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Published by tasch, 2020-02-05 06:34:17

ART February 2020

Keywords: Art,Businessday,business,February,Mag,February mag

ART FEBRUARY 2020

ART FAIRS, AUCTIONS,
COLLECTIONS, INVESTMENTS





X

Chéri Samba b.1956 Democratic Republic of Congo
Retour au Bercail, 1995 | Estimate: R225 000 – 300 000

PUBLIC PREVIEW
Wednesday 12 February 12pm – 5pm
Thursday 13 February 10am – 5pm
Friday 14 February 10am – 3pm
AUCTION
Friday 14 February at 3pm
VENUE
OroAfrica House, 170 Buitengracht Street, Cape Town
e-catalogue available online

CO-CURATED AUCTION OF

Modern & Contemporary African Art

14 February 2020

William Kentridge b.1955 South Africa
Drawing from Other Faces (Healing To All In Global), 2011 | Estimate: R1 600 000 – 2 000 000

SALE ENQUIRIES
CAPE TOWN

+27 21 418 0765 | +27 83 391 7235 | [email protected]
JOHANNESBURG

+27 11 243 5243 | +27 84 444 8004 | [email protected]
PARIS

+33 6 22 31 3787 | [email protected] | [email protected]
www.aspireart.net | www.piasa.fr



Published by Picasso Headline, a proud From the editor contentsART
division of Arena Holdings FEBRUARY 2020
Summer of artor this summer issue of ART we follow the art world as it migrates to Cape ART FAIRS, AUCTIONS,
Picasso Headline COLLECTIONS, INVESTMENTS
13th Floor, 2 Long Street, Cape Town, 8001 Town for a densely packed programme of art fairs, major museum shows, a
Tel: +27 21 469 2400 triennale and a plethora of concurrent talks, exhibitions, initiatives and events. 7
Fax: +27 86 682 2926
www.businessmediamags.co.za F Alongside the art-fair buzz, auction houses gear up for their Cape Town Cape Town calling:
sales. In this issue, we learn how auction houses are playing an important role The Mother City is now an
EDITORIAL demystifying the industry and educating collectors through extensive knowledge-sharing important art destination
EDITOR Layla Leiman programmes that are free to attend. Another area of the art world is likewise hard at work
CONTENT MANAGER Raina Julies breaking down barriers to collecting art. Various online art platforms are also creating new, 13
[email protected] accessible ways for people to discover and buy affordable art. Photography is an editioned
CONTENT CO-ORDINATOR Vanessa Payne medium that has become an increasingly popular form of expression for artists on the We focus our attention
COPY EDITOR Brenda Bryden continent. Awards and dedicated international showcase platforms have evolved around on fine-art photography
CONTRIBUTORS Jessica Hunkin, Nicola this medium, which in turn is reflected in the market for contemporary photographic
Kritzinger, Dave Mann work. For many collectors, the journey starts with buying art by contemporaries or from 15
DIGITAL EDITOR Stacey Visser artists with whom they associate. The rise of black collectors is diversifying the market and
[email protected] providing opportunity for young black artists. Likewise, meaningful partnerships between Breaking down the
businesses and the arts can have important and long-lasting positive impact. brick-and-mortar model:
DESIGN Enter the age of digital
HEAD OF DESIGN STUDIO Jayne Macé-Ferguson With local galleries taking part in major international art fairs and local artists included art platforms
SENIOR DEISGNER Mfundo Archie Ndzo in important exhibitions at institutions around the world, the South African art scene is
ADVERT DESIGNER Bulelwa Sotashe receiving increasing global attention. We hope to see this contribute to a more robust and 17
COVER IMAGE Dr Esther Mahlangu. Courtesy The diverse art ecosystem in the near future.
Melrose Gallery. Image by Clint Strydom Black collectors are
Editor playing an integral role in
diversifying the art market
PROJECT MANAGER Merryl Klein and creating opportunity
[email protected] +27 21 469 2446 for young black artists

PRODUCTION 21
PRODUCTION EDITOR Shamiela Brenner
ADVERTISING CO-ORDINATOR Monique Sauls How auction houses are
DISTRIBUTION Shumiera Fredericks stepping in to share
[email protected] knowledge
PRINTING CTP Printers, Cape Town and educate collectors

MANAGEMENT 26
MANAGEMENT ACCOUNTANT Deidre Musha
BUSINESS MANAGER Lodewyk van der Walt On our radar:
GENERAL MANAGER, MAGAZINES Jocelyne Bayer Dates to diarise

Copyright: Picasso Headline. No portion of 28
this magazine may be reproduced in any form
without the written consent of the publisher. Increasingly, businesses
The publisher is not responsible for unsolicited are taking note of art’s
material. ART is published by Picasso Headline. ability to connect people in
The opinions expressed are not necessarily real and meaningful ways
those of Picasso Headline. All advertisements/
advertorials and promotions have been paid for
and therefore do not carry any endorsement by
the publisher.



A RT FA IRS

Cape

Of S2
Great et against a striking background of azure
seas and rugged mountains blanketed in
Art fynbos, Cape Town consistently ranks
among the world’s top travel destinations.
With its picture-perfect setting and In the past few years, the city has become
cosmopolitan flavour, the Mother an increasingly important destination for art lovers as
City has become an important
destination for the art world, well, with an explosion in the number of commercial
writes LAYLA LEIMAN
galleries, new museums and institutions opening their

doors to the public.

Summer is when the city comes alive, and February

is the busiest month in the art calendar. The art scene

in the Mother City boasts a distinctly cosmopolitan

flavour, catering in part to the well-heeled international

visitors who visit the city in summer and art-industry

insiders who travel the world following the art-fair

and museum circuit. Art from Africa is a burgeoning

international market, and this is reflected in the Cape

Town art scene. 3

“Not only is Cape Town one of the world’s most 1. Michael Armitage, The Fourth Estate, 2017.
Courtesy Norval Foundation
beautiful cities, but it is also a city with a blend
2. Stacey Gillian Abe, Indigogo 4. Curator’s Exhibition,
of many different and distinct vibrant cultures, making Stellenbosch Triennale

it one of the most multicultural cities in the world,” says 3. Michael Armitage, The Chicken Thief, 2019.
Courtesy Norval Foundation
Laura Vinceti, director of the Investec Cape Town Art
When visiting the city, she always makes time to pop
Fair. “Major commercial galleries showcase diverse, in at a few museums. “I like going to ISANG [the
Iziko South African National Gallery] to see the latest
cutting-edge and provocative exhibition, it takes me back to my first visit there in
1996 when I saw Pippa Skotnes’ exhibition, Miscast:
1 artworks rich in culture and Negotiating Khoisan History and Material Culture.”
heritage, and the recent launches
A new group exhibition at ISANG called
of the Zeitz MOCAA and Norval Matereality opens on 14 February and highlights
how contemporary artists from the African continent
Foundation have also sparked a are using materials to explore different issues and
ideas that give insight into their reality — in turn,
lot of attention internationally. challenging traditional notions around what materials
are suited to art-making. ›
All of these factors combined

make Cape Town a compelling

destination for artists, curators,

gallerists and collectors.”

Makgati Molebatsi, founder

of Mak’Dct Art Consultancy in

Johannesburg, says that “Cape

Town has evolved into a vibrant

cultural city. One can have a proper

art tour of noncommercial spaces.”

7 ART

A RT FA IRS

The theme of materiality continues in The 4 a symposium on the work and legacy of the late IMAGES: Supplied
Accomplice, an exhibition of works by internationally artist Ernest Mancoba at the A4 Art Foundation, this
renowned Kenyan artist Michael Armitage also 5 unofficial programme provides collectors and art
opening in February at the Norval Foundation, enthusiasts with insightful and varied content about
located on the slopes of the Steenberg mountains. 4. M ongezi Ncaphayi, Mountains of gold, 2019. Curator’s different spheres of the art world and the current
The works explore representations of the body politic, Exhibition, Stellenbosch Triennale shape of the market.
connecting images of contemporary East Africa
to traditions of Western figurative painting. Rather 5. Cyrus Kabiru, Blue Nile, 2017. Included in Matereality Stellenbosch calling
than painting on canvas, Armitage works on Lubugo exhibition at ISANG
cloth, which is crafted from the bark of the mutuba Like Cape Town, Stellenbosch is seeing a similar burst
tree in southern Uganda and traditionally used as a Vinceti says that the fair plays an important role of art-world attention. The recently renovated and
burial shroud and for ceremonial clothing, investing in connecting local and international audiences reopened Rupert Museum exhibitions programme
the works with complex cultural meanings. The and buyers. “This is important for creating a features works from the permanent collection in
fissures and irregularities that are common to Lubugo healthy economic and diversified ecosystem. The thoughtful and informative shows. The recent
are incorporated into the composition of his participation of our local galleries in art fairs around exhibition Cape Town Triennials: Then & Now
paintings, putting the artist’s practice in dialogue the globe and the increasing numbers of international reflected on the four instalments of the event between
with both the conceptual and historical meanings of shows showcasing work of South African and African 1982 and 1991 and the legacy of “resistance art”
the cloth, and also its particular material qualities. artists has brought global attention and focus to that came out of this period of political and social
our art scene. The synergy between Investec Cape instability leading up to the country’s first democratic
The Zeitz MOCAA continues probing multifaceted Town Art Fair and local institutions has added elections. Now a new triennial is taking place.
notions of Africanness with its 2020 programme, supportive and major value to this ongoing process,” Organised by the Stellenbosch Outdoor Sculpture
opening a site-specific work by Malian artist Vinceti continues. Trust (SOST), which has been hosting annual public
Abdoulaye Konaté in February entitled Hommage outdoor sculpture exhibitions in the town since 2012,
à Youssouf Tata Cissé et Germaine Dieterlen. This is A dense programme of art-related events the Stellenbosch Triennale will take place between
followed in March by The Rwanda Project, a series of converges around the time of the fair, which 11 February and 30 April 2020 in and around the
photography-based installation works derived from Copperthwaite says provides “an invaluable historic winelands town. It will include work by a
the experiences of artist Alfredo Jaar when he was in opportunity to experience and reflect on a bigger diverse list of artists from across the continent in
the central African country. picture and its currencies.” From the Strauss three permanent mega-exhibitions, one smaller
& Co dedicated contemporary art auction to exhibition, and an architecturally-designed outdoor
Art Fair attraction pavilion. SOST trustee and head of sponsorship for
the triennale Andi Norton explains that the event
The Investec Cape Town Art Fair is a highlight aims to “raise the profile of Stellenbosch as a premier
of the city’s art agenda. Taking place from art destination and take the art being shown in the
14–16 February 2020, Vinceti says that this year’s fair town to another level. In art terms, hosting a biennale
will offer a thought-provoking “finely-tuned cohesive or a triennale is the pinnacle of showcasing the best
selection of exciting works from new and well- contemporary art and we believe the town is ready
established galleries showcasing new and celebrated for this mantle.” 
works of art from Africa to the world and the world
to Africa. This is in line with our vision to connect While art fairs function as sales platforms,
different cultures and build bridges among countries, triennales are noncommercial and aim to educate,
and to provide a platform for more voices from the inspire and inform. Norton says that the triennale
African continent.” “will bring a different type of visitor to the town, this
will be good for galleries, local artists and the general
Suzie Copperthwaite, a Johannesburg-based art micro-economy of the town, [which] adds another
consultant and co-founder of Proof Project, a source layer to tourism and includes Stellenbosch in the
for contemporary South African and international growing arts ecosystem in the Cape.”
art, regularly visits the city over the art fair period
and describes how it has evolved. “Cape Town, with The chief curator of the first Stellenbosch
its dynamic and rich creative economy, continues Triennale is Khanyisile Mbongwa, a Cape Town-
to grow as an arts destination and the Investec Cape based independent curator, award-winning artist
Town Art Fair is one of my favourite events of the and sociologist. Her curatorial focus centres around
year. From its first, less formal iterations, the fair intersectionality, which she says is important right
now attracts leading galleries and curators, global now because “art provides us with perspectives of
interest and greater international participation. It is a possibility, it allows us entry points into difficult
particularly relevant time for contemporary art from conversations and it says, maybe if you start here you
the continent and this remains a focus.” might figure out the path you seek. The programmes
in the Triennale are curated to confront us, to sit us
Over the last few years, gallery participation from down and enter into conversations on how the past
outside of South Africa has increased significantly has led here, and what here is — and why we need to
with 67 per cent of galleries participating in the imagine a there that manifests a shifted society.” ■
2019 edition being located outside of South Africa.

8 ART

A DV E RT OR I A L

DR ESTHER
MAHLANGU
DISRUPTING
PATTERNS

The globally acclaimed artist is
participating in several high profile
exhibitions in Cape Town this month

Dr Esther Mahlangu

Images: Clint Strydom F ebruary 2020 is a busy month Melrose Gallery Cape Town from 13 February The works of Dr Mahlangu grace numerous
for Dr Esther Mahlangu, who will to 1 March 2020. important museum, private and corporate
be visiting the ‘mother city’ for collections including the Smithsonian, Virginia
several openings. Dr Mahlangu will also be attending the Museum, National Museum of Woman in
The Melrose Gallery, her official unveiling of the “Mahlangu” Rolls- the Arts, the Sovereign Art Foundation, the
gallerist, will be presenting Dr Esther Royce Phantom on 12 February. She Jean Pigozzi Collection, Swizz Beatz and
Mahlangu in the Past/Modern Section at is the first South African to have been Alicia Keys for the Dean Collection, Usher,
the Investec Cape Town Art Fair (ICTAF commissioned to paint an artwork for the John Legend, Trevor Noah, and Black Coffee
2020). Abstractions of a Culture: towards “Gallery” of a Rolls-Royce Phantom. among numerous others.
a retrospective will present a timeline of Dr
Mahlangu’s impressive achievements and Each Phantom has been designed with a Demand for her artworks is at an all time
valuable contribution to contemporary art glass box inserted into the dashboard allowing high off the back of the strong global interest
over three decades. the owner to personalise their vehicle. in Pan-African Contemporary Art, her
reputation, age and rumours of the upcoming
The ICTAF exhibition is to be considered Our national treasure, Dr Esther Mahlangu, retrospective exhibition. While her artworks
the beginning of the journey towards the was born in 1935, and has been painting for are still considered heavily undervalued by
curation of her much-anticipated retrospective over 74 years. A disruptor and a visionary, experts she sold a work for R550 000 in
exhibition, which will be curated by Nontobeko she was the first person to reimagine Ndebele 2019 and another for R450 000 to important
Ntombela and Nkule Mabasa. The exhibition design that was traditionally used for house American collectors, which is pointing
is to launch in 2022/3 before it begins an painting on more contemporary mediums. to a realignment of her values to more
international museum tour thereafter. realistic levels.
This has seen her consistently travelling
Dr Esther Mahlangu – Disrupting Patterns the world to collaborate with leading Many experts feel that no important
is a solo exhibition of her bold, geometric, museums, curators, art fairs, celebrities and Pan African Contemporary Exhibition can
abstract paintings that have received such global brands. She has painted planes, cars, be considered complete without one of
global acclaim. The exhibition runs at The motorbikes, bicycles and even skateboard Dr Mahlangu’s works. ■
decks and has collaborated with BMW,
“Mahlangu” Rolls-Royce Phantom John Legend and Belvedere Vodka, South CONTACT DETAILS
African Airways, British Airways, Fiat and
numerous others. [email protected] for more
information on the artist, her upcoming
Already well respected in South Africa, she openings in February and to receive the
broke onto the international stage for the first exhibition catalogue. Or see
time in 1989 when she participated in Les www.themelrosegallery.com
Magiciens de la Terre at the Pompidou in
Paris, France.

In 1991, she became the first African and
first woman to participate in the BMW Art Car
Collection with other notables such as Andy
Warhol, David Hockney, Roy Lichtenstein and
Frank Stella among others.

In 2018, she was awarded two honorary
doctorates and in 2019 she was appointed as
an “Officer of Arts and Letters”, the highest
recognition by France for contributions to
the arts.

9 ART



A DV E RT OR I A L

3

SPECIALIST’S
VIEW

Matthew Partridge, specialist of 1 2
contemporary art at leading auction
1. Mary Sibande, I Have Not, I Have, archival digital print How closely aligned are the
house Strauss & Co, takes us 110 by 50cm, R120 000 -R160 000 primary and secondary
backstage to the exciting world of 2. Matthew Patridge contemporary markets? What
3. William Kentridge, Small Koppie, R1 500 000 -R2 000 000 key trends should collectors
fine art auctioneering know about?
broader circumstances of its production and the
U nder Matthew Partridge’s artist’s world at large. I like to say “healthy primary, healthy
direction, Strauss & Co has secondary”. We lag just behind the primary
pioneered the first exclusively As a contemporary specialist, a career market in some senses, because we do not
contemporary art sale in highlight has definitely been the chance to represent artists. Instead, we are a facility that
the country. Before joining help grow this corner of the secondary market reflects the currents of what’s happening in
the secondary market, Partridge served as by pioneering the country’s only stand-alone the galleries and museums both locally and
director of the Cape Town Art Fair in 2016 auction of contemporary art to date by bringing internationally. In the case of Strauss & Co’s
and published Adjective, a magazine of important works to auction and seeing them auction of contemporary art, we provide buyers
contemporary art criticism. finding homes in good collections. A personal with a comprehensive overview of how tastes
highlight from Strauss & Co’s 2020 sale has have developed in the market over the course
What is an art specialist and been the chance to handle work from a diverse of the last twenty to thirty years.  
what function do they play at range of local and international artists from
an auction house? Nicholas Hlobo to Yves Klein. Strauss is the first and only
auction house in South Africa
The role of an art specialist is, at the one For collectors interested in to host a fully contemporary
end, historical. Artworks and artists all contemporary art, what are sale. What prompted the move
have a past; previous gallery shows, museum the advantages of buying on in this direction?
exhibitions, biennales, triennales, awards and the secondary market?
collaborations, which all come to inform the Contemporary art from this region of the world
way a specialist understands the art world and The advantage of buying contemporary art has started to leverage its global foothold
its itinerant objects. Personally, I’m attracted to on the secondary market is two-fold; it’s in the last decade. Artists from Africa and
the intricacies presented by different mediums an open environment where exceptional the diaspora are frequently exhibited in the
and what these say about the way an artist has examples of an artist’s work are made world’s top museums and our local galleries
developed through their career. This relates to publicly available. Sometimes the finest are showing at premier art fairs like Art Basel,
the scientific aspect of the job; cataloguing all works are sold before they are even Frieze and the Armory Show in New York
the information that the work presents. exhibited and collectors might not have the
chance to acquire the best. At auction, they are With such expansive global participation,
At the other end of the spectrum is presented with such an opportunity. coupled with our own expanding local artistic
understanding what collectors are looking for. infrastructure, it made sense for Strauss &
The journey of a specialist is learning from The trends to follow often hide in the Co to consolidate this burgeoning trade by
and guiding buyers through their collecting background, in the cataloguing of an object, presenting a stand-alone sale, making it easier
practices as tastes shift along with market because this tells you about what the artist for collectors to acquire some of the finest
trends. In between these two poles, it’s really has been doing locally and internationally and examples of contemporary art made in recent
about valuing, consigning and selling. Securing how the work fits into their oeuvre. But most years. In so doing, Strauss & Co is helping our
a consignment, bringing it to market and importantly, the secret is to simply love what creative economy pivot from a once isolated
successfully selling it takes a lot of work and you’re buying, which, to my knowledge, defies regional participant to a central global player.
is really what being an art specialist is all about. any trends out there.
The next Strauss & Co Contemporary Art
What are the perks of the job? Auction takes place on Saturday 15 February
What have been some of the 2020 at 6pm at Quay 7 Warehouse, 11 East
highlights in your work as a Pier Road, V&A Waterfront, Cape Town.
contemporary art specialist? Preview Thursday 13 and Friday 14 February
10am–5pm, and Saturday 15 February
I’m not sure about the perks, but a major 10am–6pm. ■
highlight of the job is finding an exceptional
object and breathing life into it to help others
appreciate how magnificent it is. The research
that goes into a picture or object is part of that
thrill because of the way that a story unfolds
from the artwork, helping us understand the

11 A R T







PHOTOGRAPHIC ART

1. Alexia Webster, Street Studios. From the exhibition Five
Photographers co-curated by John Fleetwood

2. Jabulani Dhlamini, Recapture. Sunset shops, Vuka, Sharpville, 2015.
From the exhibition Five Photographers co-curated by John Fleetwood

riefly put, fine-art photography
is the result of creative ideas or
intentions being communicated

Bor realised through the medium
of photography and, in this way,
it’s really no different from any other form of fine

art. In Africa, photography and photographic

representations first came by way of colonialism in

the mid-1800s. This would result in a long history

of skewed visual documentation of the continent

as well as influencing who engaged in the medium

and how it was used.

Today, across South Africa and the continent

at large, photography has evolved, greatly. Artists 1 2
such as Mary Sibande, Jabulani Dhlamini,

Mikhael Subotzky, and Lebogang Kganye are just Photography

a few of the South African artists working with in time. The Billy Monk Collection is custodian of
the medium, while Leonce Raphael Agbodjelou, the iconic archive of the late photographer, whose
candid black and white images of Cape Town’s
Omar Victor Diop, and the late Malick Sidibé have underground nightlife in the 60s is an important
snapshot of South African history. For the director
done brilliant work at chronicling other parts in focus of the platform, Craig Cameron-Mackintosh, the
of Africa. importance of preserving such archives is perfectly
summed up in an interview he had with David
It’s in the technique Photography is occupying a Goldblatt, who said “there is at present a great
flurry and fashionable fuss about photography
As a practice, fine-art photography and printing growing space in the fine-art and photographs. I think that’s probably a bubble.
uses photographic and post-photographic It’ll pass. But whether it does or not, I’m quite sure
processes, like compositing, to create world, writes DAVE MANN. But that photographs like Billy Monk’s, for as long
two-dimensional artworks. Works can be printed as they’re preserved, will continue to be of great
on an array of media, from display papers to what exactly constitutes a fine- interest to people.”
archival, collector prints, matte or gloss solutions,
and even wallpapers and museum-quality edition art photographic work, and Under-represented
prints. Andreas Kahlau, owner of Johannesburg- no more
based fine-art printing company Silvertone, what’s driving the popularity of
explains that when it comes to a fine-art print, it’s What is it about the medium that’s seeing
about “the quality of the image, the texture of the the medium across Africa? contemporary photography take the art world by
paper, the hours behind the editing, the personal storm? John Fleetwood, director of Johannesburg-
time spent on the image. A fine-art photographic photography focuses on the tension between based photographic platform Photo, explains that
print isn’t printed in mass production,” he says. image and artefact.” in addition to the continent’s many fairs, schools,
“It’s about the quality, not the quantity.” and prizes for photography, a global shift towards
Platforms supporting photographic work from under-represented
It’s not only the form that’s changed over the photography countries plays a crucial role.
years, but the nature of the medium, too. Founder
and owner of Johannesburg-based fine-art In recent years, across the continent and even “A lot of the art market shifts towards Africa
photography studio LightFarm, Amichai Tahor, in the African diaspora, photography as an art have to do with global shifts that look at diversity
explains that today, fine-art photography is a form has grown at an incredible rate. LagosPhoto, and spaces of under-representation,” says
medium that’s able to interrogate and respond to Photo Bamako, and Kigali Photo Fest are a few Fleetwood. “International art markets like 1:54
its own history. examples of the festivals and platforms committed and AKAA further play important roles to bolster
to showcasing photographic work, while The CAP these talents into international stages. There are
“With its complex history of indexing Prize for Contemporary African Photography key organisations on the continent that drive
and documenting the ‘real’, the photograph and the Africa Photo Awards are two examples of photography learning and production, they are
becomes a loaded tool (weapon) in the process photo-centric art prizes on the continent. essential. But there cannot be any question that it
of investigating new modes of expression that is also because photographers from Africa
respond, react and reclaim the image’s contentious Closer to home, The Market Photo Workshop, are bold and courageous to explore their risks
history,” says Tahor. “The resolution is a self- founded by the internationally renowned and histories, that they are passionate about it,
critical and unique moment of expression, be it photographer David Goldblatt in 1989, remains that notwithstanding difficult circumstances
a new digital image or a print. As such, fine art one of the most sought-after photography schools they have important images to share with
in Johannesburg. Photography also plays an the world.” ■
important role in chronicling particular moments

IMAGES: Supplied “Fine art photography focuses on the tension between
image and artefact.” – Amichai Tahor

15 A R T



2 ONLINE PLATFORMS

1 1. Tawanda Takura, Scapegoat System, 2016.
Courtesy Guns & Rain
Brick-naonmd-omreortar 2. Chloë Reid, Untitled II, 2019.
Courtesy Art Gazette
Now, more than ever, we are experiencing a level of integration
“Fundamentally, the web has democratised
between art and the digital world that is not only influencing how a market that has long been known for being
secretive, especially regarding pricing, and has
we discover art, but also how we engage with art daily, writes DAVE allowed artists to access buyers directly and
represent themselves if they choose to,”
I MANN. What does this mean for the art world at large? she explains.
n a 2019 online art collector report artwork in the flesh. The interplay of online
published by Artsy, it is noted that and offline: a ‘bricks-and-clicks’ approach — In addition to providing a more accessible
more collectors — young and old — are which StateoftheART adopted in early 2013 — way for people to buy art, online platforms also
beginning to purchase art online, with is becoming increasingly important.” provide artists with alternative avenues to sell
their work. Wim and Jeanne Legrand, who run
some of the most significant motivators Widening the circle an artisan screen printing studio in Cape Town,
established the 50ty/50ty online platform to
for buying art online including “speed and connect the artists they collaborate with to young
collectors interested in owning contemporary
convenience; competitive pricing; access to With social media playing an integral role in the South African art. “Substituting a brick-and-
mortar gallery space with a virtual space has
inventory and information; and the ability to avoid promotion of artists today, digital platforms can allowed us to focus on the collaborative aspect of
producing an original print with an artist, they
the intimidation of the art world”. also serve to collate and contextualise artworks explain. “The initiative is wonderfully symbiotic:
artists are offered the opportunity to explore
In South Africa, several digital art platforms, for budding collectors who either do not engage the captivating medium of screen printing in an
expert environment, and collectors gain access to
catalogues, and galleries have already established in social media platforms and traditional gallery the work of high-calibre artists.”

themselves in the local art market. To name a few, spaces, or simply do not know where to begin As artists, galleries, and art-lovers alike
continue to embrace new digital tools and ways of
Kholisa Thomas’ Artfull provides online advisory looking. Morné Visagie, head of South African engaging with art, the future seems to be shaping
up to be a more organic and mutually beneficial
services and puts potential buyers in direct contact acquisitions for curated art catalogue Art Gazette, meeting of physical and digital art spaces.

with a handful of emerging contemporary artists, explains that by making artworks available on the “In 2018, for the first time, leading art fair
Frieze accepted galleries without a permanent
including charcoal artist and printmaker Themba digital platform, a larger audience is reached. physical space — a dramatic development
in an industry where top fairs have long had
Khumalo and painter Nompumelelo Ngoma. “The Art Gazette catalogue of artworks is strict criteria regarding physical locations and
exhibition programmes,” says Taylor. “It seems
There is also Cape Town’s boutique-style gallery targeted towards the corporate industry, who clear that hybrid models that combine online and
offline are the way forward.” ■
and ecommerce platform StateoftheART, which might have an interest in art, are not engaging
ONLINE ART-BUYING
allows collectors to browse contemporary art by with social media, and feel that they do not have IN NUMBERS:

medium, price, artist, or even subject matter. access to the intimidating spaces of galleries,” 93 per cent of high net-worth millennials

“Galleries in South Africa need to be able to says Visagie. “Thus, another audience is reached reported having bought art online in 2018 —

engage with the next generation of art buyers. outside of the closely-knit art and gallery circles.” The Art Basel and UBS Global Art Market

And that generation is digital, not analogue,” Viewing and purchasing art online also allows Report 2019

says StateoftheART founder Jennifer Reynolds. for the breaking of various barriers to access 23 per cent of millennials said they had never

“There can be no doubt that social media, image- that have long been in place, such as those of bought an artwork in a physical space, for

sharing and online shopping has fundamentally age, experience, location and more. Julie Taylor, example, gallery, auction or art fair, prior to

IMAGES: Supplied changed how commercial markets of all kinds founder of the digital and physical art platform buying art online, up from 18 per cent last

now operate. The new generation of millennial Guns & Rain, notes that digital tools such as year — Hiscox Online Art Report 2019

art buyers view online as another channel, rather technology and the internet have contributed 71 per cent of online buyers purchased art with

the primary motivation of decorating their

homes, while 67 per cent of collectors reported

buying art to provide a source of inspiration in

their daily lives – Artsy Online Art Collectors

Report 2019.

than a substitute for the pleasure of seeing an to a democratisation of the arts at large.

17 A R T



COLLECTING

THE RISE OF
YOUNG BLACK ART
COLLECTORS

Black collectors are playing 2
an invaluable role in driving
diversification of the art market
and creating opportunities for
under-represented and talented
young black artists, writes

NICOLA KRITZINGER

1. Thenjiwe Nkosi, Sunstrum (After Pamela 3
Phatsimo Sunstrum)

2. B enon Lutaaya, Performer, 2017
3. Amaoko Baofo, Noir, 2018

1 The diversification of the art market is
important as it makes space for its growth
Y oung art collectors are playing an and a sustainable art economy. !Kauru
important role in establishing an launched the Black Collectors Forum in
equitable art market and creating South Africa in 2014. It is a platform aimed
the opportunity for young artists at targeting new audiences in the black high-
to be supported and seen. Young end market to “widen access to contemporary
collectors often focus on art they can afford at the art appreciation by developing a new market.”
start of their collecting pursuits, creating space It quotes David Koloane on its website: “Black
for artists that are growing in their practice. This African entrepreneurs will need to play
is especially important in South Africa where a major role in the complexities of the art
young black collectors are emerging alongside market in order to release black practitioners
innumerable and immensely talented young black from the cap in hand.” This is important
artists. There is a correlation between the two that because the role these collectors play in the
affords growth and sustainability in an art market upliftment of young African artists
that is still predominantly supported by a clientele is invaluable. ›
that reflects the global historical whiteness of the
privilege of collecting.

19 A R T

COLLECTING

THOUGHTS AND INSIGHTS 4 5 IMAGES: SUPPLIED

Sipho Phiri: “I have always maintained that art is 4. Pamela Sunstrum, Incense Burner, 2017 6
our heritage, it embodies our culture and history. 5. Julie Mehretu, Stadia I, 2004. From the
Our generation of black youth needs to start SFMoMA collection Liesle Barrath is a young collector of South
collecting fragments of our culture. Art has value 6. Pamela Phatsimo Sunstrum, Buffalo, 2017 African art who started her collection at the
and it can preserve wealth, studies have shown a Affordable Art Fair, 2013 where she bought one of
significant increase in the value of art over time. Tshepo Hlongwane of Brown Eyed Boy, Benon Lutaaya’s prints called Eternal Hope. She
One doesn’t have to be rich to collect art.” a curatorial space that focuses on promoting says that the seminal Africa Remix exhibition at
and enabling talented young artists, has been the Hayward Gallery in 2005 made an enormous
Liesle Barrath: “That initial emotional collecting art since he was in university where impact on her. Barrath buys art that she loves,
response to or incitement to curiosity in a work he would ask friends to create work for his walls. but she says that over time themes have emerged
on first viewing sometimes needs to be kept The art-collecting bug bit him in earnest after in her collection. She has a particular affinity
in check and explored without purchasing to he attended Nelson Makamo’s Museum Africa for monochromatic works on paper for which
prevent collecting turning into accumulation. exhibition curated by Portia Malatjie in 2012. As the simplicity of the drawings reveals far deeper
The action that is more important than with many young collectors, he was enthralled by concepts and emotions to her. She is also drawn to
merely existing as collectors is to practise the passion behind the work and the dedication bold and abstract paintings and says that she has
the deliberate sharing and showing of the of the artists. This has become one of his main chosen a more deliberate focus in her collection
work collected with each other, with friends, directives for choosing the work of emerging artists over time through engagement with art world
and with those in our communities who may for his collection. Hlongwane collects work he participants. Her favourite works in her collection
not value these modes of exploration and loves, it is a process that is fun, but art that also are two small paintings by Mmakgabo Helen
expression, and to identify opportunities to makes him think. The work of Ndikhumbule Sebidi because of their storytelling and detail,
retell the stories that the collections embody.” Ngqinambi is one of these, the existential work but she hopes to include the work of artists like
reminds Hlongwane that time is fleeting, Thenjiwe Nkosi and Julie Mehretu in her collection
Tshepo Hlongwane: “Art is important. The a precious gift. in future. ■
production of art is an important practice in
society. It documents the human condition Sipho Phiri is another passionate young collector
with each generation. Young people need to of contemporary South African art. “I started
collect otherwise their history is at risk of being my collection over a decade ago after a lunch at
forgotten without the support of the arts. Artists Mmakgathi Molebatsi’s house, her collection
have to be hardworking, professional and have ignited something in me that made me reconnect
staying power. It must be their vocation and they deeper with art,” he says. A recent work of art that
must have a burning agenda or story they are made a huge impact on Phiri was Children Under
compelled to tell with their work.” Apartheid by Dumile Feni, presented by Molebatsi
in the Aspire Winter 2017 catalogue. Often, it is
In several recent Artnet articles, this sentiment the influence of an experienced collector who
is reflected with regard to the growth of African- instigates and inspires a new collector to begin
American artists and the value of their work. In supporting the arts. Phiri also collects what he
the past, there have been few black artists who loves, hunting high and low for work at galleries,
reach the major auction result as their white auction houses like Aspire, and buying directly
counterparts do, with the fetishisation of a handful from artists. His favourite piece in his collection
of individuals such as Jean Michel Basquiat or El is an artwork by David Koloane from the 1993
Anatsui, and the languishing of others. The rise Mgodoyi series reflecting Koloane’s thoughts on
of the young black art collector is one of the ways the fraught handover process after apartheid using
this market inequality will be addressed over time. the dog as a metaphor. Phiri also collects art from
Along with the increasing popularity of African elsewhere in Africa including the work of Nigerian
artists, these collectors will drive a stabilising force, artist Babola Lawson. He also enjoys the work of
creating new opportunities for artists to thrive. Nelly Guambe from Mozambique and Gresham
The systemic issues of racial bias in art sales and Tapiwa Nyaude from Zimbabwe.
collecting practices are slowly changing alongside
the rise of equal opportunity spaces.

A passion for beauty and
storytelling

The young collectors interviewed all have a great
passion for the art of young artists from South
Africa, the African continent, and the diaspora.
There is a mutual search for beauty, great
storytelling, and a quest for knowledge throughout
their collecting journeys that they shared with us.

20 A R T





AUCTIONS

2

1

SHARING

knowledge

Developing educated collectors is important, as knowledge enables

collectors and other interested parties to engage deeply with the art

and the artists, writes NICOLA KRITZINGER 3

When entering the art 4 1. Zemba Luzamba, Nouvelle Génération, 2019. Offered
world for the first time, by Aspire Art Auctions
many people have academics, lecturers, artists, and collectors
a sense of alienation who come to share their knowledge through 2. Strauss & Co Art Specialist lecture
because they feel as lectures, talks, masterclasses, outreach 3. Marlene Dumas, Oktober 1973. Offered by Aspire
though they don’t know enough about art, programmes, and publications. Many of these
what it means, what is “good” (and why), or events are free of charge, and much of the Art Auctions
why certain artworks fetch higher prices than 4. Alexis Preller, Vincent van Gogh, 1935. Sold by
others. Educational programmes at auction Stephan Welz & Co.
houses in South Africa teach collectors and 5. Abdoulaye Diarrassouba (Aboudia), Untitled. Offered by
patrons about the value of art above and Aspire Art Auctions
beyond the financial system in which they
operate. The knowledge that emerges from literature produced is available online and
the auction houses has become increasingly freely accessible.
academic, yet it is approached and delivered
in an accessible way. Susie Goodman from Strauss & Co says
that providing educational opportunities is
Auction houses perform many roles in one way of giving back to the art community,
the South African art industry. One of their supporting the artists, buyers, sellers and the
prominent areas of focus is education and they art community. She stresses that it makes the
have expanded their education programmes art world more accessible, demystifying the
immensely. With every passing year, local art, and empowering collectors. According
auction houses are offering their clients and to Goodman, “educated buyers make more
other interested parties access to prominent informed decisions when they buy art”, this,
in turn, supports the strength and
sustainability of the art market. It’s also an
opportunity to show art students how the
secondary market works, and promote general
art appreciation and understanding. ›

23 A R T

AUCTIONS

public. Value in the art market derives not
only from the assigned or achieved prices for
individual works, but from the entire historical
and critical apparatus, which underpins the
understanding and appreciation of fine art.
Helping collectors and art lovers understand
and contextualise works of art is crucial for
developing and sustaining value in the market.”

How to get involved in the action? Subscribe
to the auction houses’ mailing lists online for
informative emails, invitations to events, auction
invitations, and follow them on social media
for regular updates and to be involved in the art
communities that form around them. ■

5 2019 HIGHLIGHTS

Strauss & Co offers many opportunities for “It is only through A highlight for Stephan Welz & Co this year IMAGES: Supplied
learning, including museum-quality nonselling sharing that a sustainable was the sale of an Alexis Preller painting
exhibitions with concomitant publications environment can be built paying homage to Vincent van Gogh that the
and talks; lectures and walkabouts during artist had created in 1935 while a student in
auction viewing; detailed texts in catalogues and expanded, this is London. The work was originally sold at the
accompanying important works to provide of benefit to everyone auction of Preller and Massyn in 1975 and
context and additional information; a series involved across the remained with the collector until 2019.
of masterclasses; and affiliations with other spectrum.” – Luke Crossley
art-related institutions. Strauss & Co is also Another notable item was Anton van
involved in artist prizes and mentoring projects, technique or style to be explored through a work Wouw’s De Vogelaar — an extremely rare
as well as public lectures at external institutions that will benefit from discussion. and important sculpture, being the artist’s
such as DARTS. Goodman says that in 2019 well earliest known work in South Africa.
over 45 lectures were delivered in affiliation with Collections management is also a concern and
Strauss & Co. auctioneers can help clients learn how to build 2020 HIGHLIGHTS
a valuable collection. To manage a collection,
Stephan Welz & Co also believes strongly in Gustav Brand recommends their Porto Venere, There is plenty of auction activity
a culture of knowledge and collaboration and a useful data management app for passion-based happening during the Investec Cape Town
regards sharing information and describing collectors. Documenting collections is just as Art Fair week (14–16 February).
experiences to interested audiences as a pleasure important as education because it can help
and a privilege. Luke Crossley says that “it is only auction houses and other researchers Aspire Art Auctions has partnered
through sharing that a sustainable environment in the future if artworks come to auction with French auction house PIASA whose
can be built and expanded, this is of benefit from private collections. Department of Contemporary African Art
to everyone involved across the spectrum.” is working with them to stage the first-
Knowledge-sharing is done through walkabouts Aspire Art Auctions offers a large number of ever international African art auction in
or lectures from industry experts during auction educational opportunities year-round. Lecture Africa during Art Fair week in Cape Town.
weeks with the speakers encouraging curiosity programmes, panel discussions, film screenings, There will be exciting public lectures and
and promoting accessibility. and walkabouts happen alongside its auctions. walkabouts for the duration of the preview.
Articles written by experts and art historians Aspire will be extending its educational
When it comes to selecting works to write about about the artworks in its catalogues are published programme to analysing the history and
in its auction catalogues, Stephan Welz & Co and regular emails sharing research findings context of African art, in line with its focus
has set some criteria. Interesting stories behind about interesting artworks are sent to subscribers. on that market.
an artwork, such as a fascinating provenance or
history, are popular choices. Introducing works James Sey of Aspire says that these “are offered Strauss & Co holds its contemporary sale
of lesser-known artists produces research for the as a crucial thought leadership programme to on 15 February with previews and related
readers and clients, where contextualising a work benefit the entire art-buying and art-loving events such as the 11 February Ernest
from a well-known artist can also be a motivating Mancoba: A Dialogue on his Art and Words
factor, and finally, when there is a particular colloquium. You can also look forward to
the auction of a major collection by Cape
Town Strauss & Co on 30 March where an
important Walter Battiss will be on sale.
There will be a Gladys Mgudlandlu/Maggie
Laubser exhibition during the 2020 Turbine
Art Fair, and Strauss & Co will be closing the
year with a major Contemporary African Art
exhibition in November.

24 A R T



2

1 1. William Kentridge, Tapestries, Installation view, 2019.
Courtesy Zeitz MOCAA. Image by Anel Wessels
Gallery focus
2. Dr Esther Mahlangu. Courtesy The Melrose Gallery.
Add these exhibitions and events to your art calendar Image by Clint Strydom

4 3. Nabeeha Mohamed, Almond Eyes II, 2019. Courtesy
SMITH Gallery

4. Georgina Gratrix, Loot Pop!, 2018. Courtesy 50ty/50ty

The Melrose Gallery

During Cape Town art week, The Melrose Gallery
will host an exciting exhibition of new work by
the globally acclaimed Ndebele artist Dr Esther
Mahlangu at its V&A Waterfront space from 13
February to 1 March 2020. Entitled Disrupting
Patterns, the show will feature the modern,
geometric, abstract style work for which the artist
is so well known. Born in 1935, Dr Mahlangu
has been painting for more than 70 years and has
become an iconic Pan-African contemporary
artist. Dr Mahlangu is recognised as being the first
Ndebele artist to transfer the traditional mural
paintings onto canvas.

3 50ty/50ty

SMITH Gallery Named after the collaborative process between
artist and printmaker, 50ty/50ty is an online
SMITH Gallery will host two concurrent solo collection of hand-pulled limited edition screen
shows between 20 February and 20 March 2020. prints by well-known and emerging South African
Stephen Allwright’s third solo exhibition with the artists, printed by Black River Studio in Cape
gallery follows in the artist’s signature style of bold Town. The name also refers to the number of prints
lines and patternmaking. Allwright is primarily a in each edition — 50 — which allows them to be
self-portrait artist, inhabiting his figures, whether priced more affordably than smaller editions. The
male or female, thereby challenging notions of prints in the 50ty/50ty collection all conform to
hyper-masculinity. For Nabeeha Mohamed’s first a set format, allowing collectors to mix, pair and
solo exhibition with SMITH, after successful hang prints by different artists together in their
inclusions at Investec Cape Town Art Fair and FNB home. In February 2020, 50ty/50ty will launch
Art Joburg, the artist unpacks the intersection of Special Projects online, which will push the limits
being a woman of colour with wealth privilege. In of screen printing and creative collaboration.
this exhibition, Mohamed presents monotypes,
oil portraits and still life in a colour palette that is Javett Art Centre
often unnatural and gaudy. Sometimes harsh, often
visceral and intensely intimate, the collection is a The newly-opened Javett Art Centre at the University of Pretoria aims to make the art of Africa accessible,
pointed affront to conventional aesthetic rules. relevant and engaging to visitors. In addition to the Javett family’s collection of 20th century South African
art, the museum programme includes diverse visiting local and international exhibitions. The University of
Pretoria’s Mapungubwe gold collection from the 13th century is also permanently housed at the museum. It is
currently on display in the National Treasures exhibition curated by Dr Sian Tiley-Nel together with more than
350 artefacts from the AngloGold Ashanti Barbier-Mueller Gold of Africa Collection from West Africa. Also
on view is the 101 Collecting Conversations: Signature Works of a Century exhibition curated by Christopher
Till, which showcases 101 signature works of South African art selected from public and private collections
around the country.

26 A R T

Zeitz MOCAA EXHIBITIONS AND EVENTS

Why Should I Hesitate: Putting Drawings To Work 5. Pascale and Claude Chandler, Liminal Timeline.
(on view until 23 March 2020) is the largest and Courtesy StateoftheART
most comprehensive survey of William Kentridge’s
career to date, spanning more than 40 years of the 6. William Kentridge, The Studio, Installation view, 2019.
artist’s work. The exhibition leads visitors through a Courtesy Zeitz MOCAA. Image by Anel Wessels
historical survey linking the threads of inspiration
in his practice: drawing as a process of thinking and 7. Nyashadzashe Marovatsanga, Airing Nothing Out, 2019.
acting in the world. Kentridge has defined a practice Courtesy THK Gallery
that looks at the condition of world history and its
bearing on the African context. The survey extends 8. Cyprian Shilakoe, All Alone. Offered by Stephan Welz & Co.
to map the ideological imprints of colonialism,
apartheid, socialism and the neocolonial moment 6
through the window of the studio. A new site-
specific sound installation made in collaboration
with the artist and five South African composers
is also on view in the BMW Atrium titled Almost
Don’t Tremble (2019). ■

5

8

7 Stephan Welz & Co. 

StateoftheART  THK Gallery Highlights on the forthcoming Stephan Welz &
Co. Johannesburg auction on 31 March and 1
StateoftheART will present a joint exhibition of From 6 February to 28 March 2020, THK April 2020 include a rare wood carving by Cyprian
new work by mother-son duo Pascale and Claude Gallery in Cape Town will host solo Shilakoe titled All Alone, which exemplifies the
Chandler titled Liminal Timeline opening at presentations of new work by two distinct artist’s interest in symbolism and style in three-
the Cape Town space on 12 February 2020. The artists in an exhibition titled Different Angles. dimensional form. The artist’s characteristic use
works in this show respond to the unpredictability Johno Mellish constructs his photographs by of muted tones is coupled with his expressionistic
and flux shaping contemporary life, the liminal creating elaborate mise en scènes of fictional style to produce pieces that highlight his ability to
timeline that sits between the ‘what was’ and the narratives. His works are a response to both create moody atmospheres. The public preview for
‘what next.’ Pascale’s work interrogates the position histories and personal imaginings, which the sale will take place from 23-29 March.
of manmade structural cladding to legislate meditate on a place and time particular to
ownership and control. Claude’s work focuses on South Africa. Zimbabwean artist Nyasha The Billy Monk Collection
the rapid digital changes and the ways we navigate Marovatsanga has developed a powerful
this transformation, etched in a web of code. painterly language under the mentorship Craig Cameron-Mackintosh, director of The Billy
of Misheck Masamvu. Using gestural Monk Collection, will join a panel on ‘Building
brushstrokes and bold colouration, his work Legacies: Investing in Culture’ during the Investec
represents scenes from his life, dreams and Cape Town Art Fair’s Talks Programme on 16
folklore rendered in a semi-abstract style. February 2020. The talk will explore questions
around private institutions and artist-led foundations
IMAGES: Supplied Iziko South African National Gallery and how their private goals and objectives can
contribute towards national culture. On 4 March,
Catch the last presentation of the new work by South African multimedia artist, gender advocate and Standard Love in a Loveless Time, an exhibition of new work
Bank Young Artist of the year for 2019, Gabrielle Goliath’s This song is for… This immersive audio and visual by multimedia artist Brett Seiler, created in response
installatioN is made up of a unique collection of dedication songs, each chosen by a rape survivor. Goliath also to a selection of Billy Monk photographs, opens at the
worked in close collaboration with a musical ensembles led by women and gender-queer artists to reinterpret AVA Gallery. Also in March, the short documentary
and re-perform the chosen songs. Billy Monk — Shot in the Dark, directed by Craig
Cameron-Mackintosh, will be screened at the
Woordfees Film Festival in Stellenbosch, showing on
12 and 15 March.

27 A R T

PA RTNER SHIPS

2

1. Craft and Design Institute exhibition
2. Phumzile Rakosa, Lefika La Phodiso executive director

I1 To go far, “While as an NPC we do need funds to run, the IMAGES: Supplied
n South Africa there is a growing tradition most important driver is what we are trying to
of businesses making an impact through go together achieve together.”
arts partnership and funding.
A development agency with one of the Creativity and the arts are core Lefika La Phodiso, a community art counselling
widest reaches in this sphere is Business to our humanity, writes JESSICA training institute, shares this philosophy. “We would
and Arts South Africa (BASA), founded in 1997. HUNKIN. Increasingly, businesses definitely not be where we are today without support
“BASA has been a significant catalyst and connector, are recognising the potential that from local businesses,” says executive director
cementing and amplifying powerful partnerships the arts has to connect people in Phumzile Rakosa. “This support has taken many
between businesses and the creative sector,” says forms, including funding, skills-sharing, volunteer
BASA CEO Ashraf Johaardien. “To date, BASA has real and meaningful ways services, and donations.
championed collaborations between more than
1 600 business and arts partners.” Biannual research assuming the role of opportunity creator for our “We want businesses that associate with us to be
from BASA found that the overall spend on the arts respective stakeholders,” Elk explains. “We both proud of the difference they make,” Rakosa explains.
by business has increased from R136m in 2000 to function and operate, simultaneously, at different “As an NPO, Lefika La Phodiso helps business
R654m in 2019. places in the ‘product-to-market’ value chain and realise their corporate social responsibility. From
so there is great synergy and mutual benefit.” our side, it’s important to communicate the stories
Organisations such as the Craft and Design and measure the impact of our work.” Lefika La
Institute (CDI) exemplify the rewards inherent It comes as no surprise that the most beneficial Phodiso’s partnership with Rand Merchant Bank
in these partnerships. Their success has been partnerships — as well as the most enduring ones (RMB) was also recognised by BASA, winning the
inextricably linked to partnerships with various — are a win-win for all involved. “Our partnerships Development Award for 2019. This partnership
stakeholders since its inception in 2001, and CDI’s are rarely just about an exchange of funds,” says Elk. allowed the organisation to be able to train 14 alumni
partnership with the V&A Waterfront even won community art counsellors, thereby increasing
BASA’s Long Term Partnership Award for 2019. access to mental health services nationwide.

The diversity of the support is what makes this “I think it’s a reality of our world today: no one can
partnership a particularly significant one, according go it alone. We don’t exist in a vacuum,” Elk reflects.
to CDI’s executive director Erica Elk. “This ranges “We need each other to survive and thrive, and by
from financial and in-kind contributions at an combining our resources we have more that can go
institutional and project level to both parties further. Collaboration, sharing and co-creation is an
absolute necessity to build our future.”

While this line of thinking informs the very
existence of an organisation like BASA, Johaardien
notes that the partnerships between the corporate
sector and the arts need to be carefully considered.

“Cultural creation, production and presentation
have gone from being almost ignored in the
economic sphere to being at the centre of new
development strategies,” he says. “Both government
and the private sector are very clear in their desire
to fund for impact, but what exactly does this entail?
While this strategic shift has ensured continued
public and private support for the arts as an agent
of social cohesion and job creation, we need to be
careful that the intrinsic value of arts, culture and
creativity is not subsumed into a Western capitalist
agenda. Rather, we need to mindfully recalibrate the
role of culture and creativity into a coherent value
proposition for the benefit of all.”   ■

28 A R T

101+ REASONS TO VISIT THE JAVETT ART CENTRE
AT THE UNIVERSITY OF PRETORIA.

The JAVETT ART CENTRE AT THE UNIVERSITY OF PRETORIA opened in September 2019,
with three landmark exhibitions:

+ 101 Collecting Conversations: Signature Works of a Century: 101 of the very best works
from public, and private, collections across South Africa.

+ Permanently installed in a dedicated wing is the Anglo Gold Ashanti
Barbier-Mueller Gold of Africa Collection, accompanied by the most significant pieces
of the Mapungubwe Gold Collection, including the famous gold rhino.
+ All in a Day’s Eye: The Politics of Innocence in the Javett Foundation’s collection
of 20th Century South African art, guest-curated by Gabi Ngcobo.

#MYAFRICAOURART www.javettup.art
Monday to Sunday
10h00 to 17h00


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