Cape Town’s Nellie is celebrating its 125th birthday this year. And, in celebration of this milestone, the iconic hotel has collaborated with the Norval Foundation, bringing an exhibition to its beautiful premises. Punctuating the Mount Nelson’s grand halls and public spaces, the exhibition will include artworks from sixteen different artists.
Ultimately, the exhibition will have a much deeper meaning than what one might anticipate. The concept of ‘Mother City’ will run throughout the artworks, which will be on show at the Nellie until October.
The exhibition will draw from the Norval Foundation’s extensive collection of contemporary works by some of South Africa’s most prominent artists. In essence, it has been framed around the multifaceted and complex notions associated with the role of the mother – particularly as a symbolic source of care. It was put together by RESERVOIR founders, Heinrich Groenewald and Shona van der Merwe.
The immerse collection of works – spanning mediums from painting, photography and relief sculpture to tapestry and stitching – will be scattered around the Mount Nelson Hotel. Spaces of exhibition will include the lounge, bar, reception, conservatory and transitional spaces. Artists whose work can be expected include Mia Chaplin, Georgina Gratrix, Nicholas Hlobo, Kudzanai-Violet Hwami, Bronwyn Katz, Bonolo Kavula and more.
Louis Norval, founder of the Norval Foundation says: “It’s a great honour to share part of the Homestead Collection with guests of Mount Nelson. As a leading 20th-century South African art collection dedicated to an expanded narrative, these works speak to the hotel’s reverence for its past and its insistence on being part of the future.” Since its inception, the Norval Foundation has hosted exhibitions dedicated to the works of esteemed artists including William Kentridge, Berni Searle, Cinga Samson, Michael Admitage, Bonolo Kavula, Wim Botha and more. Clearly, the foundation is committed to supporting art and creativity, which makes this collaboration a perfect marriage.
Belmond has also been supporting the arts, its curators and collectors in each of its global locations. Evidently, the Pink Lady – as the Mount Nelson is affectionately known due to its emblematic painted façade – has been a cultural cornerstone in the Mother City for over a century. Backed by Table Mountain, the hotel blends its heritage with contemporary heritage. In fact, its cultural calendar celebrates various South African creative assets. In addition to the Mother City exhibition, for which guided art tours can be arranged through the hotel directly, the Nellie has also partnered with Investec Cape Town Art Fair, French artist, Daniel Buren for the MITICO 3.0 by Galleria Continua. Further to that, they also host the annual Confections x Collections event, curated by Twyg.
If you find yourself in the Mother City between now and October, be sure to take visit Mount Nelson for some high tea and art.
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