South Africa’s new art destination When Norval Foundation opened in Steenberg, Cape Town on 28 April 2018, art and culture enthusiasts and the public alike gained access to a new space dedicated to showcasing art exhibitions with global appeal, in an environment that also fosters an appreciation for nature.
A
djacent to Table Mountain National Park, Norval
also the custodian of the Edoardo Villa Estate Collection,
Foundation was designed by dhk Architects and
the Alexis Preller Archive and hosts the Gerard Sekoto
features world-class, purpose-built galleries, a
Foundation. In addition, it incorporates Bruce Campbell
sculpture garden, outdoor amphitheatre, research
Smith’s Revisions Collection and a significant collection of
library, a restaurant and bar, a shop, and a children’s playground. The Norval family are the founders and initial funders
publications on South African art. The Sculpture Garden at Norval Foundation features three-
of Norval Foundation. Their aim is to make art widely
dimensional and installation-based artworks. The unique site,
accessible to local and international visitors, by creating a
bisected by a protected Cape Lowland Freshwater Wetland
self-sustainable centre for art.
and surrounded by the natural beauty of the Western Cape,
The Homestead Art Collection, housed at the foundation
features flora that are indigenous to the area. The placement of
as a curatorial asset, is one of the leading collections of
artwork takes the site into consideration, using the contours of
20th-century South African art, assembled by the Norval
the garden to hide and reveal work, creating an experience of
family over the past two decades. Norval Foundation is
discovery for the viewer.
30 / Creative Feel / December 2018 / January 2019
