From 6 – 8 September 2024, FNB Art Joburg will return to the Sandton Convention Centre for its 17th edition. Join us for another season of fostering a sustainable ecosystem for contemporary African art and culture. A cornerstone in Africa’s contemporary art and culture calendar, FNB Art Joburg plays an integral role in nurturing and sustaining a commercial cultural ecosystem thatcenters practitioners based on the continent and in the diaspora.
A new section of the fair, dubbed GIF, allows galleries to spotlight photographers in their programme. A space to show works by image makers, the section has the potential to develop to include all lens-based media. As its name suggests, the pavilion’s format supports both static and animated images.
Faye Mfikwe, FNB Chief Marketing Officer, says, “We are reimagining FNB Art Joburg, and this years’ fair will see attendees and exhibitors experience the best of contemporary African art and culture. This repositioning of FNB Art Joburg ensures that we make this more than just a fair, but it is about creating a culture of appreciation and ownership that empowers creative talent in South Africa and the African continent. As FNB, we remain focused on supporting the creative economy and ensuring that contemporary African art remains a consistent player in the global art landscape. We are immensely proud of our long-standing sponsorship of FNB Art Joburg, now in its 17th year, and counting.”
Taking on a hybrid approach where curatorial and commercial interventions meet, the fair is divided into six specialised sections: gallery HUB, gallery LAB, MAX, GIF, ETC, AUX, and ORG sections.
In line with the fair’s objective to be a quality focused fair, the gallery HUB pavilion presents internationally renowned galleries that represent institutionally recognised artists. This extends into the MAX section where artists from gallery HUB exhibit large scale works that would challenge the limitations of a conventional booth.
Sustaining a culture of access, creation, and ownership, the FNB Art Joburg offering caters to a variety of audiences in contemporary art.
In the ETC section, fair goers have the opportunity to engage with master print and publishing houses. In 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. Curated by Kim Kandan (Gallery Liaison, FNB Art Joburg), the gallery LAB pavilion will feature 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, sponsored by ITOO Artinsure, will explore a plethora of topics that consider practice development, photography in Africa, industry crossing pollination and safeguarding the contemporary art ecosystem.
“Parallel to being a blue-chip survey of contemporary African art, FNB Art Joburg prides itself in its year-long support of various facets in the ecosystem. In maintaining this attentive, nurturing culture we have also been able to fulfill our aim for economic stimulation, inclusivity, and access for all with 16+ days of culture through Open City,” says Mandla Sibeko, Managing Director of FNB Art Joburg. “All together, we hope to continue the work of facilitating a consistent, accessible, considered and reputable offering that will continue to propel us into the future.”
Open City 2024
Taking place beyond the three-day fair, FNB Art Joburg remains committed to the city’s cultural landscape through Open City. A city-wide initiative, Open City fulfills FNB Art Joburg’s mandate for economic stimulation, inclusivity, and better access for all by encouraging Johannesburg’s visitors and residents to immerse themselves in the capital’s rich and layered cultural offerings until it becomes a part of their everyday life.
Activating the city with art, music, performance, food and fashion, every day of the week for 16+ days, Open City also gives independent and emerging cultural practitioners the opportunity to reach a wider audience of culture consumers. Surrounding the fair with art + culture, Open City will take over Johannesburg as the continent’s culture capital from 29 August – 13 September 2024.
The BMW Art Generation supported by FNB 2024
To usher in Open City’s 16+ days of culture, The BMW Art Generation supported by FNB returns after a successful debut. Centred around a conference of discourse and discursive essays within contemporary African art, this year the BMW Art Generation is set to take place on 31 August 2024. Adjacent to the discourse, the conference will be surrounded by a curated selection of exhibitions, performance art, live music performances, food, coffee, and wine stalls as well as offerings from leaders in Africa’s design and fashion sectors.
Building on its inaugural year in 2023, The BMW Art Generation linked celebrated, established, and young artists, curators, and academics from across the globe allowing us to come together to imagine, celebrate, and protect the future of contemporary African art on African soil. We look forward to unfolding its programme and seeing you there.
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