28 September – 6 October 2024
Strauss & Co is a proud sponsor of the Toyota Stellenbosch Woordfees
Strauss & Co is delighted to reaffirm its commitment to Toyota Stellenbosch Woordfees (28 September – 6 October 2024) with a knockout exhibition of vividly coloured artworks by iconic modernists Marc Chagall and Pablo Picasso in the Oude Leeskamer, Stellenbosch.
The exhibition forms the centrepiece of Strauss & Co’s diverse contributions to this vibrant arts festival in the Cape winelands, notably a benefit auction, music recital, fashion show and public talks.
2024 Woordfees Benefit Auction
Online Auction 25 September – 7 October
Strauss & Co will again present an auction of artworks by established and emerging artists selected by curator Teresa Lizamore. Works in the festival auction will be on view at the Stellenbosch Stadsaal for the duration of the festival.
Upcoming Events
Oude Leeskamer exhibition open daily 10:00 – 17:00 // Stadsaal exhibition open daily 10:00 – 18:00
Monday, 30 September 2024
Tuesday, 1 October 2024
OUDE LEESKAMER
Reflections on the Venice Biennale 2024: Something Old, Something New. Two visitors share their impressions of the 2024 Venice Biennale – Lizelle Kilbourn and Sean O’ Toole in conversation 11:00 – 12:00
Wednesday, 2 October 2024
Thursday, 3 October 2024
OUDE LEESKAMER
Changing Patterns of Art Collecting in light of the International Modernist and Contemporary Art on Strauss & Co’s auction preview, with Karel Nel & Hayden Proud 11:00 – 12:00
Walkabout with Frank Kilbourn 15:00
Picasso, Pinotage & Piano – a sunset celebration of Art, Music and Wine – with performance by Karen Peterson 17:30
Friday, 4 October 2024
OUDE LEESKAMER
Breath of Gaia Exhibition + Fashion Show with Lezanne Viviers & Marlene Steyn 15:00
Saturday, 5 October 2024
OUDE LEESKAMER
Exhibition Open 10:00 – 17:00
STADSAAL
Exhibition Open 10:00 – 18:00
About Toyota Stellenbosch Woordfees
The 2024 Toyota Stellenbosch Woordfees sings this spring with more than 400 unique productions presented in nearly 60 venues in and around Stellenbosch. And with this year’s festival theme – “Play” (Speel), we invite festival goers to surrender to their own spontaneity, press the pause button, unlock new possibilities and just be in the moment.
The Woordfees has its origin in 2000 as an all-night celebration of Afrikaans literature. And over the last 24 years, we have grown to one of the largest arts festivals in Africa with around 50 000 annual festival goers.
“Play” is also a celebration of the qualities that make the Woordfees a resilient festival: expression, innovation and the playful freedom of the arts.
About Oude Leeskamer
The Oude Leeskamer is a cultural and heritage centre situated in a historic building on the corner of Dorp and Drostdy Street in Stellenbosch. This space has served various purposes in the Stellenbosch community over the years.
Since its founding in 1815, the building has been a magistrate’s office, an annex to the Moederkerk and annex to the Theological Seminary. It has also served as a home to various local book clubs and the then Union Debating Society. More recently it has been a private residency, a guesthouse and home to an architectural firm. Significantly, it was in this very building that the idea of schools for the town originated, which eventually led to the founding of Stellenbosch University.
In 2017 the Oude Leeskamer became the property of the Jannie Mouton Foundation. The building was remarkably restored to now host five unique spaces, namely Jannie se Leeskamer, an art gallery, a writer’s flat, De Eetkamer Restaurant, and the Jannie Mouton Foundation offices.
