Zeitz Museum of Contemporary Art Africa — Attraction in Cape Town Ward 115

For the building itself, 5 stars! What an amazing feat. I don't know how this was done but it seems like they cut out an egg shape in the interior to create the spacious cavity in the centre, leaving visually interesting lines and shapes from floor to ceiling. Into this they've integrated the glass lifts which are exposed to the space. You can also go onto the roof and see the glass floors and towers. I found the combination of steel, concrete and glass and inspired architectural design fascinating.

Now for the bad... the exhibitions I give 2/5 stars. It's just not for me. I like to think I am open minded when it comes to art, but I do prefer visual art, created with skill, to more conceptual pieces. The top floor has a lot of material regarding various political/humanitarian struggles people have faced, for example Apartheid in SA and the plight of the Palestinians (which has new weight considering current events). I found it quite interesting to see the various placards and posters with messages of solidarity from around the world. I view this as historical content with modern day relevance, but not really as art. I did find it interesting though. The other floors just got worse for me. I didn't read all of the text which may have given the displays more meaning since, in my opinion, if a piece of art needs to be explained by reading a thousand words then it has failed to have an impact. There were some video displays that were boring to watch. There was an exhibition of photography where some of it was just some sandy roads and incomplete construction, some of it looked like Google maps street view screenshots, and the rest consisted of blurry images of people. On the basement level there were more traditional paintings, and a few pieces which were interesting, but the rest just seemed quite amateur to me.

Art is subjective, and I'm sure some people would enjoy this and ponder the meaning behind some of the installations, but it was very underwhelming and felt a bit pretentious to me. Might I suggest that the types of exhibitions need more variety. I feel like currently (Jan 2024) they only cater to one type of...

It was my first time at Zeitz, but I'm pretty sure this is a space you never get jaded by. The building itself is a work of art and there's something religious about contemplating what it must have taken to carve those halls out of those silos. All that sweat, dust, machinery and noise to create the majestic hallways linking the calm, serenity and neutral backdrops of each exhibit and installation. For that alone, it's worth the visit.

If you have the opportunity to visit in the near future, the Rwandan exposition by Alfredo Jaar will affect you deeply and I'd recommend not leaving it for last. Start at the top and work down - that way, you'll end with the cheeky profundity of Johannes Phokela and his irreverent comparison of the renaissance and contemporary news. Comment to share your thoughts on the significance of eggs for him, please, I haven't googled it yet.

Young children are unlikely to want to spend as much time here as you will, but there is a pretty great restaurant on the 6th floor and cafés on ground, so bring more than one adult and take shifts. Bathrooms are on 1st and -1 so don't make your kiddo hold it when you're on 2nd or you'll have a sprint, and those beautiful, reflective floors aren't your friend in that scenario.

Don't forget your headsets so you can make use of the audio tours available at each exhibit.

Parking is readily available underground at Silo - it's marked 'Deliveries' at first glance, but venture on brave explorer, you need only deliver yourself.

I could go on, but just go see it for yourself....

The Zeit MOCCA places South African art curatorship on an international standard. It is an excellent experience to view such a high standard of art in the comfort of the Mother City. There is a vast array of work on exhibition and it gives a good indication of contemporary African art. The work represents both South African and other African countries such as Congo. Various art and architecture tours are available. The building is therefore a definite part of this spectacular experience and allows for a new architectural visage around each and every corner. It's, in fact, at the heart of this cultural paragon. There are various option of membership which ranges from free entry for a year (R250) to an all inclusive deluxe version. It's explained in full on the website. The gift shop has an extensive range of good quality products to choose from (Membership allows for discount on selected merchandise). There is a coffee shop on the top floor of the art museum, but unfortunately they are still waiting for their liquor license. The adjacent hotel offers world class accommodation with a restaurant over-looking the city of Cape Town. The building is situated in the Silo district in the V&A Waterfront which is excellent as one can still venture to the restaurants, shops and cinemas afterwards. There is ample safe parking in the basement. The Zeit MOCCA comes highly recommended and is a must see if you are...