The Winter Sculpture Fair presented by MasterCard will return to the NIROX Sculpture Park near the Cradle of Humankind on the 10th and 11th May 2014 where a selection of South Africa’s best contemporary sculpture and Franschhoek’s finest food and wine will be showcased.

Now in its second year, the Fair will offer visitors exquisite food and fine wine produced by 38 of Franschhoek’s most popular restaurants, producers and wineries. Restaurants such as Bread & Wine Vineyard Restaurant, The French Connection and The Kitchen at Holden Manz will be selling freshly prepared, deluxe lunches, and wineries including Haute Cabriere, Môreson, Leopard’s Leap, Vrede en Lust and La Motte, among others, will offer wine and bubbly by the bottle or glass. A selection of Franschhoek cheeses, charcuterie, and chocolates will also be available to purchase, ahead of winter.

“We are really excited to bring back this priceless experience to Gauteng’s food, wine and art lovers,” says Philip Panaino, Division President, MasterCard, South Africa. “This unique event will once again give visitors the opportunity to enjoy some of the country’s finest cuisine, wine and sculpture in a beautiful outdoor setting that is usually not open to the public.”

Situated in a 15 hectare private nature reserve, the highly-acclaimed NIROX Sculpture Park will be home to the ‘NIROX SCULPTURE | WINTER 14’ exhibition curated by Mary-Jane Darroll, and will showcase nearly 100 sculptures by more than 50 artists. Visitors will be able to meander through the park to view the artworks, before picnicking in the countryside with family and friends.

“Local artists, recognised as worldwide leaders in contemporary sculpture such as Marco Cianfanelli and Angus Taylor will once again feature their sculptures, and we’re particularly glad to welcome artists who are returning to South Africa after spending time abroad, including Johan Thom, Aliza Levi and Sean Blem,” says Ross Douglas, Director of Artlogic, the Fair organiser.

At the launch of the inaugural Winter Sculpture Fair last year, MasterCard provided funding to the NIROX Foundation to commission a sculpture by a local artist. This piece, Frank van Reenen’s The Giant, will be on display for the first time at the 2014 Fair.

“Through commissions such as this, we support local sculpture talent, and the advancement of South Africa’s reputation in the global contemporary arts arena,” says Panaino.

The 2014 Winter Sculpture Fair is open from 10h00 – 17h00 daily on both 10 and 11 May 2014. Book your tickets online to avoid disappointment, as limited tickets will be available at the door. Tickets cost R100 and are available through www.webtickets.co.za, with a 10% discount if they are purchased using a MasterCard branded card. Children 12 years and under enter free. For more information, visit www.wintersculpturefair.co.za; email [email protected] or follow @ArtlogicSA on Twitter.

The following Franschhoek wineries, restaurants and retailers will participate in the 2014 Winter Sculpture Fair presented by MasterCard:

Wineries: Akkerdal, Black Elephant Vintners/La Petite Vigne, Boekenhoutskloof, Four Paws, Franschhoek Cellar, Glenwood, Grande Provence, Haute Cabriere, Holden Manz, La Bri, La Chataigne Wines, La Motte, Leopard’s Leap, Lynx Wines, Maison, Môreson, My Wyn, Plaisir de Merle, Rickety Bridge, Solms-Delta and Vrede & Lust.

Restaurants: Angala Restaurant, Bacon of the Month, Bread & Wine Vineyard Restaurant, Café Des Arts, Duncan for Dinner, Fromage de France, Fyndraai Restaurant at Solms-Delta, Haute Cabriere Restaurant, Huguenot Fine Chocolate, Le Verger – the Orchard Restaurant at Le Franschhoek and Spa, Leopard’s Leap Family Vineyards, L’Ermitage Restaurant , Paulina’s Restaurant at Rickety Bridge, The French Connection, The Kitchen at Holden Manz and The Kitchen at Maison.

Artists participating in the ‘NIROX SCULPTURE | WINTER 14’ exhibition include:

Willem Boshoff, Marco Cianfanelli, Angus Taylor, Doreen Southwood, Richard Forbes, Hanneli Coetzee, Rodan Hart, Lwandiso Njara, Johan Thom, Aliza Levi, Sean Blem, Bronwyn Lace, Liza Grobler, Stephan Hobbs, Marcus Neustetter, Michelle Mathieson, Frank van Reenen, Jeremy Rose, Stephan Erasmus and Gordon Froud, among others.