When every space feels the same, all it takes is one to switch it up. Alice Mathebula and Khanya Sogiba are two ambitious artists who seek to redefine artistic experience and expression for a younger audience. Starting small and intimate, their exhibitions have continued to grow in demand and size. With Alice having a background in law and filmmaking and Khanya in Theatre, their curation makes for something that feels unique and fresh.

Down a dimly lit street sits a road, and on that road sits a tall and industrial building. I can hear its metal pipes breathing down my neck. Just outside three men smoke cigarettes and laugh, their faces illuminated only by the moonlight. As I walk up to one of the men, I ask, “Hey man, can I bum a cig?” He flashes a friendly smile at me before saying, “Sure bro and here’s a lighter to go,” neat. Walking into the middle of the street and staring up at the iron balcony, warm orange lights dim gently from the window. 

The faint sound of people chattering wisps across my ears, while I made my way to the door and then walked inside the A & K Art Exhibition. As I crept slowly up the tall stairway, photos of the artists hung up on the wall beside me. The room was so dark I could only see the stage. Each audience member was quiet as could be, with not a single social oligarchy circle in sight, it was beautiful. This kind of active attention is such a rare sight to see in Cape Town, where many stick to themselves and who they know. As someone who likes to run into strangers, this can make for a mind-numbing, sleep-inducing experience when going out.

This was the duo’s second exhibition. The first started on a much smaller scale, being in Alice’s childhood home with baby pictures hung up on the fridge and all. I can’t help but feel they brought that exact same intimate vibe directly here.

To take a space and make it feel like home does not happen out of thin air; every ounce of blood, sweat and tears that went into making this was felt that night. When the performance ended and the lights flickered on, what I was once not able to see had now viscerally entered my visual cortex. Black & white images lay upon a neat blue wall with a distinct shine to them that grabbed my attention. Right across the room was a harrowing portrait representing death, completely made out of organic matter. Beside it lay self-portraits that had such a vulnerability they felt directly pulled from someone’s memories.

I love to see events like these as they give me so much hope in the local creative scene. I walked out of the exhibition inspired and more curious than ever before. Personally, I’d like to see these kinds of spaces become tradition. A diamond in the rough is my most accurate description of what Alice and Khanya are producing in our current times, as I lay this piece to rest I urge you to step out of the bubble that is Cape Town, speak to someone you wouldn’t normally speak to, maybe you’ll learn nothing but maybe, and just maybe you’ll walk away with something precious.