Villa Out of This World in Green Point

A one-of-a-kind function, event and gallery space showcasing and retailing authentic tribal artefacts in Cape Town

“Not many people know about this venue”, says Peter Vith, who co-owns Out of This World along with his wife Sue Vith. “It is a very special building – a little oasis in the middle of town. But that is Cape Town, it has all these little beautiful discoveries and this is one of them.”

Many may know Out of This World – the family-run business trading in authentic global tribal artefacts – but what many may not know is that the ethnic art retailer now too has a brand new venue space, Villa Out of This World. Officially opening its doors in June 2016, the prime located event area (situated on the same property as its parent company’s ’warehouse’ in Green Point), offers clientele  a truly unique two-fold experience in the form of the Out of This World gallery space as well as a function venue available for hire.

One: On a day-to-day basis, Villa Out of This World acts as a display area to showcase the various ancestral items found at Out of This World. In doing so, viewers have the opportunity to see how the various objects can be used (and enjoyed) in a decorative manner as well as how they can interact with other household necessities. “In the warehouse there are so many rooms and piles of stock that sometimes it can be difficult for people who haven’t really been exposed to such items to envision how they can work within a home environment”, explains Katherine Mathias, Out of This World’s marketing and events manager. The warehouse (which is actually a beautiful Victorian house) comprises an array of rooms – there is a ‘mask’ room, Moroccan room, hunting room as well as jewellery room (to name but a few of the areas), all which are filled with various artefacts and items carefully sourced from around the globe.  “They are all such gorgeous pieces and we want to use this space as a rotating gallery for the Out of This World’s goods.”

Two: Villa Out of This World is also available for venue hire and can be used as an event space or gallery-type area for private functions and exhibitions hosting approximately 60 to 70 people. Flexible and adaptable, clients have the rare opportunity to tailor-make their venue space to suit the specific needs of their event. Guests are welcome to use the space as is (complete with its constantly changing design), can choose to custom-make the venue choosing their own theme and décor from the warehouse (think Kenyan, Arab or Benin items and more) or can even decide to remove all the items on display as well as bring in their own artworks and exhibition goods.

“Everything is inter-changeable”, explains Peter. “We just want it to be a fun and casual venue – an interesting melting pot for anything from an art exhibition and food pairing event to a personalised cooking session and casual braai space. It just has to be fun – that is rule number one!”

Despite being located on the same property, the entrance to Villa Out of This World is separate to that of the warehouse and visitors enter through a large wooden door via a walkway engulfed by trees. Comprising both open and undercover seating arrangements (and a cosy fire pit), the courtyard area is spacious and stylishly decorated – Peter does all the embellishing himself – with an array of cultural statues, pots and ornaments on display creating an inclusive and comfortable environment. What’s more, come July 2016 Peter envisions an outdoor coffee-cum-cocktail bar serving guests either great tasting java or fruity concoctions (depending on the time of day!)

Moving inside, the venue is once again tastefully curated by Peter and a common wood-theme is seen throughout. The room encompasses two levels – separated by a couple steps – where the second level even includes a stage-like area that can be used as a dance floor or exhibition space. The current layout of the open-plan interior is impeccable with a wide range of one-of-a-kind-items (such as colourful beaded chairs (made for Nigeria’s royals), various tribal pots and statues as well as beautifully designed furniture items, to name but only a fraction of the pieces in the room), are skilfully mixed and matched to once again create a sophisticated yet welcoming environment.

With a key focus on attention to detail and authenticity, not to mention the intensiveness of the labour and level of craftsmanship, Out of This World truly showcases a unique range of hand-made accent pieces throughout its venue space and warehouse as well as retail outlets. “We want to give locals and foreigners a rich and flavourful experience”, says Peter. “Most of our pieces come to us [the owners have a strong flow of traders throughout Africa who supply the retail outlet with collectables], although we also travel a lot [Indonesia, Morocco, Nepal, Peru and Bali are a few countries they have been to]. The third world countries are very strong and have amazing hand crafts and that’s our thing – all of our pieces are unusual and exotic.”

What’s more, Peter and Sue also offer customers exclusive shopping opportunities. Ideal for individuals or smaller groups who are interested in collecting (and enjoying) tribal artefacts but are unsure where to start or what to look for, the owners will gladly show customers around the warehouse  explaining the various items on display as well as happily impart their (arte)factual knowledge. Viewers are welcome to call, book a date and time and enjoy a unique personalised shopping experience. “People are not forced to buy anything”, adds Katherine. “But to be able to experience the goods, be around them and see how they can be used and enjoyed – that is the magic.”

“We believe that is very important that these pieces (which all have such rich history) find the right owners and home to go to. We want people to enjoy the experience and the artefacts in our stores”, concludes Peter.

Tip: Visit Out of This World at the V&A Waterfront (Shop 6147, Lower Level, Victoria Wharf) and at The Promenade (Shop 1B, Victoria Road) in Camps Bay.

Opening Hours: The Warehouse: Weekly: 8:30pm – 4:30pm | Villa Out of This World: Open to the public for viewing during the warehouse opening hours.

The Bill: For a full list of Out of This World artefacts, please visit the Out of This World website. The various items can cost anything from R18 to R150 000.

Venue Price: Please contact Villa Out of This World directly to discuss your function type, rates and the venue’s availability on +27 (0) 82 854 5707/+27 (0) 21 434 3540/1 or email katherine@outofthisworld.co.za.

No. 1 Braemar Road | Corner Wessels and Braemer Road | Green Point | +27 (0) 21 434 3540/1 | www.outofthisworld.co.za

by Krysia Gaweda

Image Credit: Julia Janse Van Vuuren

Video Credit: Josh Oates

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