Eclectica Contemporary Art Gallery in Cape Town’s City Bowl
About Eclectica Contemporary
Cape Town is a creative city with a vibrant and diverse art community that has exploded in recent years. The choice of art galleries is ever increasing, with a great selection of contemporary galleries. One that is well worth a visit is Eclectica Contemporary, which is located in the central City Bowl area of Cape Town.
This incredible art gallery was founded in 2016 and quickly became an important part of the contemporary art scene in Cape Town.
Eclectica Contemporary focuses on African Art and thought provoking artworks that challenge social and political structures and perceptions. The gallery encourages experimental and innovative artforms and showcases practices and materials from across art history, but often in a manner that pushes the boundaries of art theory and technique. Within the gallery, you will find a variety of genres from prints of wood or lino to oil paintings.
Eclectica Contemporary places a strong emphasis on local talent, with a desire to promote this talent on the international stage. This is clearly evident through a clear balance between local and international works on display at the gallery. This combination of artists places Cape Town in its local, African and global context.
Eclectica Contemporary also hosts a variety of additional events like workshops, walkabouts, curator-led tours and school visits. Their exhibition programme aims to confront and address the lived realities, current and topical events and issues that are pertinent to Africa.
Eclectica Print Art Gallery
Eclectica Print Gallery forms part of Eclectica Contemporary. This gallery space exhibits prints by South African and International artists alike and includes iconic works by the likes of William Kentridge and Salvador Dalí alongside contemporary printmakers like Judy Woodbourne. The gallery includes some rare signed print editions from well-known artists.
Eclectica Contemporary’s Staff
The staff at Eclectica Contemporary are very warm, helpful and engaging. They are clearly passionate about the gallery and contemporary art, and are quick to share their knowledge.
The First Thursdays Concept
Eclectica Contemporary is part of the First-Thursday event that is held on the first Thursday of every month in Cape Town.
This event covers multiple galleries, street artists, restaurants and shops across Cape Town. Its aim is to encourage public engagement in the arts and inject life into the urban spaces after hours.
This is a great time to visit Eclectica Contemporary alongside other galleries, whilst enjoying the night life of Cape Town.
How to get to Eclectica Contemporary
Cape Town’s town centre, which is often referred to as the Cape Town CBD or the Central City Bowl has a diverse selection of galleries to visit. Eclectica Contemporary is located centrally within the Cape Town CBD, at 56 Church Street just off Alderley Street, within an historic area known as Bo-Kaap.
The Central City Bowl itself has an electric mix of uses, with shops, coffee shops, restaurants from all around the world, bars and night clubs, as well as some beautiful parks. There are many activities, such as the Table Mountain cableway and boat trips at the V&A Waterfront. The galleries, such as Eclectica Contemporary, fit seamlessly into this area and provide a great daytime and night time activity to undertake alongside other activities.
Other galleries close to Eclectica Contemporary
There are several art galleries close to Eclectica Contemporary that are also worth a visit and could be combined on the same trip or excursion. These include:
Worldart - This gallery is located just a few metres stroll from Eclectica Contemporary, further along Church Street in the Central City Bowl. Worldart also showcases the works of some of the most talented young artists, especially those that are focused on local street and urban pieces.
The Cape Gallery – Another gallery located along Church Street. This gallery is one of the oldest galleries in Cape Town and specialises in classic landscapes and sculptures that deal with African culture and identity.
Greenmarket Square – Just a short walk from Eclectica Contemporary you will find Greenmarket Square, which is one of the oldest squares in Cape Town, dating back to 1696. There is a lively market filled with curios, street food, buskers, jewellery, clothing, and nick-nacks. In amongst the traders there are various local artists selling their artworks.
Gallery Momo – This gallery is located on Buitengracht Street, just over a 5 minute walk from Eclectica Contemporary and often regularly exhibits impressive international works alongside local artworks.
I hope you have found this post about the Eclectica Contemporary Art Gallery useful. The details I’ve included are correct at the time of writing this blog post, but please check current details before your visit. If you have visited the City Bowl area of Cape Town, I would love to hear your thoughts or if you feel something is missing from this post, please email me and let me know at sarahransomeart@gmail.com.
