Cape Cadogan Becomes a Living Gallery with Rooms of Resonance

From now until the 31st March 2025, the Cape Cadogan Boutique Hotel transforms into a living gallery with Rooms of Resonance, an immersive contemporary African art exhibition in partnership with Montague Contemporary. Inspired by Gaston Bachelard's The Poetics of Space, this extraordinary showcase reimagines the hotel as a "house of thresholds”. A space of transition and transformation where guests become part of an evolving artistic dialogue. Featuring works from five visionary artists, the exhibition offers compelling interpretations of movement, memory, and cultural identity. Just as each stay at Cape Cadogan leaves a lasting impression, so too will the art within its walls.

The Hotel as a Canvas for Storytelling

The hotel’s historic charm and contemporary design are shaped by a deep connection to Cape Town’s cultural fabric, making it the perfect setting for an exhibition that explores the fluidity of place and identity. Rooms of Resonance invites guests to experience the hotel in a new way – through the eyes of African artists whose works embody the continent’s rich artistic narratives.

Each artist’s work occupies its own metaphorical “room” within the exhibition, creating intimate spaces where viewers can engage with themes of migration, transformation, and cultural memory.

The Artists and Their Visions

Wole Lagunju reimagines Yoruba cultural traditions within a contemporary global context. His paintings challenge Western portrayals of African identity and celebrate cultural narratives through innovation and transformation. His striking compositions invite guests to consider the shifting nature of heritage within a space shaped by movement and transition.

Miska Mohammed explores themes of migration and displacement, drawing from her Sudanese heritage. Her paintings navigate the tension between movement and rootedness, reflecting the complexities of identity and belonging. Within Cape Cadogan, her work takes on a poignant resonance, mirroring the transience of a hotel stay and the emotional imprints left by each visitor.

Mongezi Ncaphayi translates rhythm and improvisation into visual form, drawing influence from jazz to create fluid, gestural compositions. His works evoke a sense of motion, mirroring both physical journeys and metaphysical wanderings. His art enhances the experience of movement and transition, inviting guests to engage with the unseen rhythms of their own travels.

Marc Standing explores themes of identity, memory, and transformation through his intricate, abstract compositions. His mixed-media works oscillate between deeply personal experiences and broader collective consciousness, engaging with notions of selfhood and change. His paintings serve as reflections of the ever-changing individuals that pass through the hotel, creating a space of transience and impermanence.

Birhane Worede examines the interplay between digital and physical presence. His evocative paintings depict figures absorbed in digital spaces, capturing the shifting boundaries between virtual and tangible worlds. Set within Cape Cadogan, his work speaks to the contrast between immersion and detachment, encouraging guests to reflect on their own presence in the moment.

Art and Cape Cadogan

Rooms of Resonance is more than an art exhibition; it is an extension of the Cape Cadogan experience. It is thoughtful, immersive, and deeply connected to its environment. Unlike traditional galleries, here, the works become part of the daily rhythm of the space, shaping guests' time at the hotel in unexpected and meaningful ways.

This collaboration offers a unique opportunity to connect travellers with contemporary African artistry in a setting that is both contemporary and steeped in history. It is an invitation to pause, reflect, and become part of an ever-evolving dialogue. One that, much like travel itself, leaves a lasting imprint long after the journey ends.

Should you wish to visit Cape Cadogan and view Rooms of Resonance for yourself, please contact sean@capecadogan.co.za to organise a viewing from Monday to Friday between 17:00 and 19:00.