NEW IN THE CITY

Ah, summer in Windhoek. The sun is infernal, the beers are arctic and the mosquitoes are plotting. Yet as we make our scorched but cautious return to public places (preferably with patios), the city – God bless her – feels fresh with a few sweet surprises. While it’s not an exhaustive list and there are surely things I’ve missed, here’s what’s new in the city.

THE WINDHOEK MURAL PROJECT

The city centre is a place of hasty hustle but if you’re missioning down Fidel Castro or Werner List Street in the vicinity of the College of the Arts, The Windhoek Mural Project is bound to halt your hurry. Founded by the ENK Institute for Public Art in collaboration with Bonlife Namibia and Neo Paints, the project will feature five Namibian artists painting a series of murals in and around the city. First off the mark from a cohort that includes artists Michelle Isaak, Taanyanda Matheus, Edith Wasserfall and John Kalunda are two murals by Nambowa Malua. African Women is a bright ode to the continent’s tireless and uplifting mothers, sisters and daughters. Contrast of Two Plains is a tribute to the Ovahimba people and an appreciation of Namibia’s contrasting landscape with psychedelic elements symbolic of shifting realities and the country’s growing appreciation of creativity. “People are affected by what they experience in their towns and cities. We therefore believe public art has a unique ability to give Namibians a better feel for their environment,” says the ENK Institute for Public Art’s founder Emmanuel Enkara. “I think you get the ‘feel’ of a country from the art it produces. Food, dress, music, visual art and film form our national identity. Before #Vision2030 is achieved, we need to give visual artists the chance to build our country and to tell contemporary stories through public art.” The ENK Institute for Public Art also aims to empower artists through project-based income streams while encouraging tourism through the enlivening of our towns and cities. Public art is even more vital during a pandemic. “One thing that has happened during the pandemic is that people have turned to jogging and walking,” says Enkara. “Public art can be that exciting addition to everybody’s day when the world feels like such a bad place right now”.

Martha Mukaiwa

Martha Mukaiwa

THE SKINNY COW EATERY

Instagrammers, assemble! Because The Skinny Cow Eatery is a content creator’s fever dream. Located at Elysium Fields at 40 Berg Street, this pretty and profoundly pink new spot marries the aesthetic decadence of a cake-eating Marie Antoinette with velvet booths, neon pink signage and a flowery photo wall for the social media age. The brainchild of The Collective Boutique’s Nikita Rix, The Skinny Cow Eatery’s artisanal confectioneries and colour scheme are all part of a sumptuous plan rooted in the psychology of pink. “Pink is obviously feminine. Pink is also very cheerful. It’s about bringing people together and it represents love, celebration and cheerfulness,” says Rix, a psychology graduate who drew inspiration for the eatery from a selection of spots in Cape Town and London.

Martha Mukaiwa

Martha Mukaiwa

A self-proclaimed foodie and a bit of a naming wiz, Rix chuckles when asked: What’s in the name? “Have you ever seen a skinny cow? It doesn’t exist. And if it does, it’s probably not very happy.” The juxtaposition is Rix’s pushback against the guilt doled out about women’s bodies, appetites and cravings. “There’s always someone guilt tripping you for having a good piece of cake or a nice burger. It’s really time to challenge that. I’m a foodie. I love eating. I like burgers. I like nachos. I like waffles.” Hear, hear! As pink as its ‘Love Bun Burger’, The Skinny Cow’s menu includes a selection of gorgeous signature drinks and delicately prepared cakes. “The food is just as important as the space,” says Rix, who welcomes a diverse clientele. “I welcome everyone who wants to take a really good Instagram photo,” says Rix with a laugh. But the truth is, on a Thursday afternoon, the couples, mother and daughter dates, gal pals and even the serious businessmen enjoying the space are all about their angles. Certainly a moment and the sweetest new spot, Rix’s advice to incoming visitors is simply this: “Treat yourself, love yourself and have an experience. You only live once.”

Martha Mukaiwa

Martha Mukaiwa

‘TELL EM’ by LIVINGE DENNIS

Though, technically, Livinge Dennis is from the coast and Tell ’Em, his latest music video, was shot there too, I add it to the list because Dennis rose to national fame on Windhoek’s stages. Inspired by his travels through Africa and a parting sentiment from his mother, Tell ’Em is an uplifting, soul-stirring track that showcases Dennis’ impressive vocal prowess, love for the place of his birth and infectious joie de vivre. “The song seeks to change the traditional narrative of Africa and its people. Tell ’Em is an African anthem about our dignity and humanity written in Africa for the world because people are always trying to humiliate Africans,” he says. “What I would love for Africans to “tell ’em” through the way we showcase and celebrate ourselves in our videos, stories and in all types of art is that we are proud to be African and that this space and this earth that we walk on is ours”. Tell ’Em is available to buy and can be watched on YouTube.

Nautilus Media

Nautilus Media

Nautilus Media

Martha Mukaiwa