‘The Thursdays’, initiators of the First Thursdays phenomenon, in collaboration with Iziko Museums, present the first edition of Museum Night on Thursday, 26 February 2015, 17h00 – 21h00.
The last week of February promises to be a feast of art and culture in Cape Town. Visitors to the City will be spoiled, with events such as the:
Cape Town Art Fair (25 Feb – 1 Mar);
Design Indaba (25 – 27 Feb);
Zeitz Museum of Contemporary Art Africa gala event (28 Feb); and the
second annual Guild Design Fair (24 Feb – 1 Mar).
Members of the public are invited to explore art, history and culture in an entirely new way on Museum Night. For the first time in South Africa, selected museums in Cape Town will open at night to give visitors the opportunity to experience our cultural institutions in a completely new light – after dark!
Museum Night, on 26 February, is an official part of the Art Fair’s VIP programme. Notably, it celebrates William Kentridge’s internationally renowned installation, ‘William Kentridge: The Refusal of Time (in collaboration with Philip Miller, Catherine Meyburgh and Peter Galison), at the Iziko South African National Gallery.
Visitors can choose from an array of exciting exhibitions to explore. These include William Kentridge: The Refusal of Time (opening event), Time & Again: A Retrospective by Penny Siopis, and Shared Sky at the South African National Gallery. See Rembrandt in South Africa: Pioneer Printmaker of Humanity and Modernity at the Old Town House. At the Slave Lodge, There’s Something I Must Tell You by Sue Williamson; and From African Earth: Celebrating our African Vessel Heritage will be on show.
Visitors to the South African Museum can see the magnificent Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2014 exhibition. The South African Jewish Museum will showcase Jews of Struggle: The Jewish National Movement in the USSR, 1967–1989.
Museum Night is modelled on similar events around the globe where museums and cultural institutions in an area cooperate to keep their doors open after-hours to introduce themselves to new audiences. The Long Night of Museums in Berlin has been running since 1997, and since then the number of institutions and exhibitions participating has spread to over 120 cities worldwide.
Participating museums include the Iziko South African Museum and Planetarium, Iziko South African National Gallery, Iziko Slave Lodge, Iziko Old Town House, and the South African Jewish Museum.
All participating museums will remain open until 21h00 and access will be free on the night.
On Museum Night, visitors will be treated to lively music, dance and performances, promising a truly memorable experience, while food trucks will be on site to feed any hungry museum-goers.
The Museum Night performance schedule will be made available closer to the time.
Facebook page and follow on Twitter (@Iziko_Museums). Share your experience at Museum Night by posting a ‘selfie’ using the hashtag #MuseumNight. Tell Iziko museum is your favourite, and don’t forget to check-in on Facebook! Visit website
Museum Night has been made possible through generous funding by the HCI Foundation, Metropolitan Health, and Iziko Museums of South Africa as a founding partner.
Visit the Museum Night website at www.museum-night.co.za
For locations, pick up an Arts + Crafts Map or visit
