Brainchild of Linki Lutz and David Griessel, ‘Zoología Fantástica: A Kaleidoscope of the imagination’, is exhibiting at Haas Coffee in Buitenkant Street. Created as a form of temporary escape from the realities of logical thought and practicality, the idea is to use drawing as a platform for the miscellaneous menagerie of imaginary beings.
Referencing an Argentinian Surrealist writer, the title of the exhibition was inspired by Jorge Louis Borges’ playful spirit in his almost mythical grandeur in the literary world. Manual de zoología fantástica (Book of Imaginary Beings) was a compendium written by Borges in 1957 which catalogues in a playful pseudo-scientific manner a vast collection of mythical creatures.
‘It is in this spirit of serious play that our exhibition was conceived.’ - Linki Lutz & David Griessler.
The exhibition has been put together spontaneously without too much thought into the functioning of the duo’s artworks side by side. The juxtapositioning of them, however, creates interesting new constellations and a ‘kind of play circle where our flights of fancy cavort around in this dream-zoo of the imaginary and fantastical’.
Pertinent to the exhibition is the open-mindedness to the imaginary world and the importance of consciously spending time and energy creating worlds and characters sans any practical value. Just as one would play with the shifting patterns of a kaleidoscope, viewers are encouraged to engage with the illustrations of the exhibition.
Haas Coffee, 19 Buitenkant Street, Cape Town City Centre.
David Griessel's illustrations were scanned, edited and printed by Orms Print Room and Framing.
