Opening in the first half of 2027, Villa Lenox will become the new creative heartbeat of Cape Town. Spanning approximately 300 m² across three exceptional live-in studios, it will welcome nine francophone artists each year for three-month residencies – offering a unique opportunity to immerse oneself in the heart of South Africa’s vibrant cultural scene, and to help shape the artistic and cultural dialogues of tomorrow.
Map of French artistic residencies worldwide
A LIVING PLACE AT THE CROSSROADS OF TWO HERITAGES
Villa Lenox takes shape within The Lenox, a historic boutique hotel whose heritage restoration has been meticulously carried out by MEMORIST, a specialist entity dedicated to the preservation and enhancement of cultural heritage. The building itself tells a story: since 1930, The Lenox has stood as one of Cape Town’s most iconic addresses, welcoming major figures of the international scene – among them the renowned Russo-South African painter Vladimir Tretchikoff, whose atmospheric portraits and striking use of colour made him one of the most widely reproduced artists of the 20th century.
The rebirth of this historic building as Villa Lenox marks a new chapter. It transforms a place of memory into a place of creation – a living landmark that honours its past while actively shaping the cultural future of the city.
Villa Lenox, a witness to Victorian Architecture
3D Drawing Facade
AN IMMERSION INTO THE HEART OF SOUTH AFRICA’S CULTURAL DYNAMISM
South Africa now stands as a major hub of contemporary creation on the African continent, driven by a bold and innovative artistic scene, particularly in the fields of digital creation, crafts, and music. As the first African city designated a UNESCO City of Design, Cape Town embodies the vitality of the cultural and creative industries. With strong economic and tourism appeal, the city enjoys global visibility and attracts diverse audiences from around the world.
Its museums, festivals, professional forums, and rich cultural programming, from the Investec Cape Town Art Fair to Design Indaba, from the Open Book Festival to First Thursdays, give the city an international influence that few African capitals can match. It is within this exceptional context that Villa Lenox takes root. Working closely with cultural institutions, local artists, and the broader creative ecosystem of the Western Cape, it offers residents a truly unique experience: not that of an outsider looking in, but of a creator who belongs.
A TAILOR-MADE RESIDENCY PROGRAMME
3D rendering of a studio-residency
The Lenox Artist Residency 3d Plan Closed
With three exceptional live-in studios, Villa Lenox welcomes nine francophone artists each year for three-month residencies. Within this privileged setting, approximately 300 m² designed for both solitude and exchange, residents benefit from a space of complete freedom and reflection, shaped to foster genuine dialogue with South Africa’s creative ecosystem.
A true professional springboard, the Villa Lenox experience offers comprehensive support, logistical assistance, and financial backing through the Breyten Breytenbach Creation Grant. Beyond research and creation, residents are fully embedded in the life of the city: they share their artistic practice during key events on the local cultural scene, open their studios to collectors and audiences, and build lasting connections with Cape Town’s creative community. Each residency becomes a decisive step in an international career.
EMBEDDING EXCELLENCE WITHIN THE LOCAL CREATIVE FABRIC
Villa Lenox deploys a rich, cross-disciplinary programme encompassing visual and digital arts, fashion, design, and writing, including literature, poetry, and screenwriting. Particular attention is given to craftsmanship and local know-how, illustrated through practices such as collective embroidery and clay work (Umhlaba in isiXhosa). These are not mere activities: they are spaces of genuine transmission, where knowledge and technique pass between cultures.
As a permanent space for dialogue, Villa Lenox encourages cross-encounters between francophone residents and South African creators, forming fertile ground for original collaborations that neither party could have produced alone. The Villa also opens itself to the wider city: studios welcome collectors and art enthusiasts during landmark moments such as the Investec Cape Town Art Fair and First Thursdays, firmly anchoring Villa Lenox within Cape Town’s international cultural calendar.
THE BREYTEN BREYTENBACH CREATION GRANT
Each resident will be awarded the Breyten Breytenbach Creation Grant. This prestigious support pays tribute to the Franco–South African poet and painter, a historic figure in the struggle against apartheid. Born in the Western Cape and passing away in Paris in November 2024, Breytenbach embodies through his dual body of work the deep dialogue between our two cultures and the spirit of freedom that drives Villa Lenox.
Breyten Breytenbach (1939-2024)
A PROJECT LED BY AN UNPRECEDENTED PUBLIC–PRIVATE PARTNERSHIP
Villa Lenox is the fruit of a unique alliance between two organisations with deep roots and a shared belief in the transformative power of artistic creation.
MEMORIST, a centre of expertise dedicated to the preservation and enhancement of heritage, brings together exceptional skills in restoration, digitisation, and cultural engineering. As a subsidiary of the French MOBILITAS Group — present in 103 countries and firmly established across the African continent — MEMORIST relies on a unique global logistics network. As the owner of The Lenox, MEMORIST is responsible for the structural restoration of the historic building, and demonstrates a concrete commitment to artistic creation by providing three exceptional studio-residences at the heart of Cape Town’s heritage.
Together, these two partners have built something that neither could have created alone: a residency that is both internationally ambitious and deeply local, both institutionally rigorous and genuinely open.
CONTACT & INFORMATION
For any enquiry about the residency programme, please contact: culture@frenchinstitute.org.za
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