In February 2016 we launched our new contemporary sculpture garden - Lizamore@Clairvaux in the Western Cape. Finding it's home on the Clairvaux wine estate alongside the well-known Ceramic Factory, Lizamore@Clairvaux will host sculptural exhibitions with the idyllic scenery of Robertson as a backdrop. Lizamore@Clairvaux is the brainchild of our curator and director, Teresa Lizamore. “I have envisioned a sculptural project for a number of years” she explains. “When this opportunity arose to open a sculpture garden on the beautiful Clairvaux estate alongside Ceramic Factory, it was one I could not miss.” The combination between the scenic mountain range views, the beautiful Clairvaux estate and contemporary sculpture is an idyllic experience for any day visitor. Lizamore@Clairvaux aims to introduce contemporary sculpture to the Boland region and offer tourist and weekend visitors not only the opportunity to view pieces but also investment opportunities in contemporary South African sculpture. “Curating sculpture is an ongoing passion of mine, as it allows me to create interactive spaces that the viewer can engage in.” The sculptures relate to everything around it; the weather, the light, the vegetation and the changes in the landscape it creates, this is an active relationship between viewer, sculpture and environment.
The aim with the placement of sculpture is to highlight and flatter both the sculptural qualities and the gardens natural beauty. By viewing a sculpture in a natural environment, one is able to highlight elements of the sculpture like, material (surface, colour, texture) and space (line, form, volume, openings and frames and focus). Gardens and sculptures become equal partners in creating a new living environment for the viewer, this is completely opposite to the idea of a clean, white cube gallery. Teresa Lizamore adds that this space offers investors the opportunity to view bigger pieces outside in a space that is, at times, much better suited for a piece than a traditional gallery.
