Page 10 - Quarterly june letsebe 2016
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SOUTH AFRICAN EMBASSY IN ROME: NEWSLETTER
AMBASCIATA DEL SUDAFRICA A ROMA: NOTIZIARIO
SOUTH AFRICAN PAVILION: SALE D’ARMI, ARSENALE, VENICE
28 MAY – 27 NOVEMBER 2016
COOL CAPITAL
While exhibiting at the Biennale Architettura 2012, architect
Pieter Mathews was inspired by a poster encouraging visi-
tors to “take the discussion beyond Venice”. Back in Preto-
ria, South Africa, with the assistance of a small group of ar-
chitects and artists, the first uncurated, DIY, guerilla bien-
nale called Cool Capital was launched. The aim of Cool
Capital was clear: dismantle the bureaucratic relationship
between citizens and public space and encourage a new
ownership for the city. Designers were encouraged to redis-
cover marginalised parts of the city’s historic centre, to col-
laborate with residents by creating pop-up installations and to become active agents in the rethinking of
their city as place, destination and capital city. Cool Capital’s uncurated approach meant that the usual bu-
reaucratic processes were short-circuited. It de-
mocratized creativity and promoted activism by
putting the city into the hands of its creative com-
munity. The city came alive as spontaneous street
art and design interventions celebrated the city, in-
spiring urban renewal, achieving social coherence
and, above all, putting a smile on the mind. Cool
Capital proved that real change lies in the hands of
engaged citizens. Low on budget but high on inno-
vation, over 150 interventions took place, all of
them questioning, challenging, or levelling the sta-
tus quo. This year Cool Capital continues with the
theme “small is big”. Cool Capital has cemented
Pretoria as a notable African centre of creativity.
The planned exhibition is supported by the Department of Arts and Culture, University of Pretoria and Busi-
ness and Arts South Africa (BASA). Mathews has been appointed by the Department of Arts & Culture as
curator for the South African Pavilion; according to him the pavilion becomes a call to citizens of any city to
become design activists.
According to Mr. Saul Kgomotso Molobi, South Af-
rican Consul-General in Milan and Commissioner
of the South African Pavilion, this year's South Af-
rican Pavilion will be especially unique. "This year
will be historic in the sense that we will not be tak-
ing only a few exclusive works of architects’ or
artists’, but the projects of over a 1000 South Afri-
can participants, probably making this one of the
most representative pavilions in the history of
South Africa’s involvement with the Biennale."
10
AMBASCIATA DEL SUDAFRICA A ROMA: NOTIZIARIO
SOUTH AFRICAN PAVILION: SALE D’ARMI, ARSENALE, VENICE
28 MAY – 27 NOVEMBER 2016
COOL CAPITAL
While exhibiting at the Biennale Architettura 2012, architect
Pieter Mathews was inspired by a poster encouraging visi-
tors to “take the discussion beyond Venice”. Back in Preto-
ria, South Africa, with the assistance of a small group of ar-
chitects and artists, the first uncurated, DIY, guerilla bien-
nale called Cool Capital was launched. The aim of Cool
Capital was clear: dismantle the bureaucratic relationship
between citizens and public space and encourage a new
ownership for the city. Designers were encouraged to redis-
cover marginalised parts of the city’s historic centre, to col-
laborate with residents by creating pop-up installations and to become active agents in the rethinking of
their city as place, destination and capital city. Cool Capital’s uncurated approach meant that the usual bu-
reaucratic processes were short-circuited. It de-
mocratized creativity and promoted activism by
putting the city into the hands of its creative com-
munity. The city came alive as spontaneous street
art and design interventions celebrated the city, in-
spiring urban renewal, achieving social coherence
and, above all, putting a smile on the mind. Cool
Capital proved that real change lies in the hands of
engaged citizens. Low on budget but high on inno-
vation, over 150 interventions took place, all of
them questioning, challenging, or levelling the sta-
tus quo. This year Cool Capital continues with the
theme “small is big”. Cool Capital has cemented
Pretoria as a notable African centre of creativity.
The planned exhibition is supported by the Department of Arts and Culture, University of Pretoria and Busi-
ness and Arts South Africa (BASA). Mathews has been appointed by the Department of Arts & Culture as
curator for the South African Pavilion; according to him the pavilion becomes a call to citizens of any city to
become design activists.
According to Mr. Saul Kgomotso Molobi, South Af-
rican Consul-General in Milan and Commissioner
of the South African Pavilion, this year's South Af-
rican Pavilion will be especially unique. "This year
will be historic in the sense that we will not be tak-
ing only a few exclusive works of architects’ or
artists’, but the projects of over a 1000 South Afri-
can participants, probably making this one of the
most representative pavilions in the history of
South Africa’s involvement with the Biennale."
10
