Solo Studios
“The faster we move, the less we see the details. We are missing the basics.”
– Riann Van Zyl
We just got back from a trip to Riebeek-Kasteel
It’s a small town in the Swartland region, with a thriving arts scene.
For a long weekend, studios and galleries opened their doors for ‘Solo Studios’. Restaurants hosted long table suppers. The town was abuzz with a festival vibe.
We arrived at our self catering crash pad on the Saturday, ‘bed no b’. It was a few minutes walk from the main street.
Our weekend began at the Royal Hotel, a historic, colonial-style building and the oldest hotel in the Western Cape. We lounged on the stoep and indulged in carrot cake and coffee, watching all the people go by.
We meandered around the small town, looking at arts, ceramics and thrift stores. We tried some excellent Swartland wines at the Wine Kollective.
Entering the giant camera obscura on the square, I met a photographer and looked at large, handprinted photos. On the floor lay the trays of chemicals for a dark room. The chemical smell immediately took me back to college days, remembering the techniques to manipulate images for a particular effect. The whole process is slow and magical. And it’s mostly not taught anymore.
A highlight of the Solo Studios weekend was an evening at the studio of Riann Van Zyl.
We were warmly greeted by our hosts, surrounded by large canvasses by the artist and treated to a range of wines by Leeuwenkuil Family Vineyards.
And so a slow evening of vintage film began. Each wine was paired with food and there was a link made with the next short film being screened on a vintage film projector. The projectionist is a keen collector of old film reels.
We all talked while Marco changed the reels between films. It took time. And that was very O.K. No one was in any rush.
We watched. We quaffed.
It was a unique event. And what stood out throughout the evening were three engaging individuals, all ready and willing to talk about their passions; art, wine and film.
In our world of fake news, fast-fast and A.I, will we take time to look for more authentic people and experiences like these?
© Maggie M /Mother City Time