Zeitz MOCAA, Cape Town

The Zeitz Museum is well underway and we cannot contain our excitement for this revolutionary project any longer.

The historical grain silos are situated within the 123-hectare mixed-use area at the V&A Waterfront. Set on the border of a naturally historic working harbour with an exquisite view of Table Bay and Table Mountain, the Zeitz MOCAA is situated in a perfect spot for both local and foreign feet. V&A partnered with renowned British designer Thomas Heatherwick’s team for this R500 million transformation, the Zeitz Museum of Contemporary Art Africa.

Jochen Zeitz’s astounding collection forms the founding collection of the museum, and is on a long term loan to the museum. “Over the last two decades, Africa has played an important role in both my professional and private life”, says Zeitz. “My collection has been strategically built over many years specifically with the goal to create an internationally relevant public contemporary art museum in Africa. After considering many cities across Africa, I am excited to partner with the V&A Waterfront in Cape Town. It is an iconic location in an iconic city, and will be situated in a historic landmark building. This will make my collection accessible to a local, national, continental and international audience.”

The first Executive Director and Chief Curator of the museum will be Mark Coetzee, a man with a prestigious reputation and a flawless track record for directing cultural institutions that define best practice. After a 25-year international career, Coetzee relocated to South Africa to lead Zeitz MOCAA. “Zeitz MOCAA will constitute a re-imagining of a museum within an African context: celebrate Africa preserving its own cultural legacy, writing its own history and defining itself on its own terms”, says Coetzee. “The vision of the V&A Waterfront and Jochen Zeitz will have major impact for the visual art world and for Cape Town.”

The silo’s impressive height and stature will soon become a landmark of Cape Town. Salvaging the silo structure to house Zeitz MOCAA combines ingenuity, resourcefulness and beauty in a way that will be exclusive to Africa and lend respect to the work on display.

Zeitz MOCAA forms part of a master plan for the Silo district that includes mixed-use developments of residential, commercial, leisure and hotel property with the transformed Grain Silo as the central focus of a public plaza.

Important dates:

Construction on the Grain Silo complex is due to be completed by late 2016.

Zeitz MOCAA is expected to take occupancy in November 2016, with the museum officially opening to the public in February 2017.