in Residence with Gill Allderman

President Hotel

At The President Hotel, art forms part of the experience. In Residence is a rotating exhibition series dedicated to showcasing solo artists from Cape Town, offering space for individual perspectives to unfold within the setting of the hotel. Now on display, Held in Surface Collection #1 presents the work of Gill Allderman, an artist whose practice is grounded in materiality, memory and transformation.

Her work begins with what has been left behind. Working across textile, canvas and reclaimed materials, each piece is built through careful layering. Surfaces are not fully resolved, holding onto traces of their making. What remains visible is both composition and history, with quiet marks of time, use and change.

Fabrics and tactile fragments create depth that feels physical and atmospheric. Imperfection is not removed but held in place, allowing tension and ease to sit side by side. Each work feels open, as though still in progress. Rather than direct representation, the pieces evoke a sense of movement and stillness. Light shifts across surfaces, while moments of gold catch and reflect the changing environment.

Set within The President Hotel, between Lion’s Head and the Atlantic Ocean, the exhibition sits in quiet dialogue with its surroundings. The landscape itself is layered, shaped by time, memory and movement, echoing the work on display. In Residence continues as an ongoing platform for Cape Town’s creative community, inviting guests to spend time with the work and experience it within the rhythm of the hotel.