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Nestled within the old Joburg suburb of Mountain View, Shepstone Gardens welcomes RMB Latitudes once more; a whimsical venue with old-world charm that alone makes this a fair worth attending. Part art fair, part scavenger hunt, works are dotted all around the three-acre property where visitors are invited to wander through marble halls, secret gardens, and sculpture pavilions to explore a diverse showcase of work from Africa and the diaspora.
The fair is held in partnership with Rand Merchant Bank and Latitudes Online, Africa's largest online contemporary art marketplace. It expands the year-round activities of the Latitudes Centre for the Arts (LCA) – a multipurpose exhibition space promoting African art that has its home at Shepstone Gardens.
Transforming the sprawling venue into an art playground with installations indoors and out, RMB Latitudes reimagines the relationship between art and the viewer. "The design of the fair dissolves the typical art-viewing environment, creating a space for art to be engaged with and questioned in a uniquely African context," says the fair's director Lucy MacGarry.
The three-day event showcases contemporary African art, with a diverse and exciting line-up. A few international galleries with a presence at this year's fair include Nigeria's Affinity Art Gallery, Botswana's ReCurate, and Uganda's Afriart Gallery, sharing space with some of South Africa's leading art institutions and practitioners.
Gallery MOMO and Kalashnikovv Gallery are among those coming on board to represent Joburg, while Cape Town's Ebony/Curated, Resevoir Projects, and Loft Editions also form part of the programme. We're looking forward to what Occupying The Gallery will bring to the mix; an ongoing, process-centric arts project led by Mary Sibande and Lawrence Lemaoana. See the full list of exhibitors here.
The 2024 fair hosts several special projects including a sculpture garden curated by Johannesburg's Everard Read Gallery, an indoor sculpture pavilion presented by Latitudes, and a modern section brought together by Strauss & Co.
The 2023 recipient of Latitudes' ANNA Award, Egyptian artist Nada Baraka has a solo presentation at this year's fair. Her energetic paintings travel between the abstract and the surreal.
An important component of RMB Latitudes is the inclusion of independent artists. As such, another special project is INDEX. Curated by Denzo Nyathi who went through the 2023 RMB Latitudes CuratorLab programme, the exhibition entitled The Orchid and The Wasp: Thin Lines of Becoming brings work by independent artists including Thero Makepe, Sahlah Davids, and Ntsako Nkuna to the fore.
We're thrilled that RMB Latitudes is continuing its partnership with Contra.Joburg – South Africa's largest open studios event. While tickets for both fairs are sold separately, a shuttle service will travel between Shepstone Gardens and artists' studios in Joburg's City Centre, allowing dual ticket holders to experience two very different but equally fascinating sides of the city's art world on the same weekend. Book tickets for the 2024 edition of Contra.Joburg on Sat, May 25 and Sun, May 26.
RMB Latitudes exists to champion new artistic talent and highlight artists whose work is particularly pertinent today. "We make it our business to allow all industry players an equal playing field, with galleries, alternative spaces, and artists presenting side by side," MacGarry explains.
According to the fair's co-founder Roberta Coci, accessibility is at the heart of RMB Latitudes' ethos. "To this end, we create an inviting environment where both seasoned collectors and art world novices feel comfortable to attend, learn, connect, and ultimately acquire art," she says.
The diverse programme includes exhibitions, talks, film screenings, and more. As we've come to expect, delicious food, bespoke treats, local wines, and fashion is on offer too. It's also a chance to explore the lavish gardens otherwise closed to the public, except for events and visits (by appointment only) to LCA.
Joburg's art-lovers gather at Shepstone Gardens from Fri, May 24 – Sun, May 26 for RMB Latitudes 2024. Book your tickets here.
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