Beneath the restaurant you are treated to a 600 square meter contemporary art gallery quietly hidden below ground. The Equus gallery showcases rotating exhibitions of visiting curators. The current exhibit “Well Worn” ends on the 27th of May 2018.
The Cavalli estate centers on a contemporary structure built on the side of a large farm dam.
The architecture takes its cues from contemporary scandinavian post modernism.
The grounds are impeccably managed and manicured.
I recently went out for a family lunch out in the Somerset West area. We were looking for a wine farm with a good restaurant so I jumped onto tripadvisor and stumbled across the Cavalli estate. We were elated on finding a top notch gallery space located on the grounds of the impeccably kept estate. The gallery comprises an extensive collection of artworks by South African artists including the likes of Pierneef, Stern and Tretchikoff.
The “Well worn” exhibition, curated by Amy Lyn Eveleigh, features fashion and textiles as it’s core narrative. My firm favourite is a piece entitled “Thread – A character tapestry” – an interactive group portrait created by visitors to the gallery. It’s a noble and clever concept where gallery visitors are encouraged to grab a roll of wool and wrap it horizontally in a journey around labelled pins applicable to your own identity and life experiences. The result is a shared human fabric of life experiences. A very moving and inspiring piece.
The interactive group portrait is formed by thousands of threads of yarn, wrapped around pins applicable to visitors real life experiences
Thread - A Character Tapestry (Detail)
"Your personal thread begins on the left and progresses in a narrative through the statements." - (supplied text)
"You may choose to loop through every statement that applies to you, or only the few most essential to your identity." - (supplied text)
Credit: Rosie James
Credit: Rosie James
Laylaa Jacobs - Explosion - Pom Poms on Prayer Mat
Ludwich Olivier - A dress made by the seven seas
Andie Reeves - Night Night / Sweet Memes (A stuffed cotton kids sleeping blanket)
Pierre Le Riche - Untitled - Embroidered Egyptian Cotton on Aida Cloth
Nadja Daehnke - Untitled (Leaning back) - Photographic Transfer on Atlantis cotton rag paper
Jacob Hendrik Pierneef - Detail
Cavalli and the Equus gallery can be found on the Strand Road (R44) heading out of Somerset West on the road to Stellenbosch. Cavalli Gallery is open Wednesday to Saturday, 11am to 7pm and Sunday 10am to 5pm. While you are there, also look out for the gorgeous tasting room replete with whiskies and rock memrobilia.
Next time you fancy a bit of the Cape Winelands, with a bit of culture thrown in – Be sure to visit. It’s a very design rich location with great care and attention to detail. The “out-of-bounds” horse stables are a great architectural feature and the styling throughout the restaurant and printed materials is super sharp. (See the branding below)
The equestrian theme runs through into the packaging for the wines
The Cavalli brand mark is a nice little minimal affair