Today is First Thursdays and there is a variety of things to do, art to see and places to go in Johannesburg and Cape Town to kick off the long weekend! 

Things to do in JHB 

1. Watch the sunset, and enjoy some delicious eats, heavenly cocktails, and vinyl tunes whilst appreciating some art at Keyes Art Mile in Rosebank from 18:00 onwards. This evening has been dubbed the Night of 1000 Drawings, so you can express your creative juices and doodle with friends, or take in the culture through the Siyavuka Lateral Improvement Foundation’s art exhibition. For more information check out their Instagram page for updates and future events. 

Image source: @KeysArtMile Instagram 

2. Check out the iYeza by Buhlebezwe Siwani, a solo art exhibition at the Standard Bank Gallery. iYeza was first presented in Makhanda for the National Arts Festival but you can now appreciate the artistic genius of Siwani, a Johannesburg

native and creative, who predominantly works in the medium of performance and installations that include photographic stills and videos. iYeza “draws on Siwani’s memories, journey and practice as an initiated traditional healer. Named for the isiXhosa word for (usually plant-derived) medicine, it is also a broader reference to “a substance that is meant to ward off dark spiritual energy.” In addition to Siwani’s exhibition, you can also check out a performance by Nduduzo Makhathini at 19:00 tonight. 

The Standard Bank Gallery offers free and safe parking on the corner of Harrison and Frederick Streets. 

Image source: @StandardBankArts Instagram

3. From 18:00 to 20:00 you can immerse yourself in the world of contemporary arts at The Goethe-Institut, the Federal Republic of Germany’s cultural institute that works to promote the study of German abroad and encourage international cultural exchange. The main exhibition for tonight is Entangled Intimacies which features works and/or performances by Johannesburg-based artists Tzung-Hui Lauren Lee, Io Makandal, and Natalie Paneng. This exhibition “is an arts-based and curatorial research endeavour that seeks to explore (to a necessarily limited degree) what it might mean to not only be situated within ecological chaos, but to quite literally embody it” and it is not one to be missed! 

Image source: Goethe Institut Website

Things to do in CPT 

1. Mpho Feni’s first solo exhibition, Chulumanco is being presented at Eclectica Contemporary, “The exhibition title, derived from Xhosa, signifies happiness, an emotion sensitively rendered in Feni’s paintings.” Feni is praised for presenting an abundance of light and hope in his creations because “His work invites us to pause, breathe, and pay homage to celebratory moments and memories, while activating new codes with which to rethink our everyday ways of living, sharing and archiving memories.” You can view this joyous artistic display in an experimental space that celebrates the diversity and depth of African art tonight with friends. 

Image source: Eclectica Contemporary Website page for Mpho Feni’s Chulumanco 

2. Check out young and upcoming artists at the Sisonke Gallery on 90 Bree Street as the national finalists of the Red Bull Doodle Art competition are celebrated and the ultimate winner is crowned. The global Red Bull Doodle Art competition encourages the youth to “let their minds wander through imaginative doodles” and tonight is an opportunity to see what’s in the minds of young creatives.

Image Source: Redbull Doodle Art Competiton Website 

3. Get a taste of Japan at Mochi Mochi, a Japanese cafe, that offers traditional Japanese desserts like mochi (rice cake), mitarashi dango (mochi dumplings on a skewer), Japanese-style cheesecake, daifuku doughnuts a classic deep-fried doughnut, with seasonal jam and custard cream topped), miso sticky buns, melon pan (a milk bread bun topped with a crispy cookie layer) or cheesy anpan (a milk bread bun oozing with a cheesy custard) If you’re in the mood for something savoury, you can try out the karepan (a steamed bun filled with not too spicy chicken curry, rolled in panko and deep fried, served with a carrot chutney), wagyu nikuman (steamed and pan-fried bun filled with wagyu mince and cheese) or a variety of milk bread hotdogs including the okonomiyaki dog, the spicy dog, the trout dog and the kewpie egg dog! This unique Japanese bistro is located at 71 Buitengracht Street in the Cape Town City Centre.

Image Source: MochiMochi Website 

If you’re in Cape Town and you’re only in the mood for some drink specials, First Thursdays South Africa has suggested the following restaurants and bars: 1. The Gin Bar 

2. Clarkes Cape Town 

3. Tjing Tjing House 

4. The Drinkery 

5. Gorgeous George

To know what to do and where to go for upcoming First Thursdays, www.first-thursdays.co.za is your best source! 

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