INTERVIEW
Pro Landscaper Africa was excited at the opportunity to sit down with local NPO Baz-Art to discuss its initiatives in changing the face of Cape Town and supporting local artists on their quest to transform spaces through urban art. We chat to the Baz-Art team about harnessing the power of art to improve people’s lives. This is what co-founder, Alexandre Tilmans, had to tell us. What brought on the need to establish and found Baz-Art? Firstly, street art was not as recognised as a form of art in South Africa. Graffiti is often associated with drugs and violence and we
wanted to show that mural painting is a form of public art that is equal to any other form of art. Secondly, and this is more local to Cape Town, you need a permit to paint a mural. This requires the following paperwork: your sketch of the work to be painted, agreement from the CoCT, the surrounding residents and the owner of the building. This process means all street art is legal and accepted by all involved. For the two reasons above, Cape Town was an ideal place to start to create a platform for artists to start making a living out of their talent. For us, street art is so much more than graffiti, art can transform how an area is perceived and experienced by its inhabitants, as well as the wider public. Art can enhance the appearance and personality of a neighbourhood, thereby increasing the local community’s sense of pride and belonging. What is Baz-Art? (For our readers who are not Cape-based). Baz-Art is a platform that helps artists, mainly public art artists, make a living out of their talent. We also realised that public art has all the benefits – first for the community, then as a form of education. Every time we have painted a colourful mural we have realised that the surrounding residents and bypasses have started a conversation around the art. As long as our message is right, people will interact and educate themselves on the subject matter. BazArt transforms spaces through commissioned urban art. BAZ-ART'S MISSION IS BASED ON THREE PILLARS: EDUCATION, ARTISTIC ECLOSION AND SOCIAL INCLUSION. Who are some of your main sponsors? Firstly, ourselves, as we are on the lookout for work throughout the year. The projects we do help us fundraise to organise the International Public Arts Festival. The City of Cape Town has been an important growing partner since the beginning. National institutions have started recognising the benefits of public art in neighbourhoods and we have seen an increase in interest.
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