We kicked off the art fair week in style last night. Starting at Sethembile Msezane’s studio, in the company of the likes of Siwa Mgoboza, we headed to The Silo Hotel. We were attending an event for the collaboration between the Silo Vault and artHARARE, an artist-run initiative dedicated to fostering contemporary art in Zimbabwe…
Natalie Paneng’s Ke Thlogo (2023) installation stood out at the STEVENSON exhibition, I Miss Myself The Most. Paneng’s installation features a suspended chair with a miniature house, alongside a metaphorical Room Divider within a space reminiscent of familiar South African homes. With its cleverly kitsch aesthetic and irreverent play on scale, the installation subtly blurs…
From December 2, 2023, to February 2, 2024, STEVENSON Johannesburg hosts I Miss Myself the Most, a noteworthy group exhibition on memory by the promising curators Aza Mbovane and Mosa Molapo. The exhibition walkabout presented a unique opportunity to engage with the curators, artists and viewers present at the Parktown location. The intimate yet ample…
The Wits Art Museum (WAM) recently hosted a walkabout on their latest exhibition Arte Povera and South African Art: In Conversation led by Consul General of Italy in Johannesburg, Dr. Emanuela Curnis, and South African curator, Dr. Thembinkosi Goniwe. The exhibition includes two sections, and while I was excited to see the works of Italian…
This past Saturday, the Poetry Readings and Conversation brought together Gabrielle Goliath and Maneo Mohale in an event organised by the Goodman Gallery in Johannesburg. Founded in 1966 during a time of unthinkable violence and segregation, seldom has the institution presented us with such profoundly embodied explorations of Black desire, sensuality, and queerness in art….
On opening night, I had the pleasure of engaging in a conversation with Stefanie Koemeda, one of Nirox Foundation’s latest artists in residence who was being showcased in the group show Layers: Rock Art Across Space and Time at the Wits Origins Centre. We had our talk just outside the Centre, right before the curator…
Last night was lit! The Standard Bank Gallery was filled with great vibes and beautiful people. The wine was flowing and we even got a little goodie bag! The size of the crowd was just right, not too overwhelming or chaotic. Present were some well-known faces, including the esteemed Gallery Manager Dr Same Mdluli. Alongside…
This month The Centre for the Less Good Idea celebrates its seventh year of promoting interdisciplinary, collaborative and experimental art not only in South Africa but also on the international stage. Season 10, running from the 18th to the 22nd, presented a revival of the Collapsed Concert and a reimagined version of William Kentridge‘s A…
On the 16th of September, Neo Matloga, whose relationship with Stevenson Gallery has been ongoing since 2020, opened his latest exhibition Figures at its Amsterdam locale. The artist was also present the morning after and as we entered the cosy space, well stocked with croissants, orange juice and champagne at the entrance, there stood the…
There was a time when Ayanda Mabulu had an open-door policy in his studio and oh what a time it was! One could often pass by the Media Mill space and find a number of artists engaged in vibrant studio practice or fervent discourse. Mabulu whose presence is both calming and commanding moved as if…
With a 2019 BFA from the Michaelis School of Fine Art, Bulumko Mbete’s career is on a steep upward trajectory. We’ve watched her navigate the art world with skilful finesse, infiltrating spaces that were thought inaccessible. She is the 2023 recipient of the Cassirer Welz Award and has just started her MFA at Carnegie Mellon University,…
In Mondli Mbhele’s inaugural solo exhibition, Ingoma Yothando, the artist delves deep into the intersection of African culture and the evolving lives of today’s youth. Translated from Izulu, “Ingoma Yothando” means “Song of Love,” yet it exceeds its romantic connotations, inviting us to contemplate a more profound inquiry: How connected are we, the youth, to…
