Cape Town-based urban precinct developer Blok is once again opening the city to creativity with the launch of Art on the Blok 2.0 – Open Art, a bold outdoor exhibition that transforms the site of its newest development, ELEVENONB (11 Buiten Street), from a blank canvas into a creative space for emerging artists.
Following the success of last year’s free-to-visit pop-up gallery, Blok is excited to evolve the concept into an outdoor experience. Before construction commences, Open Art will transform the ELEVENONB site, once home to the iconic Madam Zingara restaurant into a free, public art space where artists across disciplines can showcase their work
Blok is calling on visual artists, ceramicists, sculptors, photographers, installation artists, muralists, metalworkers, land artists, light-based artists, and beyond to submit their portfolios. Works must be suitable for outdoor display and ready to withstand Cape Town’s summer elements.
Submissions are officially open, with entries closing on Wednesday, 15 October 2025. Selected works will be showcased at ELEVENONB from early November through February 2026, offering creatives the chance to exhibit their work free-of-charge while engaging directly with the city and its people in an open-air setting
“Art has always enabled connection,” says Jacques van Embden, Founder & CEO of Blok. “Before ELEVENONB rises, Open Art will be a space for Cape Town’s creative community to exhibit their work. It’s about sparking conversation and belonging by making art accessible to all.”
The exhibition will be staged on the grounds of ELEVENONB, Blok’s biggest and boldest development to date. Located in a neighbourhood open to opportunities, open to possibilities, open to the city. Brimming with possibility, ELEVENONB embodies Blok’s belief that urban living should connect people not just to their homes, but to the community, businesses, and neighbourhood.
