Jozi Art Fair- A contemporary African Art Showcase
The Joburg Art Fair – the first African contemporary art fair which will be held in Johannesburg from March 13 to 16 – will establish South Africa as an essential stopover on the global contemporary art buying calendar.
On sale at the Sandton Convention Centre will be the largest collection of African and South African contemporary art the world has ever seen. Prices will range, making art accessible to all – from arts appreciators to serious collectors.
The fair will provide buyers and art lovers with a single point of access to a wide range of galleries. Potential buyers can also see a cross section of work in a short space of time by the continent’s best artists including Zwelethu Mthethwa, William Kentridge, Santu Mofokeng, David Goldblatt, Pieter Hugo and Sabelo Mlangeni, as well as being exposed to the continent’s best newcomers.
The Joburg Art Fair will include a specially curated show entiled ‘As You Like It’ by Simon Njami and Thembinkosi Goniwe. Njami was the chief curator of the highly successful Africa Remix exhibition, as well as the Africa pavilion at last year’s Venice Biennale. Njami is choosing a selection of art from artists throughout Africa who are not represented by galleries on the fair and all these will be on sale.
Artists selected (although this is subject to change) include video and installation works by Bili Bidjocka (Cameroon), Loulou Cherinet (Ethiopia), Amal Kenway (Egypt), Myriam Mihindou (Gabon), IngridMwangiRobertHutter (Kenya), Jimmy Ogonga (Kenya), Zen Marie (South Africa) and Patrice Felix-Tchikaya (DRC). Mixed media works by Modou Dieng (Senegal), Berry Bickle (Zimbabwe), Joël Mpah Dooh (Cameroon), Dominique Zinkpé (Benin) and Tamrat Gezahegn (Ethiopia) as well as sculpture by Shuck (Guadeloup), Isoje Chou (Nigeria) and Jems Koko Bi (Ivory Coast) will be shown.
There will be photographic works by Omar D (Algeria), David Damoison (Martinique), Ihosvanny (Angola), Thando Mama (South Africa), Ananias Leki Dago (Ivory Coast), Jellel Gasteli (Tunisia), Kiluanji Kia Henda (Angola), Malala Andrialavidrazana (Madagascar), Mouna Karray (Tunisia), Emeka Okereke (Nigeria), and Michele Magema (DRC).
International contemporary art galleries confirmed for the Joburg Art Fair include the Jack Shainman Gallery from New York, Galerie Peter Herrmann from Berlin, Gallery Ames D’Afrique from Strasbourg and the October Gallery from London. Morocco’s L’ Appartement 22, Rabat and Cairo’s Townhouse Gallery will also be participating in the Joburg Art Fair.
The New York Perry Rubenstein Gallery has chosen to feature their South African artist Robin Rhode as part of the Special Projects section of the Joburg Art Fair. Other special projects include the FUNDA college booth that highlights emergent artists from this significant South African arts institution. TONIC Design will create a VIP area that will showcase the cutting edge products of South African designers.
Local galleries that are participating in the Joburg Art Fair include Art Extra, Art on Paper, Bell-Roberts Gallery, David Krut, Erdmann Contemporary Gallery, Everard Read Gallery, Gallery Momo, Goodman Gallery, Joao Ferreira Gallery, KZNSA Gallery, Michael Stevenson Gallery, Rooke Gallery, SMAC Gallery, Warren Siebrits and Whatiftheworld Gallery.
The main sponsor for The Joburg Art Fair is First National Bank. Artlogic, the company behind the Joburg Art Fair, was responsible for bringing William Kentridge’s critically acclaimed Magic Flute production to South Africa last year.
The Joburg Art Fair will be held from 13 to 16 March 2008 at the Sandton Convention Centre.
Image:
Baker, Bridget, 1971
La fille transparente à Kippel/
Das transparente Mädchen in Kippel
2006
Lambda print and diasec at Grieger, Dusseldorf, Germany
180 X 226.5 cm
