Tag: AREA3 CPT ’17

  • The youngins – up and coming creatives on the Capetonian art vista and their thoughts

    Cape Town has been described as a union of culture, cuisine, and landscapes. “There’s nowhere quite like Cape Town, a singularly beautiful city crowned by the magnificent Table Mountain National Park. Human creativity is also self-evident here – it’s one of the things that made the city a World Design Capital in 2014. From the brightly painted facades of the Bo-Kaap and the bathing chalets of Muizenberg to the Afro-chic decor of its restaurants and bars and the striking street art and innovation incubators of the East City and Woodstock, this is one great-looking metropolis. The informal settlements of the Cape Flats are a sobering counterpoint, but these townships also have enterprising projects that put food from organic market gardens on tables, or stock gift shops with attractive souvenirs” reads a description of the city on lonelyplanet.com. The Cape Town creative dynamic is one which holds a lot of weight and to get a clearer idea of how this vista functions I spoke to a number of up and coming artists on the scene to get some insight. Taking into account what I have been told from a number of interviews it is clear to me that there is still underrepresentation within the city, it is still a space in which black and brown bodies often times feel excluded and a grueling hustle to make money takes place within the picturesque city that is usually painted as an idyllic space. Read more to find out what their opinions are.

    Sara Lagardien is a young creative from Cape Town that first came to my attention when she modeled for adidas NMD. After this, she did an editorial for adidas Originals at AREA3 sharing the shutter release with Haneem Christian and owning her first editorial with carefully considered styling choices. She explains the editorial in the following words, “Through this body of work I aimed to challenge the perceptions that people have of young Muslims of colour and their Islamic identity which is often viewed through a very narrow and linear lens. I aimed to allow a space where young brown Muslims could exist in the context of Islam and mainstream discourses surrounding Islam and Islamic identity – where their identities and narratives are often erased, denied or delegitimized. Muslims that do not subscribe to the conventional and often conservative mold of Islam exist and we are here to stay.”

    adidas Originals Editorial by Sara Lagardien | AREA3

    At AREA3 Sara built a lasting bond with other young creatives that worked in the space and conceptualized Takeover: Bree Street that she shared the Creative Director role with Haneem Christian for. Now Sara has a lot to say about Cape Town and I would urge you to take note. When I asked Sara if she has seen any change within the scene and who she believes the leaders of the drive is she tells me that recently a vast amount of coloured and black creatives are taking ownership of their stories and showing it within their creative practices. “I think that this representation is extremely important in informing the way that young and aspiring creatives of colour choose to navigate through Cape Town’s creative scene.” Sara expresses that Dope Saint Jude, Imraan Christian, K-$ and Jabu Newman represent a shared reality in their work that she finds deeply empowering. She feels that there has been a shift in artistic direction for Capetonian artists and calls it a space of reclamation and the amplification of representation. She accredits this to young creatives of colour who are actively working towards change.

    “It’s easy to say that the new creative wave in Cape Town is more representative of all the voices and people from various backgrounds when your voice is part of that new wave, but in reality – while progress has been made – we still have a long way to go. When we totalise the creative scene in Cape Town as being a definite group of specific people, it becomes easy to neglect so many young creatives out there – on the Cape Flats, in townships and in communities where people haven’t been afforded the access to opportunities and resources that I have been afforded and equipped with to aid me in changing the landscape of Cape Town’s creative scene.” In Sara’s opinion, young voices are being heard more than before but she states that it is a very selective group of people who are being heard.

    ‘Takeover: Bree Street’ – Photography by Haneem Christian

    Justin February was the next young creative I spoke to that came into the public eye by modeling for labels such as Sol-Sol Menswear. Fast forward a bit into the future and we see Justin taking on photography and creative directing with his adidas Originals Editorial produced with AREA3. Justin expresses that he became mesmerized by Cape Town’s creative scene when street wear brands such as Young and Lazy; Sol-Sol Menswear and 2Bop came into his context. He expresses that the creatives leading the way for the youngins are people like Mathew Kieser, Anees Peterson, and Anthony Smith.

    Justin, in agreement with Sara, feels that Cape Town creatives are creating work that speaks about their own realities with an intent to inform their viewers of realities that have previously been disregarded. “I think that shift that I’m talking about is because people are sick of not being heard and have found a great way to let people hear them.” Sara, however, feels that many marginalized groups within Cape Town are still not being heard or receiving fair representation in contrast with Justin’s statement that more people are heard through social media.

    adidas Originals Editorial by Justin February | AREA3

    Darkie Fiction is a relatively new musical duo who recently released their first single ‘Selula’ produced by Jakinda of Siff Pap. The group formed in Cape Town consists of rapper Katt Daddy and singer and cinematographer Yoza Mnyanda.

    When asked about ‘Selula’ the group tells me, “Selula is a song about moving forward. It’s a challenge to look at life from a different perspective and realise that although you may not have everything you want, you still have some things. We made the song at a time where we needed that gentle reminder. It also speaks to how people place so much importance on things that don’t actually really matter. The song literally says that all it takes is cell phones, cigarettes, and champagne to make people happy.”

    Their collective journey began at the start of 2016 at The Waiting Room where they were both preforming that night. They express that after some failed endeavours as solo artists, they united their talents in May 2017. The story behind the title of their group is one that I thoroughly enjoy. They tell me that the producer of ‘Selula’, Jakinda once said: “doccie fiction” referring to documentary fiction. The two musicians, in fact, heard “darkie fiction” and it was a name that really resonated with them. After growing into the name, it made sense to them as it speaks of a shared frustration with the South African music industry.

    Darkie Fiction – photography by Giorgi Young

    “The word ‘Darkie’ has derogatory connotations. What we want to do is reclaim the word and help to bring light to what it really means to be a young, black and proudly South African creative in the 23-year-old South Africa. We want to celebrate the things that nobody really talks about, the little things that make us darkies.”

    Valuing their insights, I decided to find out what their views are on the Cape Town creative scene. The duo expresses that the creative scene in Cape Town has changed in recent years and that there is more integrated racially and socio-economically. They feel that more people are finding a voice and challenging various constructs as Justin suggested. They do however state that there isn’t much of a music “industry” within the city and that the only game changers really are visual artists.

    In their opinion that correlates with Justin, young voices are being heard more than ever but they attribute it to the digital age and express that is not a phenomenon that is specific to Cape Town. “The days of making meaningless music or taking meaningless images are coming to an end.”

    Photography by Hana Sho

    Hana Sho is a young 18-year-old model, photographer and freelance creative from Cape Town. I spoke to her to get her thoughts on the scene. Hana as most of the creatives I have interviewed believes that there is a change in the character of the scene due to social media. She expresses that social media interaction is leading to more collaboration among creatives and that now, more so than before, established artists on the scene are willing to share their knowledge and collaborate with young emerging artists.

    When asked about her if she believed that young voices are being heard within this space, Hana leaves me with this “Yes I do, you gotta listen to the kids, cause we know what’s good!” Hana speaks about the shift in artistic direction within the metropolis in terms of young creatives no longer focusing on a niche but instead pushing their creative talents into all of the platforms they wish to explore. She believes that this is aiding in bending certain norms.

    “Because of this huge wave of new young creatives in Cape Town, there are more people speaking for those who are yet to discover their voices, and for those who can’t be heard. For that reason, I would hope that there is representation for everyone.” Unfortunately, as Sara noted there are still many artists who do not get to raise their voices due to the lack of opportunities awarded to them.

    Photography by Hana Sho

    When asked about the unity that seems to persist within the Capetonian creative vista the up and comers tell me that the scene has a tendency to revolve around cliques. Darkie Fiction expresses that it’s about finding your closed network and working together to reap benefits. “The clique thing needs to be dismantled because if we all, truly, worked together the city would stretch way further.” They express that there is a lot of support and competitiveness within the space, a sentiment that Hana and Sara both share. Justin says that people within the space become like a family and do “a lot of cute shit” together. Sara expresses that having her group makes the space more accessible and less intimidating.

    I asked these young artists to explain the immense versatility among Cape Town creatives who seem to be able to delve into various creative disciplines. To this Darkie Fiction expresses that due to the space being so small you are always faced with its versatile creativity. They describe it as mixed veg as many people from various origins settle within its parameters. “It’s a very inspiring place to be, there’s a lot to take in all at once.”

    Darkie Fiction – photography by Giorgi Young

    Sara tells me the following on the topic, “The immense versatility amongst Cape Town creatives is also something that has been cultivated and encouraged by the pioneers of the scene and those who are now mentoring the younger generation of creatives. I also believe that it is our responsibility to do justice to the efforts of those who came before us by allowing our own paths to be informed by the knowledge and lessons gained from their paths.” Justin is in agreement with Sara and expresses that as young creatives they are exposed to a variety of creative outlets that they try and master and make their own. It seems to be a case of fascination and intrigue that turns playful exploration into a more serious art form within this space. Hana expresses that it originates from a DIY mentality that evolves into becoming good at various facets of creativity in agreement with the statements above.

    When I came to a question formulated from observation regarding why it seems that creatives within the vista cultivate their careers as models I received some interesting replies. Sara expresses “While I can’t speak on behalf of other Cape Town creatives because I don’t believe that everyone’s creative careers start off as being a model, I can speak about and from my experience. For me, entering the creative scene in Cape Town as a model allowed me to enter a multidisciplinary world that I had never had prior exposure to. Modelling allows one access to the worlds of photography, styling, art direction, makeup artistry, set design and the like. It was in this space – being exposed to a broad creative world – that my creative journey and aspirations were birthed.”

    adidas Originals Editorial by Sara Lagardien | AREA3

    Justin feels that it comes from name and face association which aids creatives in already having been heard of by the time that they might feel so inclined to pick up another artistic outlet. Hana again tells me that it is something she has not given a lot of thought to but for her, learning both sides of the lens has thought her a lot and her modeling undertakings help her pay for her camera addiction tendencies. Modelling within this space can be seen as a foot in the door and perhaps not so difficult with brands such as Sol-Sol who scouts young creatives as well as the fact that My Friend Ned is based within the vicinity.

    I asked the group about opportunities for creatives within the city and Darkie Fiction tells me that there are not enough and that you can only go so far within that space. “There’s a cap, especially as a black creative.” Sara expresses that opportunities exist in Cape Town but that it is a case of who you know to “get in”. Justin and Hana feel that young creatives should create their own opportunities. I agree and half disagree with the statements received for this question as I can easily believe that there aren’t enough opportunities for young creatives within this space. I do however feel like there are more than before with spaces like AREA3 that is aiding young creatives in their paths and yes, you can make your own opportunities but taking into account what I have been told, I believe that the scene is in favour of visual artists more so than musicians.

    adidas Originals Editorial by Justin February | AREA3
    adidas Originals Editorial by Justin February | AREA3
  • Takeover: Bree Street // reimagining Bree Street

    AbdouMaliq Simone’s notion “people as infrastructure” refers to residents’ abilities to combine objects, people, spaces and activities, and their combination of these resulting in a form of infrastructure (Simone 2004: 407-408). Applying this concept to the photographic series, Takeover: Bree Street by young creatives Sara Lagardien and Haneem Christian, I argue that their project pushes for a form of self-curated infrastructural change.

    After forced segregation, the feeling of division remains carved into Cape Town’s urban form, through space that is associated with particular race and class groupings. The spatial engineering that was the thread that kept Apartheid’s fabric together, still lingers. And not as a momentary smell in the air that wafts between conversations of diversity and non-racialism, but as a permanent stench that needs to be addressed with a more direct repellent. The conception of Cape Town as a white-only centre is engrained in its architectural layout, which permeates an energy that Sara and Haneem describe as making black and brown bodies feel excluded.

    Photograph by Haneem Christian

    Sara and Haneem were part of a 3 month mentorship program called AREA3 CPT ’17. As part of this program young creators in Cape Town were given the opportunity to be introduced to a studio space and work collaboratively under the guidance of Gabrielle Kannemeyer and Imraan Christian. This took place at the AREA3 store on Bree Street. Inspired by the family connections made at AREA3, they invited the other young creatives to be part of their photographic series. They spent a day “reimagining and consciously reclaiming space, and seeking freedom in spaces that was never built for us.”

    When searching for Bree Street online, the results of my Google search presented me with restaurant options, bars, and a bicycle store. In an interview with Sara and Haneem, they presented Bree Street with the hipster layers peeled away. Reflecting on their time spent at AREA3, “For a group of young people of colour to physically occupy space in Bree street in itself was extraordinary. We found a home in a world that never had space for young black creative kids. We had created a safer space for everyone to feel comfortable…” Haneem  explains.

    Choosing to grab hold of the torch that started the decolonial fire within university spaces and a critical re-engagement with public space and institutions, their series sees young creatives of colour occupy Bree Street armed with skateboards, bicycles, a kite, soccer balls and cameras. “We had succeeded in shifting the landscape of Bree Street to a space where young brown kids now feel confident existing in the space and occupying it, playing games that would never leave the communities they originate from,” Sara and Haneem explain in their write up for their project. Their core premise is the disruption of whiteness within the city centre.

    Photograph by Thandiwe Gula-Ndebele

    When asked about the importance of young people taking on the politics of space, particularly public space, Sara responded that, “Engaging with the politics of space – especially in a deeply segregated city like Cape Town – plays a pivotal role in shifting the narrative and the landscape of that space to a more inclusive one. It’s not merely about physically reclaiming our spaces, but about reclaiming our identities and narratives within those spaces.”

    The activities involved in putting this photographic series together puts forward a form of infrastructural development, in which we see the combination of their objects, people and spaces towards a more inclusive infrastructure.

    Photograph by Thandiwe Gula-Ndebele
    Photograph by Haneem Christian
    Photography by Haneem Christian

    The team:

    Creative Director & photographer – Haneem Christian

    Creative Director – Sara Lagardien

    Photographer – Thandiwe Gula-Ndebele

    Imraan Christian

    Ra-ees Saiet

    Waseem Noordien

    Justin February

    Aidan Groenewald

    Joshua Pascoe

    Antonio Druchen

    Raeez Kilshaw

    Azhar Abrahams

    Alexandra Truter

    Tiisetso Moreki

    Kalo Canterbury

    Koketso Buthelezi

    Kiyan Thornton

    Olwethu Shakur Matiwana

    Mathew Bull

    Conway October

    Kabelo Masipa

    Luxolo Witvoet

    Zenande Mtati

    Pabalelo Clayton

    Rendani Nemakonde

  • AREA3 CPT ’17 // A co-creation space underpinned by design

    Photographer Imraan Christian and stylist Gabrielle Kannemeyer have been working with Andpeople and adidas to put together a co-creation studio at AREA3 in Cape Town. They have been appointed the Creative Directors, which involves them being in charge of the fluid structure that makes up the programme. They have put together talks and workshops.

    The idea behind the programme is to allow young creators in Cape Town the opportunity to be introduced to a studio space and work collaboratively under the guidance of Gabrielle and Imraan. With adidas as the supporter for the project, creators were provided with three apparel and footwear drops from June to August – June being Campus, July the NMD and August will be the EQT.

    Photographer: Haneem Christian & Waseem Noordien | MUA: Nubia Silver | Models: Aidan Groenewald, Justin February, Thandi Gula & Haneem Christian

    Imraan explained that the plan is for the studio to produce 4 shoots per week featuring the products allocated each month. Creatives have been encouraged to push boundaries with regards to styling, concept and execution. “We are pushing them to think unconventionally about the cube,” Imraan explained.

    “We thought a work studio would be a great place to share teach and learn – it’s an extremely intimidating place to be if you’re not used to being there (all the lights and complicated machines and people watching, etc.). We want to dismantle the fear and teach them that anywhere you create in is a home,” Imraan explained.

    Photographer: Reagan Paulsen | Stylist: Reagan Paulsen | Model: Nangamo Fonk

    Imraan and Gabrielle have been working with the creatives in the space helping them from the initial phases of conceptualization to execution and post production. “You’ll find us in the space helping creators build and execute their projects every Friday, Saturday and Sunday alongside Ra-ees Saiet, our space manager who runs the space by managing the foot traffic, assisting in bookings for creatives to shoot their projects, John Second our studio manager who teaches the creators how to operate and set up the equipment as well as Keenan Oliver our studio’s general co-coordinator and producer.”

    With this sharing of knowledge and resources, Imraan hopes that it will aid these creators in getting a foot in the door and encouraging a sense of community amongst them.

    The creators part of this programme are Dune Tilley, Reagan Paulsen, Hope Motlepa, Haneem Christian, Aidan Groenewald, Jaimi Robin, Ciara Madella, Conway October, Alexandra Truter, Joshua Pascoe, Sara Lagardien, and Thandi Gula-Ndebele.

    Photographer: Lara Fisher | Lighting: John Second | Stylist: Conway October | Models: Mathew Bell, Shakadelics & Conway October.
    Photographer: Alexandra Truter | Lighting: John Second | Stylist: Antonio Druchen | Make up: Gareth Coleman | Models: Britani Khan & Damian Fredricks
    Photography: Sara Lagardien and Haneem Christian | Styling: Sara Lagardien | Styling Assistant: Justin February | Models: Saaimah Badroodien, Saadiq Soeker, Sara Lagardien and La’eeqa Mosam | Makeup Artist: Haneem Christian | Lighting: John Alex Second
    Editorial by Jaimi Robin | Photographer: Jaimi Robin | Lighting: John Second | Stytlist: Jaimi Robin | MUA: Haneem Christian & Jaimi Robin | Models: Kayleigh, Haneem Christian & Saaimah
  • The new adidas NMD: style meets technology

    Futuristic and transformative. By combining the breakthrough technology of BOOST™ and Primeknit fabrications with the adidas signature style, these two words perfectly describe the adidas NMD. This season the NMD_CS2 PK takes center stage in its reference to the brand’s collective memory while innovatively elevating the familiar three stripe design. The sneakers are crafted with a Shadow Knit technique and features the Japanese Sashiko stitching method, a form of decorative reinforcement stitching. Tonal uppers with engineered patterns are finished off with embroidered tactile colour pops, and a signature NMD heel pull. This season also sees new versions of the NMD_R2 featuring patterned Primeknit uppers and striking graphics for men and women.

    In conjunction with the launch of their new products, adidas presents AREA3 CPT ’17; a space for co-creation underpinned by design. This space was the backdrop for the NMD campaign shoot.

    Taking the descriptive words for the NMD as a point of departure for the shoot, this was translated into how our human bodies have become futuristic and transformative. This includes how our physical bodies have been rendered into avatars as well as through genetic modification. These two themes were explored through a fashion story.

    Playing on this, the use of a mirror articulates this exploration by creating two versions of the body; the body IRL and the body reflected in the mirror as the digital avatar. The mirrored image of the body wearing a VR headset highlights the futuristic and how technology has allowed for the coded versions of ourselves. This highlights the use of breakthrough technology to construct the NMD, which is still able to pay homage to the adidas Originals DNA.

    Photography & Styling: Jamal Nxedlana

    Post Production: Lex Trickett

    Makeup: Isabella Raad