The power of a platform

If art is a reflection of the times in which we live, then art fairs offer a unique perspective and context through the galleries and institutions they invite to participate or accept for exhibition. They create a broad and considerable platform for artists and curators (especially newer exhibitors) to expose their work and practice. They also curate an experience for collectors, specialists, media and enthusiasts to consume, question, exchange and commune.

For those who are limited to the accounts they follow or subscribe to, or by the frequency and locations they are able to choose for gallery hops and studio visits, the opportunity to lean into different bodies of work is what brings tens of thousands of visitors to our local art fairs. In South Africa, while the title of the oldest contemporary gathering goes to FNB Art Joburg, the honour of the largest belongs to the Investec Cape Town Art Fair (ICTAF). Auspiciously, ICTAF celebrates its tenth anniversary this year and has chosen to explore the notion of time. Separating the concept of change, ideas around preservation and decomposition, cycles and seasons, progression and inertia, is a tricky exercise, which mushrooms when we talk about the passage of time.

Touching on progression, it’s exciting to note the wealth of new artists at the fair. Some of the Black South African women who are included at different rungs of critical and commercial acclaim include Natalie Paneng – Galerie EIGEN + ART Leipzig/Berlin; Charity Vilakazi – Kalashnikovv Gallery; Buhlebezwe Siwani – Madragoa; Malebona Maphutse – This Is Not A White Cube Gallery; Senzeni Marasela – Galerie Eric Dupont; Lerato Shadi – blank projects; and Zandile Tshabalala – BKhz.