UK artist, Morag Myerscough, creates huge mural on Salt River landmark

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More than a hundred bright murals painted on buildings and homes in Salt River, formed the fifth International Public Arts Festival (IPAF) hosted in Cape Town from February 10 to 14. London-based artist, Morag Myerscough, partnered with local art collective Ilukuluku, to create a large-scale mural with geometric patterns, painted in neon which was lit by UV lamps supplied by Ultra Event Technical Solutions.

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The iconic building which is the site for the mural was built in the 1940s and currently houses a leather factory. Special permission was needed from the Heritage Council to paint the 21m mural on the side of the building, which is situated in Douglas Street, near the Salt River Circle. The expansive mural took a team of 60 people six full days to complete!

 

The mural incorporates the bright, geometric patterns Myerscough is known for and includes the phrase ‘ALL OF US’ in large-scale lettering. Myerscough elaborates on this phrase which forms the central focus of the mural: “ALL OF US need to work together to make a change for ALL OF US. In this last year it has made ALL OF US more sensitive and aware of how connected we ALL are and how we ALL need to work together to make changes and support each other. The planet needs ALL OF US to care and be responsible for what we do when we are on this earth. ALL OF US need to come together and be the action for positive change.”

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This collaborative project is part of an ongoing participation to build the ‘Ilukuluku Temple of Curiosity’ designed by Myerscough for AfrikaBurn in 2020. Creative Director for the project, Shaun Sebastian, comments: “The festival spoke to the history and the culture of Salt River, once the epicenter of Cape Town, which dates back to 1510 when the Khoikhoi clan lived here and to the 1600s, when slaves and exiles from the Dutch East Indies, were initially brought to the Cape. The modern-day Salt River is an energetic hub for up-and-coming artists and architects, and we wanted to talk to the community by sharing ideas that could bind the community together.” Shaun Sebastian is also known for his contribution as a Creative Director for the #LightSAred movement.

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One thing Covid-19 has shown is the generosity of the human heart.  When Shaun needed his mural to be lit up in UV, for an evening display, Costa Champanis , owner of Ultra Events, quickly raised his hand to offer fixtures, free of charge, which made the artwork pop to life! With power supply being a limited factor, the only solution was LED Ultraviolet lights to light the 21m wide and 5m high mural, from one electrical outlet.

This year the IPAF carried the theme of creativity, sustainability and safety. The outdoor experience encouraged people to walk, cycle or run while exploring the city, map in hand, to view the buildings especially decorated for the event.

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About Morag Myerscough

The award-winning and prolific designer/artist Morag Myerscough’s mantra is “make happy those who are near and those who are far will come.” Myerscough has always been fascinated by how words, colour, pattern and structures can change environments and people’s perceptions of spaces into places. From schools and hospitals to cultural hubs and town centres Morag transforms public spaces by creating engaging experiences for everyone. She often works with community groups to develop ideas that reflect the identity of the users, drawing on shared cultural history and heritage of the local area.

 

About ILUKULUKU

Ilukuluku Collective, founded in 2018, collaborates with artists, architects and volunteers. Guided by AfrikaBurn’s 11 guiding principles, they uphold the ethos of the ‘Burner’ community and culture.