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From the outside you’d think it was just another small town hotel, unless of course you knew a thing or two about art. Then you’d realise that the enormous woven sculpture of a cactus in a pot plant (pictured above), which dominates the entrance, is by South African land artist, Strijdom van der Merwe. And if that excites you, you’ll be thrilled to know that the entire hotel is chock-a-block with sculptures, paintings, prints and pieces by leading South African artists as well as up-and-coming ones. Names including Zakkie Eloff, Andrew Munnik and Cecile Heystek, make Graskop home to the only art hotel in the Lowveld.
Harrie Siertsema, one of the hotel’s co-owners, and an art collector and curator, has filled every available space with interesting pieces from his personal collection of South African art and antiques. He describes it as, “Eclectic, but
with a strong sense of dealing with issues of how we deal with our planet.” In the lobby, an intricate wire sculpture by Walter Oltmann delicately filters the sunlight. Nearby, a complex wooden structure by Willem Boshoff and an equally complicated ‘Letter to God’ by the same artist occupy prominent spots, while pieces by Keith Dietrich, Claudette Schreuders and other well-known artists feature throughout the hotel. The collection is among the town’s biggest tourism drawcards, and places art, shoulder to shoulder, as a major attraction alongside the scenic beauty and adventure activities in the Graskop surrounds, which draw thousands of visitors annually.
The hotel’s 37 en-suite bedrooms consist of 15 garden suites and 22 artists’ rooms. The latter were each individually decorated by a different contemporary South African artist. They were invited to adopt a room in the hotel and create installations. The result is an eclectic showcase of the various styles, characteristics and quirks of some of South Africa’s best-known contemporary artists. In addition to
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Look out for:
• Winnie Mandela trunk inside the lounge. Created by Bloemfontein graphic artist Marcus Steinman, it reveals its message once opened. Fans of Winnie Mandela may change their opinion once the contents are revealed
• The delightful garden outside the cottages at the back of the hotel. The gardener Callie (nicknamed Sonnyboy) and Emy Stroud do a fantastic job at keeping it looking good.
• The almost-hidden but thought-provoking messages in Andre Munnik’s artworks.
• Walk through the Hanging Spikes installation by Linda du Preez in the gallery – it’s meant to encourage a spiritual encounter.