breakroom, a new creative space founded by Igshaan Adams, opened its doors at the start of 2024 in Woodstock, Cape Town. breakroom is founded on principles of failure, experimentation, and challenging conventional ideas of success. It aims to support emerging artists in the transitional period of their careers, focusing on process. Adams envisions breakroom as a fluid space, open to evolution through collaborations, including potential symposiums and curated shows. The focus is on providing a supportive environment for artists to take risks and embrace experimentation, aiming to foster a healthy, thriving, and creative community in Cape Town. The project space is attached to IA Studios, where the artist and his team work to create layered and storied tapestries that form part of Adams’s multidisciplinary practice.
At the time of this interview, conducted by Nkgopoleng Moloi with its founder, Igshaan, breakroom had just opened its first solo exhibition, ‘Over The Garden Wall’ by Guy Simpson.
Igshaan Adam. Photography by Mario Todeschini.
Nkgopoleng Moloi > When did you move into this space?
Igshaan Adams > At the end of last year. It’s very recent.
NM > Why did you call this space ‘breakroom’?
IA > breakroom means a space where it’s okay to break things. Things are intended to be smashed and pulled apart. It’s just to remind ourselves that the focus is not on finding successful outcomes in shows and sales, but rather to offer artists that are in a particular moment in their careers — that really difficult period between having left school and starting a relationship with a commercial gallery — a space to experiment. There’s an important period, I believe, before an artist finds their way to the market where they need to be spending time in the studio; making, breaking things, and experimenting and kind of figuring out that language for themselves.
NM > This reminds me of your journey in terms of when you graduated from Ruth Prowse School of Art before you signed up with a gallery. Where were you then?
IA > I was at Greatmore Studios [an artist-led initiative, established in Cape Town in 1998 in response to a need for studio space and art-making facilities in the region]. Greatmore offered cheap studios. Because the studios were subsidised I was able to set myself up there. I was working part-time, earning a little bit of money to have a studio and to pay some rent. The point is that I was able to develop my studio practice and be independent because of that space. At that time the artists Cinga Samson, Tatini Ndikumbule and Ayanda Mabulu were also at Greatmore. They were the OGs of that space.
NM > You were all in the studio. Grinding. Being ignored, thinking ‘When will our time come?’
IA > Exactly. But that’s the point. You don’t realise at the time how important space is. If I think back on the art I was making, it was bad art. It was terrible, but important because it led to something special over time. It wasn’t about making amazing works. It was about having space and materials and thinking through what I wanted to explore. It was about having the space to focus. And that’s what breakroom is founded on — creating a healthy environment for artists to work.
NM > How does breakroom operate — what does it offer?
IA > We want to contribute to building a healthy, thriving, and creative community in Cape Town. Over and above the physical space, we have a very small budget that includes an artist fee as well as a cover for materials, photography and exhibition opening activities. There are limitations to the budget but I think that’s important as it forces you to think more creatively and to find solutions. The artist still holds a lot of the responsibility. They’re not just getting all of the knowledge and resources, but they’re also taking responsibility to say, ‘Okay, I’ve received all this help. How do I propel it forward?’
breakroom (Project space run by IA STUDIOS). Exhibition: ‘Over the Garden Wall’ by Guy Simpson. Photography by Paris Brummer.
NM > You mentioned that it’s important to have a healthy space for artists. Can you speak more about what you think that is? What do you mean by healthy?
IA > A space where it is not about trying to be commercial and trying to sell. This process of becoming an artist is a process of building confidence and being bold enough to say what you want to say and to have the confidence to claim whatever you make as art. I think that life has sped up that process of becoming. Before, artists would take five, 10 years in a studio and then eventually you’ll see them on the circuits. But now it seems like everything has been accelerated: it could be a year after graduation and then suddenly you’re out there, very visible. I don’t think that’s necessarily healthy. Ultimately the point is longevity and creating a sustainable practice. The ability to survive different periods and gain a certain level of professionalism in your practice. With this space, we’re helping artists in the process of figuring things out.
NM > What kinds of projects can we expect to see in space?
IA > We emphasise play and experimentation. I would love for whatever proposals that come in, to have some element of risk, to the point where you feel anxious — that there’s the potential for failure. There has to be some risk, it’s an important element. There’s no expectation for success, because we all need at least one failed exhibition in our careers.
