International Public Art Festival returns this year

IMage supplied: The IPAF will take place in Cape Town in March

IPAF, showcases innovative local and international creative talent who create one-of-a-kind large-scale outdoor public artworks.

This free-to-public festival will happen in and around The Company’s Garden, in Cape Town City Centre - one of the oldest gardens in South Africa. This year, and for the first time, the public will experience art beyond street art and murals. This festival will include installations, sculptures, art activations, outdoor pop-up exhibitions, performances, local and international expert panel talks, and much more.

The Company’s Garden will also be the start of the Festival’s Public Art Route, which one can do as a guided tour or with a self-guided map. Expect the route to be filled with art discoveries and interaction.

IPAF aims to celebrate art that is created for the people! Working with incredible artists, the festival showcases site-specific public artworks that form part of shared outdoor community spaces, reflecting and adding to the diverse culture of Cape Town. The festival’s vision is to grow a greater awareness of the powerful social and economic impact of public art to unleash the potential of the creative sector in Africa.

The question of “What If” serves as the core theme of the festival. The exploration of the theme will be showcased through the selected public artworks & activations, that explore and navigate the open-ended question in innovative and large ways. This year’s theme of “What if?” seeks to push the boundaries of the 'known', to expand minds, creativities and spaces. Everyone is invited to create, play and dream together at IPAF 2023!

The Festival will take place from 1-5 March.