AE The Studio was a collaborative studio hosted in the middle of Art Eye Gallery. The vast studio space allowed artists to work every day alongside the Art Eye Team and other artists. Artists had been invited to participate in workshops, live drawing sessions, and residencies, creating a platform for interdisciplinary interventions as well as enabling the exhibition of diverse visual art forms.
The gallery space, which had been completed, was a pristine exhibition space where guests were invited to experience art sensually. The visuals placed on the walls were complemented by hints of ylang-ylang, amidst a cacophony of instruments filling the room. The moody, dark space allowed visitors the room to intimately and quietly engage with the work. The space hosted an array of different art forms, including video, performance, musical, and performative installation. We were active every day in broadening our scope while still maintaining a direction toward original production and creativity.
Art Eye focused on creating platforms for emerging and established artists to gain exposure and build sustainable visual arts careers. The Art Eye spaces simultaneously bridged the gap between the formal exhibition space and workshop space, allowing artists to experiment, converse, and express their innermost thoughts through the visual arts medium. It was our belief that visual arts not only reflected a contemporary aesthetic but, more importantly, provided insight into the perspective of our current society.
AE The Studio, AE The Launchpad, and AE The Project Room functioned in adjoining spaces, creating a synchronicity between traditional studio spaces and exhibition spaces. AE The Launchpad and AE The Project Room were vibrant new spaces where we aimed to explore the infinite scope of South African art-making by shining a light on new and upcoming artists.
Floating on higher Cassius Khumalo We spoke to a young man who has combined his love for the arts, with his love for the spiritual
