The Joburg Art Fair is an annual art fair, presented by FNB and launched earlier this year by Artlogic, the company that brought William Kentridge’s The Magic Flute to local audiences. From 12 to 16 March 2008, 22 major galleries took up 5 000 square metres of the Sandton Convention Centre boasting the largest collection of African and South African contemporary art the world had ever seen beneath one roof. It was the first Joburg Art Fair – not only a first for the city, but for the African continent – and it proved to be a resounding success. Johannesburg joined the ranks of cities like London, Miami, Shanghai, Toronto, Glasgow, Dubai, Chicago and Melbourne, all of which boast box-office-busting annual art fairs of their own.
The second Joburg Art Fair, scheduled for 3-5 April 2009, promises to be an even more eclectic and immersive experience, drawing a huge array of creative individuals from across the country and the continent. In addition to five new galleries, the event will boast a strong design interface, with a host of special projects creating a diverse visitor experience in the central hub of the convention centre.
The success of an art fair is all about sustainability and building a brand over time. Too many South African art initiatives – not least the Johannesburg Biennale – have not made it beyond the teething phase. With FNB’s commitment, the Joburg Art Fair is able to find its niche amongst the more than 250 art fairs around the world.
Internationally, art fairs are about the business of art, combining art and lifestyle and appealing to an audience that might ordinarily shy away from the white cube gallery space. Most art fairs have a broad reach encompassing cultural areas beyond fine art and including film festivals, design and architectural sections, as well as the traditional modes of visual expression such as painting, photography and sculpture. With this in mind, Artlogic has taken a groundbreaking hybrid approach to the 2009 Joburg Art Fair, embracing the best of contemporary visual culture the continent has to offer.
In addition to the 25 leading galleries that have signed up to participate, the gordonschachatcollection is pleased to announce that they will be presenting Security, a unique installation by internationally acclaimed South African artist Jane Alexander, originally commissioned for the 27th São Paulo Biennale. Tumelo Mosaka, from the Brooklyn Museum has been contracted to curate a selection of moving image work from countries in the Global South. For this space the art fair has partnered with Gauteng Provincial Government and Bang & Olufsen.
CULTURESFRANCE, in collaboration with Gallery MOMO and the French Institute of South Africa, will be presenting a selection of African photography, entitled Encounters of Bamako.
In a joint initiative with Artlogic, next year’s event will also boast a stand featuring a selection of the best of contemporary South African interior design specially-curated by Trevyn McGowan of Source. McGowan is a local sourcing agent for the international retail market, including the Conran Shop in the UK and Anthropologie and Terrain in the US.
Book lovers will welcome the news of a designer book lounge, with the best art and visual culture publications on offer by Exclusive Books, Boekehuis, Biblioteq and Clarke’s. Using materials sponsored by PG Bison (the country’s largest producer of board and laminate products) Alexander Opper and Amir Livneh of the young Johannesburg-based firm, Notion Architects, have conceived of a city-inspired design for the book lounge that has at its core ‘the celebration of the book as an object of beauty’.
Artlogic has devised a Talks programme where artists from each participating gallery will talk to audiences about their vision and practice. The Talks programme will be housed in a massive glass box made of coloured Belgian glass and other hi-tech glass products, specially designed by PG Glass. The Talks will be open to ticket holders, at no additional cost. Two international key-note speakers will be supported by the Goethe Institut and WISER.
‘We didn’t want to increase the size of the Fair by simply adding more commercial galleries,’ says Artlogic director Ross Douglas. ‘Instead we approached art bodies like the Goethe and French institutes that would normally back biennales and offered them free space to fund an activity that would maximize the visitor experience. We extended the concept to include the best of design, video art and new projects in the art space. The aim for 2009 is to keep visitors in the space for as long as possible and expose them to the top creativity from the continent.’
“We are proud to sponsor the 2nd Annual Joburg Art Fair, in response to a growing
interest and investment in the arts by individuals and corporate South Africa,” says FNB
CEO, Michael Jordaan. “FNB is a keen supporter and collector of local art work. This is our
way of helping to nurture, encourage, and to ensure that South African and African
artists are celebrated nationally and internationally.”
In addition to a diverse range of special projects, Joburg Art Fair 2009 will boast an on- site Vida e Caffe and a slinky lounge bar in the heart of all the networking and social action. So, once you’ve got your entry ticket, there’ll be no need to desert the main event in search of refreshment or some time out. Check out an exhibition, meet a friend over coffee to discuss the works you’ve got your eye on, then take in a discussion by leading artists as part of the new on-site talks programme… The Joburg Art Fair is set to be the hippest cultural event to hit South Africa’s most intensely creative African metropolis in 2009.
ArtVault will also be at the fair again this year so make sure you pop past and say hi!
