The Burgeoning Art Center of Africa

"Unlike the world's established design capitals-Amsterdam, Copenhagen, or London-Cape Town, and by extension South Africa, lacks almost entirely the traditions of teaching and sponsoring modern furniture and product design for its own sake (not surprising for a country that, until 15 years ago, had rather more pressing goals, like achieving democracy); and despite a millennia-old heritage of craftsmanship, it still lags far behind Europe and the United States in mass-manufacturing knowledge. As a result, until recently it has had no coherent design identity to show the world, beyond what could be inferred from a steadily exported stream of vaguely ethnic Africana-variations on the motifs of basketry, beadwork, and woven textiles."

The article focuses on a weekly gathering of artists and craftspeople to sell their work, creating a heart for the city's artistic community.