Emotions of the Sun: Veuve Clicquot & Magnum Photos Light Up Bree Street

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Cape Town’s Bree Street has taken on a decidedly radiant hue this December. In a striking visual takeover, the Youngblood Gallery has been enveloped in Pantone 137c—the iconic yellow of Veuve Clicquot—signalling the arrival of the Maison’s global photographic exhibition, Emotions of the Sun.

Following acclaimed residencies in Milan and New York, this collaboration with Magnum Photos finds a fitting spiritual home in the Mother City. Running until 21 December, the exhibition explores the sun not merely as a celestial body, but as a universal emotional force, curated through the lenses of eight world-renowned photographers.

A Global Lens on Solar Power

The showcase features forty works spanning five continents, yet the narrative feels intimately anchored in local soil. The “Solaire” culture of Veuve Clicquot is translated here into a study of light, optimism, and resilience.

Visitors can expect a journey that oscillates between introspection and exuberance. The collection includes Steve McCurry’s meditative capture of a Mount Fuji sunrise and Cristina de Middel’s vibrant, theatrical ode to Salvador de Bahia. Yet, for the South African art enthusiast, the highlight is undoubtedly the homecoming of Lindokuhle Sobekwa.

Sobekwa’s series, Blooming in the Sun, offers a tender depiction of spring in South Africa, grounding the global exhibition in lived local experience. Speaking at the launch event—hosted by Nomzamo Mbatha and attended by fellow photographers De Middel and Newsha Tavakolian—Sobekwa noted, “Seeing the work here, in the light that raised me, gives it a different weight.”

Jo-Ann Strauss in a flowing yellow dress smiling at the launch of the Veuve Clicquot Emotions of the Sun exhibition, with banners listing photographers like Lindokuhle Sobekwa visible.
Exterior of the Youngblood Gallery on Bree Street, Cape Town, painted bright yellow with 'Veuve Clicquot Emotions of the Sun' signage for the Magnum Photos exhibition.
Interior view of the exhibition with translucent orange banners listing the Magnum photographers: Cristina de Middel, Alex Webb, Olivia Arthur, Newsha Tavakolian, Steve McCurry, Trent Parke, Nanna Heitmann, and Lindokuhle Sobekwa.
Host Nomzamo Mbatha in a yellow cutout dress posing against the wall listing the Magnum photographers for the Veuve Clicquot Emotions of the Sun launch in Cape Town.
Framed photographic works by Cristina de Middel, showing horses and a surreal yellow sphere against beach and water backdrops, displayed at the Emotions of the Sun exhibition.
Immersive gallery interior of the Emotions of the Sun exhibition in Cape Town, painted yellow and featuring a list of exhibiting Magnum photographers.

The Art of Living

Extending the narrative beyond the frame, the exhibition evolves into a full sensory experience. The Sun on Your Plate Café, a culinary collaboration with curator Seth Shezi, translates the theme of luminosity into flavour and texture, designed to pair effortlessly with the Maison’s Yellow Label.

For the collector, an exclusive gifting boutique offers personalised Clicquot collectables and limited-edition summer pieces. The gallery will also host a series of La Grande Dame dinners and ‘Bold Conversations’ throughout the month, fostering community among the city’s creative and business elite.

Close-up of Veuve Clicquot champagne bottle and two glasses alongside a small artfully plated dish from the Seth Shezi-curated Sun on Your Plate Café.
Bright, sun-drenched interior view of the Sun in your Plate Café, with modern furniture and tables set with champagne flutes, part of the Veuve Clicquot Cape Town experience.
Close-up of the 'Emotions of the Sun in your Plate Café Menu' card, featuring a bright yellow circle design resembling a fried egg.
Table setting at the Sun in your Plate Café featuring yellow coasters, cutlery, and menus with the signature 'egg' design, linking the culinary and photographic experience.
Display showcasing the exclusive limited-edition photographic print box set from the Veuve Clicquot Emotions of the Sun exhibition and Magnum Photos collaboration.

Emotions of the Sun event details: