Africa’s first and longest running contemporary art fair returns to Sandton Convention Centre after two years of COVID-19 restrictions.
FNB Art Joburg presents the second year of Open City, an exciting new offering of 15 plus days of culture programming in the city of Joburg
Comprising 10 exhibitors, this year’s iteration of the gallery LAB will see West and East Africa connecting with the Sub-Saharan African region.
Johannesburg is the cultural and economic capital of Africa. It is home to three theatres, four major concert halls, 281 heritage sites, 76 art galleries and the largest art collection in the country (housed at the Johannesburg Art Gallery). Here, gallery hopping, getting dressed to people-watch over brunch, catching a mid-week live performance, or ending the week with dinner and a show does not make for an occasion. It’s central to the lifestyle.
A visitor reads the artist statement for Wycliffe Mundopa’s FNB Art Prize winner exhibition titled ‘Zva_nyadza’.
Held in the cultural capital of the continent, FNB Art Joburg believes there is no better place than Johannesburg to acknowledge and celebrate the continent’s eminent and emerging artists. Following two years of pandemic restrictions, the fair will return to its regular location at the Sandton Convention Centre from 2 to 4 September 2022 with offerings from the continent’s leading contemporary artists.
Bonga Sebesho, Head of FNB Brand Experience says, “We are excited to continue our journey of empowering African artists through FNB Art Joburg. FNB’s 15-year involvement as a sponsor of the exhibition demonstrates our commitment to supporting the creative economy which is an important economic pillar to our economic recovery. Our continent is home to world-class talent and there’s no better platform than FNB Art Joburg to showcase this.”
With offerings from the continent’s leading contemporary artists, the fair is curated into six specialised sections: HUB, MAX, ETC, ORG, LAB and AUX.
Referred to as the HUB, the fair’s central section presents the best in contemporary art from across the continent in line with the objective to be a quality rather than quantity-focused fair. FNB Art Joburg is proud to have the following galleries, amongst others exhibits this year; Afriart Gallery, blank projects, Eclectica Contemporary, Everard Read, First Floor Gallery Harare, Gallery MOMO, Goodman Gallery, Guns & Rain, Kalashnikovv, SMAC Gallery, Stevenson, and WHATIFTHEWORLD.
The MAX section of the fair houses installations or works with challenging scale while the ETC section will give fair goers the opportunity to engage with master print and publishing houses.
The ORG section is a representation of Johannesburg’s seminal art institutions. Whether museums, universities, or private institutions, the section looks to redefine how the people engage with organisations that were established for the good of the public.
An incubation to develop emerging galleries and hybrid art spaces, gallery LAB will present and test new ideas and business models aimed at transforming the contemporary African art landscape. Co-curated by Kim Kandan (Gallery Liaison, FNB Art Joburg) and Aida Esi Hayfron-Benjamin (independence curator, Ghana), the LAB pavillion will feature 10 exhibitors that will see West and East Africa connecting with the Sub-Saharan African region.
Spanning talks, public lectures and audio essays, the AUX section will explore a plethora of topics including magic realism as practice, biennale reflections, the role of arts writing, and art’s place in the metaverse.
Further cementing Joburg as a culture hub, FNB Art Joburg presents the second edition of Open City; a call for Joburg natives and visitors to get out there and support the city’s creative economy. Held from 25 August to 9 September, Open City will unify the city by activating it through art, music, fashion, food, and film from the inner city to Soweto, Rosebank, Hyde Park and Sandton.
“We are thrilled to be back with an in-person fair in 2022 while also expanding our culture footprint with 15 plus days of dynamic culture programming through Open City. As the first and longest running contemporary art fair on the continent, FNB Art Joburg continues to show active commitment to the arts and showcasing the dynamic talent that Joburg, South Africa and the continent has to offer,” concludes Mandla Sibeko, Managing Director of FNB Art Joburg.
Guests attend a walkabout of the portraiture group exhibition Everything was beautiful and nothing hurt, curated by Anelisa Mnagcu and Jana Terblance. (Photograph by Bantu Mahlangu/ Courtesy of FNB Art Joburg)
In the fair’s MAX section, a guests takes to an Igshaan Adams installation. (Photography by Karabo Mooki/ Courtesy of FNB Art Joburg)
As the 2021 FNB Art Prize winner, Wycliffe Mundopa had a solo exhibition at Johannesburg Art Gallery. (Courtesy of FNB Art Joburg)
Bee Diamondhead stands before Adolf Tega’s work in the Gallery MOMO booth at the 2019 iteration of FNB Art Joburg. (Photograph by Karabo Mooki/ Courtesy of FNB Art Joburg)
Walking through the exhibition ‘Everything was beautiful and nothing hurt’ Open City attendants take pictures of the portraits on display. (Karabo Mooki/ Courtesy of FNB Art Joburg)
Visitors stand outside Johannesburg Art Gallery where Wycliffe Mundopa had his FNB Art Prize winner solo exhibition.
During an Open City walking tour, guests take a break outside Radisson Red in Johannesburg, Rosebank. (Courtesy of FNB Art Joburg)
During an Open City walking tour, guests stop at Raddison Red to engage with public art in Oxford Parks
Artist Proof Studio hosts a screen printing workshop during Open City in 2021.