After a hiatus brought on by Covid19 and the subsequent lockdowns- Africa’s largest contemporary art fair, Investec Cape Town Art Fair will return to its physical home, the Cape Town International Convention Centre, from Friday 18 to Sunday 20 February 2022.
For the 2022 edition, local and international art lovers will have the opportunity to engage with the art online or in person, with Investec Cape Town Art Fair offering a hybrid of both platforms. The ninth edition will bring together the excitement of the long-running program with a special new addition.
Investec has been the title sponsor of Cape Town Art Fair since 2018. “We believe art can break down barriers and bring people together. So, we’re delighted to welcome back a face-to-face Fair, combined with the digital edition, which could bring the world of art to a potentially larger, more diverse audience.” said Peta Dixon, Investec’s head of Sponsorships, “Cape Town tourism has been badly impacted due to Covid19 travel restrictions, but we are hopeful that the 9th edition of the Investec Cape Town Art Fair will be a drawcard for the city synonymous with art and creativity.”
As artists and the art industry grapple with the future of the art world, it is important for Investec Cape Town Art Fair to stay abreast of audience and consumer trends. The new hybrid offering takes into account the lean towards at-home viewing, while making sure that the in-person experience is worth dusting off those party dresses for. Investec Cape Town Art Fair draws the best from artists from different parts of the world, from Nairobi to Paris, Dakar to Berlin, Lusaka to Leipzig, Milano and beyond, creating a diverse and delectable set of options for viewers and buyers alike.
“We cannot wait to welcome old and new friends and partners to Investec Cape Town Art Fair in 2022 and provide a platform to connect, re-connect and interact with one another. The return of the physical event offers some reprieve and restoration for the global art community. We believe it will be a deeply emotionally, spiritually, and physically rewarding experience,” says Investec Cape Town Art Fair Director, Laura Vincenti.
In addition to a broader artist presentation, the 2022 Investec Cape Town Art Fair has some exciting new additions. The new “ALT” section takes a different spin on a similar theme, inviting alternative galleries to portray the way in which the pandemic has affected how artists engage with the real and more pressingly, virtual worlds of art. In addition to the new section “ALT”, the highly anticipated signature line-up includes: Tomorrows/Today, guest curated by Nkule Mabaso and Luigi Fassi, Past Modern, guest curated by João Ferreira, Cultural Platforms, Magazines and Books, Editions, and “SOLO”.
“SOLO” seeks to explore the artistic practices of artists working locally and abroad, through curated solo presentations. In its fourth iteration, the section will explore how artists have reacted to periods of isolation, as well as provide dialogue for conversations about the effect that exchange, and collaboration has in the artist’s production.
This year’s programme with feature work from artists including Luyanda Zindela (South Africa) of SMAC Gallery in South Africa, Thebe Phetogo (Botswana) of Guns and Rain in South Africa, Brett Seiler (Zimbabwe) of Everard Read in South Africa, Osvaldo Ferreira (Angola) of THIS IS NOT A WHITE CUBE in Angola.
The Digital Eye
The digital edition will be available for online viewing via Artshell, allowing for autonomous, independent gallery/exhibitor access directly via an Artshell account with immediacy, and in sync with the Investec Cape Town Art Fair office championing the theme of “Connect Through Art from Africa and the World”.
Investec Cape Town Art Fair continues to expand beyond the physical realm (and within digital and online formats). The 2022 exhibitors will challenge notions of identity and what it means to be free through painting, sculpture, drawing, mixed media, and photography.
“As technology continues to evolve, we understand the role it will increasingly play in the art market at large and are poised to prepare our collector base and patrons for the implications of these advancements, which serve their long-term interests, ” says Vincenti.Cap