SOLO STUDIOS 2022 Turns entire Riebeek Valley into a gallery
Intimate Art Encounters event returns in August 2022 www.solostudios.co.za
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olo Studios – Intimate Art Encounters is back. After a hiatus of a year and a half, one of the most anticipated events on the cultural calendar of the Western Cape returns this August. ‘We don’t merely sell art at Solo Studios. We sell an experience,’ says Klaus Piprek, cofounder and director of Solo Studios. Rather than all the exhibitions being concentrated in a single centre, the exhibitions are scattered throughout the region: this year 18 artists’ studios will be thrown open to pass holders over the weekend of 26-28 August, with a further 10 group exhibitions held at various venues. Cancelled in 2021 due to harsh socialdistancing restrictions, Solo Studios resisted the shift to conversion to a ‘virtual’ event. This is partly, explains Piprek, because it’s not only the art and the artists that are the draw to what has become known as Arts Town Riebeek Valley, encompassing the twin towns of Riebeek Kasteel and Riebeek West. ‘There are few things more rewarding than being lured away from your planned art route by the aroma emanating from a local coffee shop, or the scent of the essential oils from the locally produced botanical range, or stopping off for an impromptu wine tasting by some of the most acclaimed Swartland wine producers. You just can’t replicate that online.’ ‘As always, the Riebeek Valley will put on its best dress in anticipation for the influx of art aficionados to this prestigious event, and visitors can expect a host of venues offering food experiences and wine tastings,’ says Sean Cleary, chair of the Riebeek Valley Tourism. ‘Entertainers will flow onto the streets and pavements, and creative community development projects will be showcased by their participation of a host of peripheral activities. Add to that the richness of local flavour from the olive producers, the plethora of restaurants, the village bakery,
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and the myriad of craft and artisanal outlets.’ ‘The best way to fully appreciate what we have to offer is to make a whole weekend of it,’ Piprek advises. ‘There’s simply not enough time in one day to fully absorb all that Solo Studios and the valley have to offer.’ The Riebeek Valley is less than an hour’s drive from Cape Town and other cultural centres such as Stellenbosch, Paarl and
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