Gaggenau Supports Local Culinary and Artistic Talent

Art Eye Gallery, in collaboration with Gaggenau, took invited guests on a journey of the senses that celebrated local talent in modern art and gastronomy. Acclaimed chef Farrel Hirsch delighted guests with a five-course dinner, while artist, Thokozani Mthiyane, took guests on a voyage through his latest modern African art.

Enrico Hoffmann_Sanele Manqele

The exclusive gathering was held on Thursday, 22 March, at Art Eye Gallery in New Doornfontein, Johannesburg, where those in attendance enjoyed a dynamic evening of creative expression. From the vibrant colour and texture seen in Mthiyane’s artworks, to the tantalising flavours tasted in Chef Hirsch’s menu, it was an evening of experiencing South African artistry on both the canvas and the plate.

“It was a privilege to share a table with some of South Africa’s top creative talents, displaying the art and culture of what binds this country as a nation. The evening exuded an authentic passion for design, quality and leadership in the culinary and art world, and Gaggenau is excited to have supported this initiative,” says Enrico Hoffmann, Managing Director Gaggenau South Africa.

Enrico Hoffmann_Sanele Manqele_Thokozani Mthiyane_Farrel Hirsch

The Gallery
Art Eye is a platform for South African expression and storytelling. Their artists are not only dedicated to their individual practices, but express narratives that are directly focused on what it means to live in South Africa today.

A collaborative space that perpetuates the idea of free expression and community, Art Eye’s New Doornfontein Spaces – AE The Studio, AE The Launchpad and AE The Project Room – function in adjoining spaces, creating synchronicity between traditional workshop spaces and exhibition spaces.

AE The Studio is an experimental project space, which hosts a number of innovative and creative collaborations by artists from different scopes of the South African art scene. AE The Launchpad and AE The Project Room are vibrant spaces, where the gallery hopes to explore the infinite scope of South African art making, by shining a light on new and upcoming artists.

The Artist
Johannesburg-based artist, Thokozani Mthiyane has largely been influenced by his time spent under the tutelage of artists Sfiso KaMkame and Thami Jali. Mthiyane also has experience in children’s theatre, with the Madcap’s Educational Theatre Company, after which he had his first solo exhibition at the Flat Gallery in Durban. Mthiyane’s artistic flare stems from his creative combination of painting and poetry.

“The works are only premeditated up to maybe the first gesture. After that, to complete them, it’s something completely different. It’s an automatic process and I just go on,” says Mthiyane.

The Chef
30-year-old Farrel Hirsch studied professional cookery in Nottingham, England, where he was declared runner-up for that city’s 2008 Young Chef of the Year competition. After five years of working in the UK, the pull of home proved too strong, and he moved back to his hometown Durban, and joined The Oyster Box Hotel’s Grill Room Restaurant in Umhlanga.

Thokozani Mthiyane_Farrel Hirsch

Having worked in the kitchens of the Singita group of luxury lodges, his two most recent posts were in Cape Town where he worked with Peter Tempelhoff at the acclaimed Greenhouse Restaurant. He then worked at The Test Kitchen (awarded Top Restaurant in South Africa at the Eat Out Awards from 2012 to 2017), seconding the masterful Luke Dale-Roberts.

Hirsch has since brought his exuberant mix of talent, passion and experience to Johannesburg where was until recently the head chef at the much renowned Four Seasons Hotel, The Westcliff.

Gaggenau
A leader in the home appliance industry, Gaggenau is synonymous with exclusive culinary culture. Gaggenau’s success is founded on technological innovation and a clear design language combined with high functionality.

Contact: Gaggenau