Published 11 November 2024 in News
Keyes Art Mile
Neo Theku Featured in The Africa Salon
Keyes Art Mile
21 Keyes Avenue, Johannesburg, South Africa
07 November - 31 December 2024
Opening at 18:00 (SAST)
"The Africa Salon is an exhibition celebrating contemporary art and creative talent from around Africa that touches down at Keyes Art Mile from Thu, Nov 7 – Tue, Dec 31. An exciting selection of fine art by 12 artists from 6 countries, including Ghana, Nigeria, Kenya, Zimbabwe, South Africa and the DRC Congo, plus a special programme of art talks, music and related events.
The group opens on the popular Keyes Art Night inside Gallery 1 and is presented by Madlozi Contemporary art gallery. You’re invited to explore the rich diversity of Africa created in our image by emerging and established artists in response to themes of identity and belonging, self-representation, tradition-versus-modernity, and a future-forward, digital Africa.
Expect all the vibrant colour, unique expression and talent of Africa now, including music from around Africa, performance art, music, artist and curator-led exhibition walkabouts, interactive talks, and weekend social events like art mixers on select Saturdays from 11h00 -14h00 in November and December.
The Africa Salon is curated by Madlozi Contemporary Art gallery founder Beathur Mgoza Baker as an ode to AFRICA REMIX, the successful travelling exhibition by Cameroonian curator Simon Njami which changed the international perceptions about Africa twenty years ago, and opened the world up to the excellence, beauty and importance of Africa’s talent and contemporary art.
“Collectively participating artists in the exhibition contribute to the shared vision of a borderless and prosperous post-colonial, democratic Africa – a future-focussed continent in confluence with the world, where dreams are not deferred in favour of survival, and creative possibility is expressed in our own words and image. […] The curation, selection of works and artists facilitate unique insights into the true diversity and complexity of the African continent, and constitutes identifying as African in the contemporary moment,” reads the exhibition text.
Exhibition programme highlights include an exclusive live art performance by artist Neo Theku on Saturday 09th November at 12h30, an art lovers and collectors Spring cocktail mixer, and the Africa Live, Now Expression Sessions – a unique gathering and hangout bringing together young creatives and collectives in Joburg from digital art to design, musicians and DJs, to visual artists, photographers and filmmakers in the spirit of a united African creative community on November 30th at Gallery 1 from 12h00 – 16h00.
Another highlight of The Africa Salon exhibition is the inclusion of installation works by two of the 2024 Sasol New Signatures winners, Snelihle Maphumulo and Tandabantu Matola, previously on show at the Pretoria Art Museum.
Dates to diarise for The Africa Salon as listed below:
The Africa Salon opens as part of Keyes Art Night on Thu, Nov 7 at Gallery 1 at Keyes Art Mile, and runs until Tue, Dec 31.
Sat, Nov 9 from 11:00 – 14:00 – Gauteng-based art lovers including the ART STOKVEL connect at The Africa Salon exhibition over fresh fruit cocktails, bubbly and selected wines, and live music from around the continent. Stay on for the special artist-led talks and exhibition walk-through. RSVP at [email protected]
Sat, Nov 9 from 11:30 – 12:30 – Join artists Nandipha Jantjies and Neo Theku who lead a special walkabout and interactive talk around tradition, notions of modernity, and contemporary cultural identity in South Africa.
Sat, Nov 9 from 12:45 – 13:30 – See artist and photographer Neo Theku’s debut live art performance ‘O Kae Ntatao? Where is your father?. It is essential to RSVP for this critically acclaimed work at MESH Club. RSVPs at [email protected]
Sat, Nov 16 from 11:00 – 12:00 – Join visual artists Lisolomzi Pikoli and George Masarira in a discussion about their artistic praxis, traditional and contemporary influences on their work, abstraction and digital culture, graphic art,popular culture, and experimental approaches to art making in their work. Includes live drawing and product demos.
Sat, Nov 16 from 12:15 – 13:00 – Join The Africa Salon exhibition curator Beathur Mgoza Baker for an interactive, guided walkabout of the exhibition and a conversation about creative Africa now, the postcolonial gaze, and creating new narratives in the age of digital culture.
Sat, Nov 30 from 13h00– 16:00 – For music lovers, join art and Dj Lisolomzi Pikoli, and other DJs in the Africa Live, Now Expression Session as they celebrate Africa and explore the creative influence of traditional and contemporary culture on art, music and identity. Bring friends and contribute to this urban culture hangout.
Thurs, Dec 05 from 18:00 – 21h:00 – In festive December spirit The Africa Salon exhibition rounds off the year with THE AFRICA MASSIVE an art mixer and music celebration of contemporary Africa to conclude the year in style. All the sounds you love and artists in attendance at this must-do event on Joburg’s social and creative calendar.
Request your digital exhibition catalogue for The Africa Salon at: [email protected] and visit Madlozi Contemporary art online for works by artists from across the African diaspora on the Artsy platform at: www.artsy.net/madlozi-art."
Space is limited, and all events are subject to capacity. For enquiries, contact [email protected].
For more information please navigate to the Keyes Art Mile website here
Image Credit: Neo Theku l Still Not Found (Detail) l 2021 l Edition of 5 l Digital Print on Archival paper l 74 x 54cm