{"id":93316,"date":"2017-09-21T04:25:57","date_gmt":"2017-09-21T02:25:57","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.chrisvonulmenstein.com\/blog\/?p=93316"},"modified":"2017-09-22T08:47:52","modified_gmt":"2017-09-22T06:47:52","slug":"cape-town-becomes-the-centre-of-the-art-world-in-africa-with-the-opening-of-the-zeitz-museum-of-contemporary-art-africa-mocaa","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.chrisvonulmenstein.com\/blog\/cape-town\/cape-town-becomes-the-centre-of-the-art-world-in-africa-with-the-opening-of-the-zeitz-museum-of-contemporary-art-africa-mocaa\/","title":{"rendered":"Cape Town becomes the centre of the art world in Africa with the opening of the Zeitz Museum of Contemporary Art Africa (MOCAA)!"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a>The Zeitz Museum of Contemporary Art Africa, referred to as Zeitz MOCAA, is a public not-for-profit contemporary art museum in the Silo district of the V&AWaterfront, which collects, preserves, researches, and exhibits 21st century art from our continent of Africa. This exciting art project is set to catapult Cape Town into the centre of the African art world, when it opens to the public on Friday! It is the largest museum of African art in the world!<\/p>\n

The interesting architectural design of a building, which once was a grain silo, has a total of 100 galleries spread over nine floors (of which seven are being used) of the building, housing a permanent collection, temporary exhibitions, and Centres for Art Education, Curatorial Excellence, Performative Practice, Photography, The Moving Image, and the Costume Institute, the museum website informs. <\/p>\n

The museum was commissioned as a private\/public partnership between the V&A Waterfront and businessman Jochen Zeitz, former Puma CEO now living in Nairobi in Kenya. The building cost of more than R500 million was borne by the Waterfront, and Zeitz’s extensive art collection (estimated at one thousand pieces) will be displayed in the building. Zeitz  is funding the running cost of the museum. He has donated the exhibition for a 20-year period, or his lifetime, whichever is longer, reports Times Live<\/b>. A total of 200000 paying guests is expected to visit the Museum per annum.<\/p>\n

The 57 meter grain Silo in the Waterfront had been decommissioned in 2001, having been built in 1921, and a number of options were considered for the building. Creating a museum in the building would attract visitors to the Silo district of the Waterfront, and act as a non-commercial drawcard, attracting art lovers from the continent, it was felt. UK architect Thomas Heatherwick guided the design and construction work, which began in 2014.  <\/p>\n

Heatherwick Studio planned to conserve the Silo structure, and to retain its heritage. Large open spaces were excavated from 42 concrete cylinders. Concrete-cutting techniques led to the creation of the many galleries and a central atrium. Pillowed glass glazing panels are visible from the \"\"<\/a>upper floors of the Museum building exterior, already a design feature of the adjoining Silo Hotel. Natural light enters the building through strengthened glass which capped concrete shafts. The Museum building has a total of 9500 square meters, of which 6000 square meters is exhibition space. The Silo Hotel operates in the higher part if the building.<\/p>\n

We visited the Silo Hotel when it opened in March: <\/p>\n

Opulent The Silo Hotel in the V&A Waterfront elevates Cape Town hospitality to a new high!<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n