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Design Indaba presents Nightscapes 2020  

Title Image
Design Indaba presents Nightscapes 2020
Taking place from the 26th - 28th of February 2020, festival days were filled with talks from the world’s leading minds & Nightscapes showcasing local music, theatre, exhibitions and masterclasses.
Title Image

Design Indaba presents Nightscapes 2020

Taking place from the 26th - 28th of February 2020, festival days were filled with talks from the world’s leading minds & Nightscapes showcasing local music, theatre, exhibitions and masterclasses.
Title Image
Design Indaba presents Nightscapes 2020
Taking place from the 26th - 28th of February 2020, festival days were filled with talks from the world’s leading minds & Nightscapes showcasing local music, theatre, exhibitions and masterclasses.

Design Indaba celebrated its 25 years of ‘inspiring and empowering people to create a better future through design and creativity’. This online publication produces an annual 3-day festival at the Artscape Theatre, Cape Town

Crossing Bridges through Design

I had the opportunity of experiencing the beautiful Nightscape event at the Design Indaba on the 28th of February 2020. The Nightscape had a diverse expression of creative talent from Africa ranging from YoungstaCPT, to BCUC, to Sho Madjozi.

It was good to see that the force of the Cape Town wind could not stop the diverse public from experiencing the overwhelming and truly inspirational talent. As the sun began to set, and the gale force wind lifted my body, sporadically, my eyes gazed upon the bright pink, blue and yellow material creatively exploding from the grey concrete ground and walls, I began to experience the beauty of the Design Indaba.

Walking through the maze of creative expression my eyes meditated on the exhibition of unique ideas coming from emerging creatives. Walking up the iconic steps of the Artscape Theatre, musical talent from the small corner stage pierced through the wind to captivate my body in every rhythmic flow. At the foyer of the Artscape, I was greeted by a pop-up mini market that exposed the beauty of challenging normative ideas of what a watch, jacket, hat or poster should look or be.

It is understandable to see that in these few minutes of seeing, flowing, walking and experiencing the Nightscape I was fully immersed in ‘a better world through creativity’, a perfect slogan to comprehensively express the message behind the Design Indaba.

One thing is for sure, the intentionality of the Indaba social impact initiative, Think Tank: Do Tank, of ‘super creatives who are changing the world’ epitomised the creativity and intention of Amazing Ace. I had the privilege of realising his message, purpose and creative intent in creating ‘a better world through creativity’ and to ultimately ‘change the world’ we lives in.

Anale - Amazing Ace

Anale, also known as Amazing Ace, is a founder of Jeanius Platform, which is a denim movement, based in Langa, Cape Town.

At this year’s Design Indaba, Jeanius Platform, showcased and sold their new collection which was about King Langalibalele - a Langa township who derived its name from King Langalibalele.

Jeanius Platform’s new collection was inspired by Amazing Ace’s community and the narratives of his community and place he calls home. Amazing Ace’s creative expression is produced on fabric, denim clothing and recycle material, where he does hand embroidery, tie dye, hand painting and more to express the symbolic culture linking his narratives of home to his garments. The most popular symbol he utilises is a crown, which visually represents royalty and Langa. Through his shy nature, he encapsulates his visual language expressed through his attire.

Amazing Ace believes that because of his shy approach to life his garments becomes the platform to communicate to those around him.

This was the first year for Amazing Ace to exhibit his creative talent at the Design Indaba 2020. He was excited about this opportunity but most of all he was excited to collaborate with other creatives from Langa.

He collaborated, this year, with an emerging artist of 2019, Samkelo Nyakambi, who started a group called Unyazi Designs, where he designs and produces beaded watches. Samkelo was an inspiration to Amazing Ace in understanding that someone from Langa can showcase their work on a bigger stage in the creative industry and in Cape Town.

Amazing Ace’s passion, optimism and drive in producing and showcasing his work in spaces like Design Indaba is an opportunity, as he has stated with so much humility, to inspire the youth from his community to know that they can access many spaces in the city to showcase their talent.

Amazing Ace and Samkelo plan to collaborate and create pop-up shops where people can purchase their creations. At first, they were based at Guga S’thebe, which is an art centre in Langa. Guga S’thebe was a space for Amazing Ace to sell his work and to teach youth but his youth group has expanded which brought them to a new studio space, King Langalibalele Art Club.

The Art Club is close to a park and a perfect opportunity for him to teach youth about art and produce creative experiential events to stage the creative side of Langa. Most of Langa tourism speaks about the past and the influence of Apartheid on Langa, but King Langalibalele Art Club reveals a different narrative and exhibits the current local creative talent in Langa.

There are spaces in Cape Town, that continues to divide and isolate some from the other. I think the Design Indaba with all its beauty and prestigious representation may appear to exclude marginalised communities from the design conversation.

Amazing Ace and Samkelo are amazing example of creatives from marginalised communities who defy the boundaries of exclusion and tap into the creative industry on many platforms in the city. Their pride in their community and their local narratives are highlighted so eloquently through their creations and creative designs.

These powerful pieces allow any person outside of Langa to be champions of their work but also of the Langa narrative in showcasing the crown and creative talent. On the other hand, Langa comes across as a place excluding others because of the assumed dangers and violence which occur. However, there are creative events hosted at King Langalibalele Art Club and Guga S’thebe that highlights the current beauty and creative inspiration in Langa.

The Design Indaba created a bridge for me to see the creative talent of Langa and it inspired me to visit spaces that may seem dangerous but contain numerous amounts of creative talent and inspiration.

A massive Thank You to the team at Design Indaba and Nightscapes for curating this incredible showcasing of talent and allowing us to attend!

Article written by: Rosca Warries

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