WeeklySA_AdminLENS: The eighth edition of Spier Light Art transforms the Stellenbosch wine farm into a nocturnal gallery featuring works by 21 South African artists…
By WSAM Reporter
The historic Spier Wine Farm in Stellenbosch has once again been transformed into a glowing outdoor gallery as Spier Light Art returns for its eighth edition, inviting visitors to experience contemporary art after dark.
Running from March 6 to April 6, the free annual exhibition turns the farm into a nocturnal landscape where artworks glow, shimmer and shift across the grounds, using light as both a medium and a message.
Curated by Vaughn Sadie and Jay Pather, this year’s exhibition features installations by 21 South African artists, alongside contributions from international artists through an exchange programme. The works explore themes ranging from environmental crises and social memory to post-apartheid realities, while others experiment with perception, technology and the cosmos.
Unlike a conventional gallery exhibition, visitors explore the artworks along winding pathways across the farm after sunset.
Sadie says the experience is deliberately open-ended.
“The exhibition invites audiences to immerse themselves in the sensual and ephemeral interplay of light and sound, allowing curiosity and intrigue to guide their journey,” he explains.
“At its core, light art is more than illumination — it is a lens through which we perceive, reflect and question the world.”
The artists were selected through an open call and encouraged to interpret light in conceptual, socio-political and cultural ways. According to Sadie, the works were arranged across the landscape in intuitive clusters that create visual and thematic dialogues.
“There are direct neon text works celebrating South African vernacular, while others illuminate unexpected intersections between technology, infrastructure and the natural environment,” he says.
“Light determines time. It’s also an opportunity to step away from the glare of screens and experience light in its most elemental form.”
While the exhibition has no fixed theme, curator Jay Pather notes that shared ideas have naturally emerged among the works.
“There’s a strong collective interest this year in memory and ways of accessing the past,” Pather says.
One example is Kenneth Shandu’s installation When the Sky Falls, which uses illuminated umbrellas and the sound of rain to reflect on South Africa’s devastating floods and the social inequalities that leave communities vulnerable.
Pather suggests the work also resonates with broader frustrations around service delivery and transformation.
“Even though parts of Khayelitsha flood every winter, there is still an infuriating lethargy when it comes to real change,” he says.
This year’s exhibition also continues Spier Light Art’s international exchange programme, welcoming Swiss artists Florian Bach and Kerim Seiler, whose site-specific works respond to the South African environment while creating dialogue between global and local artistic perspectives.
Among the participating artists is Joe Turpin, whose neon installation Eish captures the humour and contradictions of everyday life in post-1994 South Africa.
Other works examine issues of memory, identity and resilience. Paul Thabo Nhlapo’s Fiddlearth explores masculinity, mental health and belonging in contemporary society, while Thando Mama’s 1994 (I) (Revisited) reflects on South Africa’s journey since democracy through light, sound and reflection.
Themes of environmental awareness and the relationship between humans and nature also appear prominently.
Florian Bach’s installation Spill floods a riverbank with industrial lighting, prompting reflection on surveillance and the environmental consequences of human intervention.
Interactive and immersive works are another highlight of the exhibition. Qondiswa James, Nathalie Ponlot,
Themba Stewart and Jonathan O’Hear’s Safe in the Shadows reclaims darkness as a sanctuary through a network of illuminated cairns connected by root-like pathways.
By combining art, technology and landscape, Spier Light Art 2026 continues to position itself as one of South Africa’s most distinctive public art events, inviting visitors to wander, reflect and discover the many meanings hidden within light.
EVENTS
Molitva Wine Festival
Wine lovers and families looking for a relaxed outdoor experience can look forward to a day of tasting, food and entertainment when the Molitva Wine Festival takes place at Molitva Restaurant in the Cradle of Humankind area on March 28.
The festival, scheduled from 11:00 to 17:00, promises to be one of the biggest wine gatherings in the Cradle region. The event will give visitors an opportunity to sample a wide selection of wines while enjoying live music, gourmet food and family-friendly entertainment in a scenic countryside setting. Ticket holders aged 18 and older will be able to participate in wine tastings from participating wine farms, with bottles also available for purchase on the day. For guests who discover a favourite vintage, delivery options will be arranged if certain wines sell out.
Beyond the tastings, visitors can expect a lively atmosphere featuring live music performances throughout the day, while younger guests will be catered for with children’s entertainment activities, making the festival a suitable outing for the entire family.
Food will also be a major part of the experience. Guests can choose to book tables at the Molitva Restaurant for a sit-down meal or opt for Molitva-catered picnic options, allowing them to relax on the lawns while enjoying the festival atmosphere.
Molitva Restaurant is situated at Teak Place, Kromdraai Road, Protea Ridge, in Johannesburg. Tickets cost R250 per person via Webtickets.
Fijnwyn Bubbles Returns to Pretoria
Wine lovers will have the opportunity to celebrate South Africa’s finest sparkling wines when the Fijnwyn Bubbles Festival takes place on March 28 and 29 at Shokran Events Venue in Tierpoort, Pretoria.
The two-day event, starting at 10:00 each day, marks the first Fijnwyn wine celebration of the year and promises a festive showcase of some of the country’s most celebrated wine producers.
More than 35 wine farms are expected to participate, each presenting a selection of wines for tasting. This year’s event carries a sparkling twist, with every participating winery bringing at least one Cap Classique or sparkling wine to share with visitors.
Organisers say the festival aims to create a relaxed and vibrant atmosphere where guests can discover new wines while enjoying entertainment and socialising with fellow wine enthusiasts.
Alongside the tastings, the event will feature live music and a lively festival atmosphere, offering visitors the perfect setting to celebrate with friends and family while exploring a wide range of wines from across South Africa’s wine regions. Tickets cost R250 per person, giving guests access to tastings and the opportunity to interact directly with winemakers and representatives from participating estates.
La Motte 2026 Harvest
Wine lovers and visitors to the Cape Winelands are invited to experience the energy and traditions of harvest season at La Motte Wine Estate through its immersive 2026 Harvest Experience, running from 23 January until mid-March.
The 90-minute journey begins in the vineyards, where participants learn about the estate’s grape varieties, harvesting methods and biologic farming practices while tasting freshly ripened berries straight from the vines.
The tour then moves into the cellar for a glimpse of the winemaking action during harvest. Visitors can observe grape sorting, crushing and fermentation processes, concluding with a tasting of fresh grape must directly from the fermentation tanks, depending on the day’s activity.
Back in the tasting room, guests sample four wines from La Motte’s acclaimed Reserve Collection, accompanied by the estate’s traditional mosbolletjie bread.
An optional harvest-inspired small plate, created by chef Stephan Moolman of L’Ami Family Brasserie, can be enjoyed on the veranda overlooking the gardens.
The Harvest Experience costs R300 per person, runs Monday to Saturday at 10h00 and 15h00, and requires advance reservation online.
Soweto Cheese & Wine Fest
The Soweto Cheese and Wine Festival returns for its fifth edition on March 29 at the Soweto Theatre Forecourt in Jabulani, promising a full day of food, wine and entertainment.
Organised by Soweto Cheese and Wine Live and Seven Colour Sundays in partnership with the Soweto Theatre, the event will feature curated cheese and wine pairings from local winemakers and established brands, including Tall Horse. Visitors can also enjoy a variety of food stalls, designer fashion and lifestyle exhibitions.
Running from 12h00 to 23h00, the family-friendly festival will include children’s entertainment until 17h00, along with live music and performances. Tickets cost R150 and are available through Webtickets.
Stellenbosch Street Soirées
The popular Stellenbosch Street Soirées return this summer, offering wine lovers an opportunity to enjoy tastings, food and live music in the heart of the winelands on March 25.
Hosted along Drostdy Street in Stellenbosch, the evening street parties run from 18h00 to 20h00, when the road is closed to traffic and transformed into a festive outdoor venue. Guests can sample a rotating selection of wines from different estates while enjoying light meals from local food stalls and live performances by local musicians.
Upcoming events take place on March 25. Tickets cost R250 per person and include a tasting glass and 10 wine tokens. Tickets are available online from Plankton.mobi.
Wine Fest In Jozi
The Victoria Yards Wine Festival will take place on March 21 at the creative Victoria Yards precinct in Lorentzville, Johannesburg.
The event will bring together more than 15 South African wine producers for a day of tastings, music and food. Running from 10h00 to 16h00, the festival offers visitors a relaxed opportunity to sample a variety of wines while enjoying live music and a selection of local food vendors.
Tickets cost R120 and include entry, a tasting glass and access to all participating wine farms.
The pet-friendly event promises a vibrant atmosphere, making it an ideal outing for friends, families and wine enthusiasts alike.. – Compiled by Len Maseko: lenmaseko@weeklysamirror.news
