $212 000 | €183 000
Well-balanced layouts designed for singles or couples who value flexibility, convenience and uninterrupted city views.

Two-Bed Apartments – Priced from R6 815 000 | $406 000 | €352 000
Thoughtfully crafted for couples or small families, offering space, flow and long-term liveability in a connected urban setting.

Penthouse Collection – Priced from R12 440 000 | $753 000 | €652 000
Live above the city in a limited selection of penthouse residences that crown The Madison and offer an elevated expression of urban luxury.

The Street That Sets the Tone

As the recognised epicentre of First Thursdays and Open Streets, Bree Street continues to draw both residents and visitors with an effortless pull.

The Madison offers a carefully curated collection of lifestyle amenities that mirror the creative spirit and pedestrian-friendly rhythm of its location:

• Concierge and reception services
• Sixth-floor podium clubhouse with swimming pool
• Landscaped outdoor leisure areas
• Cape Town’s first Gold’s Gym
• Sauna and steam rooms
• Flexible co-working spaces
• Retail, café, bar and hospitality offerings
• Secure parking and controlled access
• 24-hour CCTV and security control room

Built for Growth

For investors, The Madison presents a compelling case. Driven by strong tourism, soaring short-term rental demand and ongoing urban revitalisation, Bree Street continues to outperform as a consistently in-demand urban location.

The Madison offers early buyers the chance to secure an investment in one of Cape Town’s most tightly held and high-performing precincts, where capital growth is estimated at 10 per cent per annum. Registered buyers receive an R100 000 early investor benefit. The purchase price is VAT-inclusive and free of transfer duty.

For buyers interested in short-term rental returns, The Madison offers professional rental management, creating a seamless, hassle-free ownership experience from guest bookings to day-to-day operations.

The online sales launch takes place on 29 July 2026, with a R100 000 discount available to those who reserve on the day. Visit themadison.co.za to register and find out more.

The post A New Icon Claims Its Place on Bree Street appeared first on Visi.

WORDS Robyn Alexander PHOTOS Supplied

Gardens and Landscapes: 10 Spaces of Beauty

by Anna Scaravella, with photographs by Matteo Carassale and text by Sala Bartolomeo (Rizzoli, 2025)

Driven by breathtaking photography – always the case with titles published by Rizzoli – Gardens and Landscapes takes you on a journey through 10 magnifi cent private Italian gardens. And as author and renowned expert in landscape architecture Anna Scaravella suggests in her text, each one of them has its own unique beauty. There is much for the amateur gardener to be inspired by here, from the lush elegance of Villa Albera in Lombardy to the striking contrasts in the design of a Mediterranean garden on the island of Elba. Varied as they are, all remain oases of peace and beauty – and the book is a window into virtually visiting and admiring them. | rizzoliusa.com

Gardens That Can Save The World

by Lottie Delamain, with a foreword by Isabella Tree (Thames & Hudson, 2026)

One of the key ways urbanised human beings remain in touch with the natural world is via growing and tending plants. And going outside to do so, this inspiring new book argues, is one very good way to counteract feelings of powerlessness in a fractured world. Gardens That Can Save the World brings together 65 projects that revolve around plants, showing how they can have a big impact on people, their loved ones and the environment. It also demonstrates that green spaces can repair damage previously done to soil and water, empower communities struggling with conflict and hardship, and help to heal stress, isolation and trauma. This is an immensely uplift ing book that also encourages everyone to try easy-to-replicate strategies in their own garden, balcony or windowsill plant pot. | thamesandhudson.com

The Coastal Garden

by Phaidon Editors, with an introduction by Nigel Dunnett and texts by Sorrel Everton (Phaidon, 2026)

As anyone who has ever created a garden on the coast learns quickly, this sort of landscape requires working in harmony with the environment rather than attempting to compel it to conform to your will. This is the point made repeatedly by The Coastal Garden, which features landscapes as varied as a Mediterranean cliff side, a sheltered bay on the UK’s south coast, and the edge of a sandy beach in Australia. What all these gardens have in common is a sense of being rooted in their location, as well as beautiful views of the sea, an atmosphere of tranquillity, and an intense connection with nature. With gorgeous imagery and detailed explanatory text about each of the 48 extraordinary private gardens featured, there’s plenty to discover in terms of terrains, climates and garden styles here too. | phaidon.com

The Modern Japanese Garden

by Stephen Mansfield, Kengo Kuma, Mira Locher, Tim Richardson, Masuno Shunmyo and Pico Iyer (Thames & Hudson, 2025)

Japanese garden design has a lengthy history, which this major study of the subject begins by tracing, from pre-Shinto stone arrangements to the 19th century and into the present. The book also includes profiles of some of the most iconic and influential gardens in locations such as Tokyo, Kyoto and Fukuoka, and examines the work of several renowned Japanese garden designers. In addition – and much in the style of Japanese landscape design itself – interspersed throughout are short interludes on topics such as the ancient garden of Ryoan-jiin Kyoto, and essays by high-profile contributors such as architect Kengo Kuma and monk and garden designer Masuno Shunmyo, which consider various themes in Japanese gardening. | thamesandhudson.com

Don’t forget to sign up to our weekly newsletter for the latest architecture and design news.

The post The Constant Gardener appeared first on Visi.

WORDS Mary Corrigall PHOTOS Michael Hall (Everard Read), Domenic Singh-Gorin (Ecletica Contemporary)

Consuming art at art fairs or via social media has become a high speed activity. The Heat Winter Arts Festival is encouraging visitors to opt to zone in deeply on a few select works of art with a ‘slow looking’ campaign framing its visual arts programme this year. Of course, as this festival takes place from August 6 to 15 across over 15 venues in Cape Town’s city centre, there is a lot of art to take in during this annual festival, now in its third year. However, as it lasts over nine days, there is enough time for people to linger, revisit and savour art.

Guided walkabouts through each location, led by curators Nkgopoleng Moloi and Voni Baloyi, will offer participants the opportunity for thoughtful observation and in-depth discussions with selected artists.

Heat Winter Arts Festival was established in 2024 in an effort to stimulate art viewing, buying and cultural activities during a time of year typically thought of as ‘dead’ time in Cape Town. As an arts commentator and critic, the quality of our programming is a top priority. The theatre, music, digital art, dance, stand-up comedy, performance art and opera is all of a high standard, with each being curated by a specialist in those art forms.

Unlike most arts festivals in South Africa our visual arts programme is the core part of our annual event and is united by a central theme titled ‘Ctrl + Z’, referring to a common drive to undo harm, restore an equilibrium or rewrite the past. The participating galleries are Aspire Auction House in collaboration with David Krut Projects, AVA Gallery, Christopher Moller Gallery, Eclectica Contemporary, Everard Read / CIRCA Galleries, House Union Block / Spier Arts Trust, Nel Gallery, SMAC Gallery, WORLDART, Untitled Art, Berman Contemporary All Women’s Gallery, 33Bree, Strauss & Co, Peffers Fine Art, THK Gallery, Thomarts Gallery, Zeitz Museum of Contemporary Africa Art and Iziko South African National Gallery and Iziko Old Town House.

Spending more time with fewer works but delving more deeply into them aligns with the fact that many of the works and artists participating in the festival are weighing in on everyday materials – reconsidering things in plain sight. Artists are turning to soil, plastic, rust, coffee sacks, steel, wood, and found matter to ask what objects help us recall, what surfaces reveal, and what might be reimagined when we spend more time looking.

A focus on materials is most notable in the much-anticipated preview of the second edition of Matereality at the Iziko South African National Gallery, curated by Andrea Lewis. The exhibition brings together contemporary artists from across the African continent that include; Bella Knemeyer, Inga Somdyala, Warren Maroon, Sepideh Mehraban, Kamyar Bineshtarigh, Bonolo Kavula, Lungisa Gqunta, Chris Soal, Unathi Mkhonto, Kimathi Mafafo, Dada Khanyisa, Elias Sime and Abdoulaye Konate. These artists’ practices foreground the expressive and conceptual possibilities of materials, from soil, cloth, wood, and metal to found objects and industrial substances. As its title suggests, Matereality explores how materials shape reality, carrying memory, identity, land, belonging, and cultural knowledge.

At the newly opened Berman Contemporary All Women Art Gallery, Thirza Schaap’s Plastic Ocean presents discarded plastic collected from shorelines into seductive sculptural compositions. At first, the works may appear like elegant compositions or abstract arrangements of colour; on closer inspection, they reveal the residue of everyday consumption and ecological neglect. In the context of HEAT’s Ctrl + Z theme, the work asks whether we can “undo” environmental damage.

This conversation is extended at Thomarts Gallery, where Nkosinathi Thomas Ngulube’s Bags of Stories sees reused coffee bags and coffee extracts used as vessels for memory. These are not neutral materials. Coffee carries histories of trade, labour, colonial routes, and contemporary consumption, while the bags themselves suggest storage, movement, use, and reuse.

Materiality becomes a conversation between textile art and sculpture at Peffers Fine Art, with Tshepo Phokojoe in dialogue with Edoardo Villa’s steel sculptures. This unexpected pairing of works “seeks to renew attention to inherited forms – structural, historical, psychological – and to make those forms newly visible through the proximity of contrasting material languages.”

At Eclectica Contemporary, Lars Fischedick’s sculptural hanging works made from wood bring a more tactile, physical register to the programme. His practice engages matter directly, pushing materials towards tension, erosion, and disruption. Fischedick’s works superficially share a relationship with the extraordinary paintings by Ayobola Kekere-Ekun at the AVA gallery in that they present highly textured surfaces, albeit she employs fabric and acrylic to arrive at quasi sculptural works.  She positions the medium as both “collaborator and witness.”

These exhibitions remind us that materials for art are never just materials. They carry texture, labour, memory, place, and atmosphere. They change the way a room feels. They ask us to look again at what we discard, what we live with, what we collect, and what we choose to preserve.

Heat Winter Arts Festival takes place from August 6 to 15 in Cape Town. | heatfestival.org

Don’t forget to sign up to our weekly newsletter for the latest architecture and design news.

The post Cape Town’s Most Thoughtful Arts Festival Returns appeared first on Visi.

Umu Ora believe that how a space feels is inseparable from how we feel within it. Scent moves quietly between body and room, settling onto skin, lingering softly in the air and becoming part of the atmosphere and memory of a place.

Every product begins with ingredients sourced with intention, working with farmers, co-operatives and family-run producers across Africa who share the brand’s commitment to quality, sustainability and respect for the land.

The Umu Ora Edit brings that philosophy to life through four daily rituals: Hand Wash, Body Balm, Home Mist and Ritual Oil. Together, they create a sensory thread through the everyday – connecting wellness with the spaces we inhabit.

At the heart of the collection is Bergamot & Lavender. Bright bergamot carries the freshness of newly cut citrus peel, softened by Cape grown lavender and neroli, while a touch of patchouli adds warmth and depth. Fresh yet grounded, it is designed to lift the mood while leaving both body and space feeling calm, centred and beautifully held.

Wash your hands and allow the scent to remain softly on the skin. Work the Ritual Oil into pulse points and carry it with you throughout the day. Mist a room and transform its atmosphere in an instant. The Unscented Body Balm nourishes deeply without interrupting the scent story, or can be blended with a few drops of Ritual Oil for a richer, more enveloping experience.

Together, these rituals shape the feeling of a moment – on the skin, in the home and in the memories we carry with us. | umuora.com

The prize

The Umu Ora Edit gift box includes:

• Bergamot & Lavender Hand Wash 200ml
• Unscented Body Balm 200ml
• Bergamot & Lavender Home Mist 100ml
• Bergamot & Lavender Ritual Oil 30ml

How to enter

Simple – head to this post on Instagram, follow @umuora and @visi_mag, and tell us how you create calm in your everyday spaces in the comments. One entry is permitted per person.

The post Win with VISI and Umu Ora appeared first on Visi.