At the start of 2024 AI was on everyone’s lips, but by the end of the year, the #urlcrush seemed to be on the wane.

Leading global decor trade show Maison&Objet, which is held twice a year in Paris, surveys its community of retailers, distributors and brands every six months to get a measure of the zeitgeist, and the results they got in October 2024 were startling. By then, 80% of survey correspondents were kicking back against artificial algorithms in favour of the human touch.

In 2025, being simply human continues as a major theme. South Africans keep pace with the global hivemind, and more and more human-centred activities, events and interactions are popping up with the aim of fostering interpersonal connections. 

Image credit Maya Bogaert

For example, on Sunday, 30 March, Cape Town’s bustling Bree Street will banish vehicles in order to create a car-free street experiment powered by a group known as Young Urbanists South Africa. The empty tarmac will set the stage for a giant picnic sandwich party to which everyone is invited.

For the past two months, building up to the event, volunteers have helped The MAAK x Picnic make community-scale picnic blankets in a series of sewing sessions, which also included drawing workshops by artists David Brits and Michael Beckurts. ‘This ongoing project explores collective making as a tool to grow community and activate public space,’ says the Instagram feed of The MAAK, which specialises in social-impact architecture. 

The beautiful communally created blankies will be rolled out for a day of food, music and playful interventions. Participants don’t have to RSVP; all they need to do is come along, bring their own cushion and transform the street into an urban field!

Part of the event is the Sandwich Party by culinary-minded designers @studio_h_, where participants can help create a 20-metre-long street sandwich to enjoy afterwards. Bread, coleslaw and ice are provided, and partygoers are asked to bring their own drinks and extra fillings for the giant sarmie.

Once picnickers have eaten their fill, they can chase it down with some eye candy for dessert. Created by @lebokkn x @nish.product, ‘Protoscape’ is a modular installation that aims to redefine the ways in which we engage with art and space. Then there’s decor by The LookBook, the team behind House and Leisure magazine, who’ll be styling a formal lounge and scullery. To top it all off, picnickers will be entertained by live jazz courtesy of @thejazzcult and sounds by sonic boutique @a11agency. 

The grand finale of The Bree Street Picnic Blanket, the event takes place at 120 Bree Street (outside Max Bagels) and is pegged as a celebration of collective making, public space and community. Robots allowed only if they eat sandwiches!