While no one was watching, the citizens of Pretoria, South Africa, launched the world’s first uncurated DIY guerrilla biennale: Cool Capital. For two months, the city came alive as spontaneous street art and design interventions celebrated the city, inspiring urban renewal, achieving social coherence and, above all, putting a smile on the mind.
Cool Capital’s uncurated approach meant that the usual bureaucratic processes were short-circuited: the biennale successfully democratized creativity by putting the city into the hands of its creative community. Low on budget but high on innovation, over 150 interventions took place, from guerrilla gardening and fabric bombing to performances, events and exhibitions. The affair between people and place cemented Pretoria’s reputation as a notable South African centre of creativity. The legacy of Cool Capital will still be felt in years to come.

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To see pictures of some Cool Capital projects: click here