We Caught Up with the Team from Vertigo Ahead of Their First Instalment

What makes Vertigo unique?

Vertigo is an audiovisual festival elevating New Media Art in South Africa. The team behind it has been responsible for running a very consistent series of techno, house, and experimental music events for the past decade in Cape Town. Artistic expression, in general, tries to say something that cannot be expressed in words. Electronic music - at its best - is always making some kind of statement, although that can be abstract. This is similar in any form of expression, whether it be painting, song, digital art, a poem. Sensory experiences are multifaceted. When we hear a song, sometimes we have images in our mind. The idea of experimenting at the intersection is simple - to unlock new modes of sensory experience that tell a larger story than a musical or visual component alone. We are proud of the scene and the arts here in South Africa and want to provide a high level of production for the incredible artists we have here in our backyard.

Who is behind the Vertigo project?

It’s a series of collectives and groups collaborating: The teams from VAULT, Champagne, City Bowl Wax Network, Curator Studio, and 1-1PR.f2R.SM (Hyperfuturism), Scanate, Alucent Studio, and the support of many others.

What have their individual roles been?

VAULT, Champagne, City Bowl Wax Network, Curator Studio have been working on the music and audio side of the event.

1-1PR.f2R.SM (Hyperfuturism), Scanate and Alucient Collective are focused on the visual elements.

What inspired the Vertigo journey?

All of us have been influenced by many different forms of artistic expression - visual arts, fine arts, installations, music, live performance, DJ sets. We haven’t seen many events that managed to combine these facets in a coherent way. Similarly, we have such a high level of talent in South Africa. We hoped to use this event as a springboard to inspire everyone to create more.

How long has planning gone on for this event?

The better part of a year plus. The seed for the idea has been there for a long time, but it took some time to get confident that the scene is ready. It’s still a big experiment that will take years to refine. There will be a dialogue between the event and the attendees. We hope to learn a lot in the process.

Why is supporting local artists important to Vertigo?

The scene in Cape Town (and South Africa, in general) is incredible - there is world-class talent here. That said, the geography and economic situation in South Africa makes it very challenging to be a successful touring artist. If you are in Europe, you have immediate access to tons of venues, events, festivals, galleries, etc. You can succeed as a working artist because there is a massive industry to support you. That also means that there is an industry supporting very high production value events. We saw the talent we had here and wanted to try to organize something that provided the level of production that you would find overseas, but featuring artists that are from here. We really just want to give talented people from our scene the opportunity to make a statement. We hope to inspire people to create more, and to keep pushing.

What are some of Vertigo’s main objectives off the back of this event?

If people come away from the event inspired to create - to write new music, to produce new art, to begin to tell other people about the possibilities of New Media Art, to feel more inspired by technology, as opposed to pessimistic because of it, we’ve succeeded.

If you could give your attendees one piece of advice before they attend, what would it be?

Have an open mind and get lost in the performances. Be open to being surprised. Bring your best dancing shoes. 

If all goes to plan, what would you want your attendees to say/feel about the event once it is over?

We want people to leave inspired and emotionally affected. We hope people leave hungry to create more.

For anyone wanting to attend Vertigo this weekend, click here and use the promo code ‘partypeople’ for a discounted ticket. Enjoy!