THE CLIENT
The Maak for Investec Cape Town Art Fair
Included in the 2026 programme of the Investec Cape Town Art Fair, Art Fair Picnic transformed a section of the fair into a soft, participatory site of gathering and exchange. Large-scale picnic blankets formed an informal space where visitors were invited to sit, share food, and engage with art in a slow, intimate and communal way.
THE BRIEF
As picnic-goers enjoyed snacks prepared by local food designers Studio H, picnic host Max Melvill and co-curator Carl Khaas presented a programme of contemporary artworks from leading African galleries directly in the picnic environment.
Art Fair Picnic forms part of Picnic Projects, an ongoing long-term research collaboration between The MAAK x Picnic (Faith Shields) exploring alternative ways of activating public space to build community. Within the context of the commercial art world, the intervention foregrounds the spatial relationship between art, people, and the environments that bring them together. The project exists as a live spatial experiment that challenges the conventions of the “white cube” gallery model by providing an environment that is inclusive, soft, playful and caring. Art Fair Picnic poses an alternative framework to experience contemporary art that aims to break down the perceived barriers between art viewers, galleries, artists and artworks.
The contemporary art showcased in South Africa’s leading galleries (and art fairs) is known to be vibrant, layered, and deeply connected to everyday life. Yet the space in which this work is encountered does not always reflect this same vitality. While the art feels alive, the spatial environment can at times feel detached or overly transactional. Art Fair Picnic responds to this tension through an in-situ intervention that asks: What spatial models might better reflect the nuanced realities and richness of contemporary artists and their work?
Uncommon within commercial art environments, the posture of picnicking introduces rest, openness, and informality into a context typically defined by movement, productivity, and sales. The simple acts of sitting on the ground, sharing food, and slowing down reposition the art encounter as one rooted in presence and collective experience. In this way, the picnic becomes a deliberate intervention that reclaims humanity and community within a highly commercial setting.
Although temporary by nature, Art Fair Picnic operates as a lasting provocation - exploring how inclusive and contextually grounded environments can enrich our connection to the arts. Through deliberate spatial shifts, the project suggests that the architecture of cultural spaces can serve as a catalyst for gathering, conversation, and cultural belonging - not simply as a background for art.
In our picnic box:
Farm apples from Vergenoegd Farm
Gingerbread people by Goldie Bread
Marmite pecans
Funfettic cake sandwich
Negroni olives
Crisps: add cheese and cornichons
PICNIC TEAM
Max Melvill (host), Carol Khaas (co-curator), Studio H (food design), Studio Bunk (benches), From Mom (pillows), Katya Volkova (production), Polina Ostanina (production assistant), Cara Geldenhuys (production assistant)
PARTICIPATING GALLERIES & (ARTISTS)
Art Formes (Siyabonga Fani), EBONY/ CURATED (Kamohelo Blessing Rooi), Everard Read (Mmakgabo Mmapula Mmankgato Helen Sebidi and Vusumzi Nkomo), Exhibition Match (Franasonic Exhibition Match jersey), Kó (Deborah Segun), RESERVOIR (Richard Mudariki), Stevenson (Thato Toeba)
PHOTOS
Sune Van Tonder (@aftersune)
THE CLIENT
The Maak for Investec Cape Town Art Fair
Included in the 2026 programme of the Investec Cape Town Art Fair, Art Fair Picnic transformed a section of the fair into a soft, participatory site of gathering and exchange. Large-scale picnic blankets formed an informal space where visitors were invited to sit, share food, and engage with art in a slow, intimate and communal way.
THE BRIEF
As picnic-goers enjoyed snacks prepared by local food designers Studio H, picnic host Max Melvill and co-curator Carl Khaas presented a programme of contemporary artworks from leading African galleries directly in the picnic environment.
Art Fair Picnic forms part of Picnic Projects, an ongoing long-term research collaboration between The MAAK x Picnic (Faith Shields) exploring alternative ways of activating public space to build community. Within the context of the commercial art world, the intervention foregrounds the spatial relationship between art, people, and the environments that bring them together. The project exists as a live spatial experiment that challenges the conventions of the “white cube” gallery model by providing an environment that is inclusive, soft, playful and caring. Art Fair Picnic poses an alternative framework to experience contemporary art that aims to break down the perceived barriers between art viewers, galleries, artists and artworks.
The contemporary art showcased in South Africa’s leading galleries (and art fairs) is known to be vibrant, layered, and deeply connected to everyday life. Yet the space in which this work is encountered does not always reflect this same vitality. While the art feels alive, the spatial environment can at times feel detached or overly transactional. Art Fair Picnic responds to this tension through an in-situ intervention that asks: What spatial models might better reflect the nuanced realities and richness of contemporary artists and their work?
Uncommon within commercial art environments, the posture of picnicking introduces rest, openness, and informality into a context typically defined by movement, productivity, and sales. The simple acts of sitting on the ground, sharing food, and slowing down reposition the art encounter as one rooted in presence and collective experience. In this way, the picnic becomes a deliberate intervention that reclaims humanity and community within a highly commercial setting.
Although temporary by nature, Art Fair Picnic operates as a lasting provocation - exploring how inclusive and contextually grounded environments can enrich our connection to the arts. Through deliberate spatial shifts, the project suggests that the architecture of cultural spaces can serve as a catalyst for gathering, conversation, and cultural belonging - not simply as a background for art.
In our picnic box:
Farm apples from Vergenoegd Farm
Gingerbread people by Goldie Bread
Marmite pecans
Funfettic cake sandwich
Negroni olives
Crisps: add cheese and cornichons
THE CLIENT
The Maak for Investec Cape Town Art Fair
Included in the 2026 programme of the Investec Cape Town Art Fair, Art Fair Picnic transformed a section of the fair into a soft, participatory site of gathering and exchange. Large-scale picnic blankets formed an informal space where visitors were invited to sit, share food, and engage with art in a slow, intimate and communal way.
THE BRIEF
As picnic-goers enjoyed snacks prepared by local food designers Studio H, picnic host Max Melvill and co-curator Carl Khaas presented a programme of contemporary artworks from leading African galleries directly in the picnic environment.
Art Fair Picnic forms part of Picnic Projects, an ongoing long-term research collaboration between The MAAK x Picnic (Faith Shields) exploring alternative ways of activating public space to build community. Within the context of the commercial art world, the intervention foregrounds the spatial relationship between art, people, and the environments that bring them together. The project exists as a live spatial experiment that challenges the conventions of the “white cube” gallery model by providing an environment that is inclusive, soft, playful and caring. Art Fair Picnic poses an alternative framework to experience contemporary art that aims to break down the perceived barriers between art viewers, galleries, artists and artworks.
The contemporary art showcased in South Africa’s leading galleries (and art fairs) is known to be vibrant, layered, and deeply connected to everyday life. Yet the space in which this work is encountered does not always reflect this same vitality. While the art feels alive, the spatial environment can at times feel detached or overly transactional. Art Fair Picnic responds to this tension through an in-situ intervention that asks: What spatial models might better reflect the nuanced realities and richness of contemporary artists and their work?
Uncommon within commercial art environments, the posture of picnicking introduces rest, openness, and informality into a context typically defined by movement, productivity, and sales. The simple acts of sitting on the ground, sharing food, and slowing down reposition the art encounter as one rooted in presence and collective experience. In this way, the picnic becomes a deliberate intervention that reclaims humanity and community within a highly commercial setting.
Although temporary by nature, Art Fair Picnic operates as a lasting provocation - exploring how inclusive and contextually grounded environments can enrich our connection to the arts. Through deliberate spatial shifts, the project suggests that the architecture of cultural spaces can serve as a catalyst for gathering, conversation, and cultural belonging - not simply as a background for art.
In our picnic box:
Farm apples from Vergenoegd Farm
Gingerbread people by Goldie Bread
Marmite pecans
Funfettic cake sandwich
Negroni olives
Crisps: add cheese and cornichons
