Supposedly it’s Creative Week in Cape Town and the only way I was alerted to this fact was from an email my friend received detailing a night market promising all things vintage, artsy and creative. While there was a bunch of innovative designs, beautiful pieces of art and useful creations, the market had a slightly more of a hippie, grunge vibe than vintage due to it’s location in a large warehouse amongst machinery. I was ravenous but aside from expensive prego rolls and curry (which I eat quite often) there was not much else on offer to munch. But I enjoyed strolling through the dark warehouse and absorbing it all. Here are some interesting things I discovered, aside from the R10 boerewors roll man on the corner opposite Barmooda:
1. It’s a Blacksmith forge
The market is held in a warehouse opposite Gandalf’s at 178 Lower Main Road. There is hardly any lighting other than a few artistic lighting installations hanging up on concrete walls. There all kinds of metal gadgets and machinery on the edge of the mail hall. Some appear to be cement mixers, others just pieces of scrap metal and on one side bicycles hang suspended (which I later discovered are for sale), a wagon serves as a table and a trailer perches on a wooden platform. Before I realised it was a Blacksmith workplace, I had quite a time imagining what all the machinery was used for.
2. Card Art
Stuck to a metal pipe, are a designer’s crafts made from a pack of cards. Red and black cards have been cut into intricate shapes whilst others have been folded to form new shapes.
3. Coin rings
As I browsed around a looking at leather, wooden and bamboo journals, the friendly man explained that his wife had made them and then proceeded to show us rings that had been made from coins. These copper and silver rings had engravings etched into them and would make for wonderful, unique presents.
4. A metal stool
I’m pretty sure this stool was not sculpted with luxurious comfort in mind, but it does make for an unusual seat. It would probably also be the last chair I would choose or perhaps I would resort to sitting on the floor. It appears to be a group of torturous tools stuck together in a group. Thick, steel pokers jutting into a block, with their flat, square side facing upward. I would’ve tested it out, had it not been on a table.
5. The old sweet shop
Once you exit past the woman selling jam you will find the only lit room in the entire market, the art gallery. Once you have passed the rather alarming metal structure that appears to be in the shape of a whale’s backbone, you’ll lay eyes on the Bijou artists’ paintings and prints that are displayed in what’s called the ‘old sweet shop’. These works of art are also for sale with the artists price tags.
I am quite disappointed I missed out on one of the main attractions of the night, the music. Bands The Time flies, Sixgun Gospel and DJ Raymundo were set to come on from 9pm. According to the flyer I missed out some afro skunk funk and twisted country. Intriguing, if I get to the next one, I will definitely take a listen. I also hope that when the next market opens it’s doors, they switch more lights on so we can actually see the ‘once-off’, vintage clothing that I could vaguely make out in the shadows.
Visit http://www.creativeweekct.co.za/events/b-i-j-o-u/to find out about more quirky, creative events on around the Cape.
