Amongst the biggest trends in design right now is organic
inspiration translated into a modern idiom; the spiny
shapes of a plant are recreated in Perspex and inspire
a chair; coral inspires the shape and form of a vase
or a print on fabric. It’s almost as if damaging
nature steadily since the industrial revolution, design
looks to making visual amends. See page 42.
It’s partly why Germany is such a hot destination
right now. It’s hard to miss the spirit-lifting
architecture that sits quite comfortably alongside a
500-year old Cathedral. Public spaces with giant sculptures
offer visual stimulation; shopping centers redefine
the concept of the mall, and even Frankfurt airport
seems to contribute to a better flying experience.
A new initiative launched in Cape Town hopes to bring
art out of the galleries and into the streets and outlying
suburbs. There are ambitious plans to break the confines
of the frame and gallery and makes notoriously tech-obsessed
16-24 year old age group see art through different eyes.
Artist Bernie Searle’s work (page 60) challenges
many of the old constructs and helps bridge the gap.
The Magliesberg area (page 52) known as the “Cradle
of Civilization’ has become a hot destination.
Also in this issue, food takes you out of town. With
the trend to ‘down-sizing’, small towns
are no longer ‘hicksville' but hip. The big idea
is to track the buck rather than chase it. The best
we city slickers can do is emigrate on the weekend and
make sure they stay in business.
A few hours
north of Cape Town, a reserve beyond the Pakhuis
Pass offers luxury, outdoor adventure and walking
tours of some of the most remarkable rock art in
the country.
It takes no blood-sweat-and-tears cycling training
to venture off-road at Bushmans Kloof. By Les Aupiais
Word of mouth
is often the best way to find top country getaways.
We used it to track down three passionate cooks
(and their partners) in the Cpae, Gauteng and
KwaZulu Natal and asked each for the Signature
dish that keeps guests coming back for more. By Kim Maxwell
