The International Public Arts Festival runs over five days and the City is once again partnering with Baz-Art.
Bespoke street art, mural tours and entertainment will be the buzz when the fifth edition of the International Public Arts Festival (IPAF) kicks off tomorrow (Wednesday 10 February 2021) in Salt River.
The City of Cape Town is partnering with Baz-Art for one of Africa’s popular public arts festivals aimed at harnessing the power of street art to transform communities. At last year’s festival, 21 buildings in Salt River were transformed into inspiring, giant artworks.
This year, local and international artists will hand-paint murals on 19 properties in Salt River during the festival’s five-day run. A group of 19 artists, including three international artists will be taking on the task.
Festival organisers have curated six tours of various distances, from 3km to 30 km, where guests can experience and discover hundreds of murals in Salt River, Woodstock, East City District, City Bowl, Waterfront precinct and Sea Point.
They have also trained 37 accredited local tour guides to share deeper knowledge about the city and the murals, thereby making an income by delivering guided tours during the festival. The tours have been adapted in compliance with the National State of Disaster regulations, keeping to small groups, social distancing and sanitising stations.
‘The City of Cape Town is once again thrilled to be partnering with Baz-Art for the International Public Arts Festival. This is an initiative that not only provides a platform for local emerging talented artists, but also gives an opportunity to members of the tourism industry to make a living during this tough time for the sector.
‘Following a year that has been challenging for all of us, we really need initiatives that will bring us together and further instil a sense of community. IPAF 2021 provides us with that opportunity to band together for the love of art, and we are looking forward to the messaging these artists will convey to the world on how we can remain sustainable in the time of a global pandemic,’ said Mayoral Committee Member for Safety and Security JP Smith.
In addition to the bespoke hand-painted murals in Salt River, the festival launched the Beyond Wall project in Sea Point, Langa and Philippi.
This project comprises three pieces of giant hands – 7 600m2 of biodegradable paint on grass symbolising unity and solidarity.
As part of the festival, more murals are planned for the CBD to be unveiled later in the year. This will include artwork by emerging local artists. Through the 2020 edition, Baz-Art has trained 20 artists and some will be returning this year to showcase their talent.
Over the last five years, 97 local artists have participated in IPAF programmes.
‘As much as art is about creativity, I also believe art is learning about the environment you live in. IPAF has adapted to current times and created a non-gathering event. The International Public Art Festival showcases public art pieces that you can enjoy by yourself in a safe, outdoor environment. Roughly 100 people (artists, staff and tour guides collectively) have been employed and provided a platform to perform. We have created routes not only through the neighbourhood of Salt River but also tours extending through the city that can be walked or cycled while discovering public art by yourself or with family and benefitting from the knowledge of a certified tour guide’, said IPAF co-founder Alexandre Tilmans.
More information on the tours is available at https://baz-art.co.za/what-we-do/street-art-tour/
Those planning to attend the tours are reminded that the festival will be held under stringent COVID-19 protocols which require everyone to wear masks at all times and practise social distancing.