If you took a stroll past Gearing’s Point after 6 June, you would have noticed that the spectacular ocean views had some serious competition.
Marking the official opening day of the annual Hermanus FynArts Festival, the iconic cliffs became the canvas for Sculpture on the Cliffs. Curated by the celebrated land artist Strijdom van der Merwe, this year’s exhibition isn’t just something to look at—it is something to be experienced.
What makes this particular exhibition so significant for lifestyle and art lovers alike is its deliberate defiance of tradition. Forget cold, sterile gallery walls and standard bronze statues on plinths. This year, the focus shifts to how art interacts with the elements, the environment, and the public. By bringing together architects, calligraphers, and master craftsmen alongside traditional sculptors, the exhibition plays with the texture of the coastal landscape, using the crashing waves, shifting winter shadows, and open skies to complete the artwork.
Walking through Gearing’s Point right now feels like a physical dialogue with South African identity, memory, and nature. Here are just a few of the standout reasons to grab a warm coffee and make the coastal trek:
Playful Humanity Against the Elements
Look out for Guy du Toit’s signature bronze hares. Stripped of gender or race, these whimsical characters use humor and lighthearted vulnerability to reflect shared human traits, offering a brilliant, empathetic contrast to the rugged, untamed cliffs.
Architecture Meets History
In a poignant use of public space, Erhardt Thiel’s iMadiba Project brings micro-museums inspired by Nelson Mandela’s prison cell to the edge of the ocean. It forces a moment of quiet reflection, juxtaposing the concept of confinement against the vast, infinite horizon of the Atlantic.
Whispers in Stone
Heleen de Haas brings the ancient, tactile art of hand-carved stone lettering to the coastline. Her work celebrates the physical human hand, turning language into something you can almost feel as the sea mist rolls in.
A New Chapter for FynArts
The opening of Sculpture on the Cliffs didn’t just kick off a week of world-class fine art, wine, and music; it also signaled a beautiful winter renaissance for Hermanus. With the festival adjusting its schedule this year to embrace the early winter sunsets, a late-afternoon walk among these monumental works at Gearing’s Point provides the perfect twilight prelude to a cozy dinner at one of the town’s local bistros.
Sculpture on the Cliffs officially launches with the festival but remains on display at Gearing’s Point long after the winter crowds head home. Whether you are an avid art collector or simply looking for a beautiful weekend escape, it is the perfect excuse to wrap up warm and experience the coastline through a completely fresh lens.
