FNB ART JO’BURG 2019 New Name New Approach

FNB JOBURG ARTFAIR RENAMED FNB ART JOBURG

Bonga Sebesho, FNB Head of Sponsorships says, “We are excited to continue our journey of empowering South African artists and those from across our continent. FNB’s 12-year involvement as a sponsor of the exhibition demonstrates our commitment to partner in efforts that will take our artists and the arts to even greater heights. Our continent is home to world-class talent, and there’s no better platform to showcase what our artists, collectors and art lovers.”

The FNB JoburgArtFair has been renamed FNB ART JOBURG after it was officially acquired by its former director Mandla Sibeko, taking over from previous owners Artlogic. With Sibeko taking full ownership, the art exhibition is now 100% black-owned and FNB’s 12-year tenure as a sponsor continues.

Sibeko says he’s excited to chart a new chapter in the transformation of the arts in partnerships with FNB, artists, local and international galleries.

“The opportunity to host a truly world-class fair comes with a great responsibility to uphold a standard that reflects the quality of our artists. This goal is embodied in a new model focused on strong content and greater collaboration between galleries and all stakeholders in Johannesburg and around the world. This will be reflected in fewer participating exhibitors and an innovative section devoted to new, emerging artists and spaces as well as international galleries and those who are looking to engage with a contemporary African audience.”

“This is also an opportunity to return to the drawing board and embrace an entirely new chapter which incorporates a hybrid curatorial and commercial approach. This will include the celebration of Johannesburg and its diversity, recognising its importance as the cultural and economic hub of Southern Africa,” says Sibeko.

FNB ART JOBURG will take place from the 13th to 15th September 2019 at the Sandton Convention Centre. Galleries and artists have expressed their anticipation ahead of the new fair.

“This new fair reflects the needs of the marketplace and is coming at the right time. It’s an opportune moment to start something that is more focused, in terms of quality that is brought into the marketplace.” - Monna Mokoena, Gallery MOMO

“As an active member of the South African art community it gives me immense pride to work with the next generation to shape a new format of art fair” - Mark Read, Everard Read Gallery “African contemporary art is in the spotlight globally, and it’s critical that content in a fair in Johannesburg is excellent in order to further the work we’re doing to platform our artists and ensure their relevance in art history” - Liza Essers, Goodman Gallery

“Artlogic, created the Joburg Art Fair and with the generous sponsorship of FNB has run the FNB Joburg Art Fair for 11 years, making it one of the longest-running annual art events on the continent. It was the first art fair in Africa and the first to focus on work from the continent. I’d like to thank our sponsors, shareholders, buyers, artists and most importantly, galleries for their loyalty and support over the years. Artlogic shareholders are delighted with Mandla stepping up to the role of owner and director and wish him the best of success in the future.” - Ross Douglas

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Zanele Muholi, Faniswa, Seapoint, 2016, Stevenson 58th International Art Exhibition - La Athi-Patra Biennale Ruga, di Venezia, Proposed May Model You Live of Francois In Interesting Feral Times. Benga Photo (1906-1957), - Italo Rondinella 2018, MAX

Above: 16 - 16 Space. Below: MJ Turpin, 2019, NO END Contemporary. Right: Athi-Patra Ruga, Proposed Model of Francois Feral Benga (1906-1957), 2018, WHATIFTHEWORLD

FNB Art Joburg announces two new sections - Gallery Lab and MAX

• 18 leading galleries from 5 countries selected

• Introducing Gallery Lab as a 600sqm pavilion

• Introducing MAX, which transcends the traditional art stand.

As part of new and exciting changes and highlights at FNB Art Joburg, the fair announces details of its upcoming show, taking place this September.

This year, the first-of-its-kind Gallery Lab will be a 600sqm pavilion where galleries and hybrid spaces from the continent and beyond gather for an annual conference of collaboration, discussions and sharing of best practices.

The section is curated by Nicole Siegenthaler (Fair Manager, FNB Art Joburg) and Banele Khoza (Founding Director, BKhz) with nine exhibitors. Gallery Lab will serve as an incubator, a space to develop and nurture emerging galleries and programs as well as a space for exploration; to present and test new artists, ideas and business models relevant to the contemporary African arts landscape.

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Hussein Salim, Untitled (HS 255), 2019, Eclectica Contemporary

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Above: Jody Paulsen, Find Your Gaggle, 2019, SMAC Left: Marcellina Akpojotor, Rele Gallery

Invited to participate on a proposal basis, featured artists from nine galleries from five countries include 16/16, Lagos; BKhz, Joburg; Hussein Salim, Eclectica Contemporary, Cape Town; ELA Espaço Luanda Arte, Luanda; Modzi Arts, Lusaka; Balekane Legoabe and MJ Turpin, NO END Contemporary Art Space, Joburg; Sejiro Avoseh, Tonia Nneji and Marcellina Akpojotor, Rele Gallery, Lagos; Revolving Arts Incubator, Lagos and Khulekani Msweli, Mbongeni Dlamini, Mesuli Mamba, Tony Marshak, Phindile Mamba, Thabo Lukhele and Sakhile Gumbi, Yebo Contemporary, Swaziland.

They will make up an active hub set up for workshops, talks and informal gatherings that focus on specific professional practice topics such as artist relationships, web design, art fair applications and financial management and other wider themes affecting the contemporary African creative economy. Also new to the fair this year is

the MAX section - a first in Africa - which will exclusively be dedicated to showcasing large-scale installations that might typically be challenging to exhibit in a fair setting. Unconfined to booths, Goodman Gallery, Cape Town + Joburg will present a massive painting by Misheck Masamvu; Everard Read, Cape Town + Joburg, will exhibit a showstopping sculpture by Brett Murray; blank projects, Cape Town has commissioned Igshaan Adams to create work on site; SMAC, Joburg will present a new collage by Jody Paulsen; WHATIFTHEWORLD, Cape Town, will exhibit a multimedia sculpture by Athi Patra-Ruga; and Stevenson, Cape Town + Joburg will showcase a large scale photographic print by Zanele Muholi.

Galleries in the central section will exhibit in a booth structure and include blank projects; Everard Read, Gallery MOMO, Cape Town + Joburg; Goodman Gallery; Kalashnikovv Gallery, Joburg; SMAC; SMITH, Cape Town; Stevenson; and WHATIFTHEWORLD.

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Loyiso Mkize, Vuka!, 2019, Eclectica Contemporary

Eclectica Contemporary at FNB Art Joburg

Following a successful solo exhibition at Eclectica Contemporary earlier this year, an installation and workshops and the Zeitz MOCAA and many high profile international commissions, Loyiso Mkize (South Africa) presents an installation wall at Eclectica Contemporary’s booth for Art Joburg’s Gallery Lab.

Accompanying this installation, Hussein Salim (Sudan) and Ibrahim Kharab’s (Egypt) evocative and vibrant paintings will add to the overall exuberance of the booth - bursting with colour, concept and content, from

different reaches of the African continent. The presentation for Art Joburg’s Gallery Lab aims to reflect and extend a strongly afro-centric narrative, that focuses on commonalities of experience, the vast richness of different contexts and the representations necessary by and for people on this continent.

Eclectica Contemporary represents a diverse and multidimensional stable of artists, working across media and medium. The team looks forward to engaging with visitors’ interests and stories, alongside the exhibited works.

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Zug Installation - Switzerland

Christopher Moller Gallery

7 Kloofnek Road, Cape Town; www.christophermollerart.co.za; @christophermoller_gallery