The African winter is usually a low season in terms of tourism, but it’s a good time for art events and festivals. One of them is Heat Winter Arts Festival, which will be held in Cape Town on August 6-16, to highlight the prominence of local talent, offer a versatile entertainment program, and fuel intellectual discussions around art. Nel Art Gallery joins the event with a solo show by Hannelie Coetzee, a visual artist based in Johannesburg. The “Curator-led walkabout” will start on August 7, 2025, inviting all art enthusiasts to take part in this celebration of art.
About Heat Winter Arts Festival
Heat Winter Arts Festival unifies 13 galleries and museums, including Nel Art Gallery, within a collaborative art effort this African winter. The event includes 13 curated exhibitions, 5 guided walkabouts, and 5 art talks. Besides, it features music and opera programs, a refined collection of theatrical performances, cutting-edge digital art performances, and raucous stand-up comedy shows.
All participating galleries, artists, and art institutions have unified to explore the theme of other-worldling – the main topic of this year’s festival that every creative touches upon in their art in some way. South African artists invite the audience to explore the speculative dimension of art and embrace the truths from the communal past, which shed light on the present and help build a positive future.
About Hannelie Coetzee
Hannelie Coetzee stands out as a prominent South African artist and academic researcher. Born in 1971, she studied art locally and at Western educational institutions, and completed her MSc dissertation in 2022. Coetzee specializes in ecology, environment, and wildlife as her major subjects of artistic and academic interest. One of the recent notable projects by the artist is “Eco-Queer Creatures,” which reflects her interdisciplinary approach to building bridges between environmental science and social action, boosting her audience’s engagement with nature.
Himalayan Wildlife in the Solo Show by Hannelie Coetzee
During Heat Winter Arts Festival, Nel Art Gallery will present a solo show by Hannelie Coetzee, titled “Baboonish hyenas not monkeying around.” This series of works features baboon and hyena drawings, sketches, and ceramic sculptures created by the artist during her stay in the Himalayas, India, in April/May 2025. Though the festival ends on August 16, Nel Art Gallery will feature Coetzee’s exhibition throughout the entire August, making it available for viewing to all visitors.