The Spier Light Art exhibition will be held on Spier Wine Farm in Stellenbosch from 21 March to 21 April 2025. And it is free to attend.
“I had forgotten how much light there is in the world, till you gave it back to me.” – Ursula K Le Guin
The (free) Spier Light Art Exhibition 2025
Spier Light Art is Africa’s leading contemporary light art exhibition. It’s the seventh year that it will be held on the Cape Winelands farm. According to a media statement, it’s a vital platform for emerging and established artists and collectives to showcase large-scale light installations. Spier Light Art is also dedicated to pushing light art to its limits on the African continent.
Transforming the farm into an immersive space of nocturnal adventure
For the Light Art Exhibition, the farm has been transformed into an immersive space of nocturnal adventure. There are numerous site-specific installations activating the landscape. Visitors will be free to wander, discover and immerse themselves in the play of light and the stories that each artwork tells. This is an embodied reminder of art’s transformative power to illuminate even the darkest corners of our world and minds.
“Artificial light – with its implications of liberation from the restrictions of darkness – embodied an erosion of boundaries between public and private life. It is true that illumination allowed surveillance, but it also promoted freedom.” – Félix González-Torres
The curators of the exhibition
The curators of the exhibition, Vaughn Sadie and Jay Pather says this year, Spier Light Art will reflect on 3 broad themes.
‘The first is the farm as a site of colonial memory and shifting relationships to the land through the lens of historical and contemporary labour, farming and environmental practices [Gina-Rose Bolligello; Hashim Tarmahomed & Joshil Naran; Paul Castles & Nicole Brady; Sophie Guyot; Pamela Phatsimo Sunstrum].
‘The second concerns light as infrastructure in the built environment, with works that reflect on access, surveillance and safety [Florian Bach; Serge Alain Nitegeka; Stephanie Briers & Andrew Earl AKA LightUp Collective; Sue Clark, Ross Juterbock & Carla Prins].
‘The third arises out of works that evoke joy through humour or materiality while still dealing with our contemporary condition [Jessica Bothma; Karla Nixon; Elgin Rust & Jane Appleby; Zakiyyah Haffejee, Mmakhotso Lamola, Zahraa Essa & TK Mbadi; Antoine Schmitt; Berco Wilsenach; Dean Hutton].’
Public Access | Free Entry
Spier Light Art is free to the public and no booking is required. All of the artworks are outside so the best time to visit is at dusk, when the sun goes down and the lights come up.
READ MORE: Book your tour online
Guided tours are hosted every Tuesday and Thursday evening. Tours depart from the info kiosk at 19:30. Tours are also free.
THE DETAILS:
WHEN: 21 March – 21 April 2025, from 18.30 nightly
WHERE: Spier Wine Farm, Stellenbosch
COST: Free entry, book on Dineplan
