Norval Foundation and Mount Nelson collaborate in important exhibition

The Belmond Mount Nelson Hotel is marking its 125th birthday celebration with Mother City, an exhibition of artworks from the Norval Foundation’s Collection. Curated by Heinrich Groenewald and Shona van der Merwe of Reservoir Projects, the showcase offers a unique perspective on the concept of "Mother City" with exhibited artists including some of the best in the country.

Noticeably, the concept of Mother City comes from Cape Town’s moniker as the first city settled by Europeans in SA, but the exhibition probes deeper.

Drawing from the Norval Foundation’s extensive collection of contemporary works by some of the country’s most prominent artists, Groenewald and Van der Merwe have framed the exhibition around the multifaceted and complex notions associated with the role of the mother — particularly as a symbolic source of care.

“Working with the geographical location of the Norval Foundation, the exhibition explores how these diverse and at times diasporic artists have come to be represented in the permanent collection, through an imagined symbolic connection to Cape Town - the Mother City. Notions of not only the archetypal mother but its extended connotations of community, femininity, ancestry and social icons can be found throughout the practices of the artists on show,” they said.

Displayed throughout Mount Nelson’s lounge, bar, reception, conservatory and transitional spaces, this immersive collection of works include a range of mediums from painting, photography, and relief sculpture to tapestry and stitching. Each creator offers a unique perspective on the subject with exhibited artists including Mia Chaplin, Georgina Gratrix, Nicholas Hlobo, Kudzanai-Violet Hwami, Bronwyn Katz, Bonolo Kavula, Dada Khanyisa, Kapwani Kiwanga, Zanele Muholi, Cassi Namoda, Gregory Olympio, Thania Petersen, Athi-Patra Ruga, Gerda Scheepers, Berni Searle and Brett Charles Seiler.

Belmond’s support of the arts, its curators, and collectors in each of its global locations is substantial. Locally, the Pink Lady, affectionately named after her emblematic painted façade, has been a cultural cornerstone for over a century. Set in Cape Town’s vibrant inner city and backed by Table Mountain, Mount Nelson fuses its impressive heritage with contemporary relevance and a cultural calendar that celebrates the country’s creative assets.

The hotel’s partnership with Investec Cape Town Art Fair, its site-specific architectural artwork by renowned French artist Daniel Buren as part of MITICO 3.0 by Galleria Continua, and its annual Confections x Collections event, curated by Twyg, have been key to establishing and deepening its imaginative offerings.

The Mother City exhibition will be on display at the Mount Nelson, A Belmond Hotel until October.