associations/industry organisations

AVA, the Association for Visual Arts . The Africa South Art Initiative (ASAI) . Gugulective

Red Marker AVA, the Association for Visual Arts
The Association For Visual Arts (AVA) Gallery in partnership with Spier, 35 Church Street, Cape Town, is one of Cape Town’s oldest non-profit art galleries, showcasing contemporary South African art in all media.

The gallery has been situated in these premises, in the heart of the city centre, since 1971, first as the Metropolitan Gallery, and then in partnership with Spier, who recently bought the building from Metropolitan. Run by the energetic Estelle Jacobs, the AVA usually hosts three exhibitions at a time, with many young contemporary artists making their debut here.

AVA’s main priority and objective is the promotion and advancement of visual art and artists in South Africa, with particular emphasis on artists from the Western Cape, both established and emerging, formally trained and self-taught.

AVA achieves this goal in several ways. Firstly, AVA hosts exhibitions which change every four weeks. This means that our space is never without an exhibition. An artist does not need to be a member of AVA to hold an exhibition here. All work exhibited goes through a selection procedure. AVA has a selection panel who meet every two months. Any artist who wishes to exhibit at AVA must bring in works on the day of the selection meeting for the panel to review. Their decision is made by majority vote. No feedback is given and their decision is final. It should be noted that being a member of AVA does not guarantee an artist an exhibition here. As the gallery space is divided into four sections, four exhibitions can be held simultaneously and these four shows all share one opening function.
 

Contacts
Tel: (021) 424 74 36
Fax: (021) 423 2637
Email: art@ava.co.za
Website: www.ava.co.za
 

-33.92334 18.41891
  • Western Cape
  • associations/industry organisations
  • Contemporary Gallery
Red Marker Gugulective
International Exchange . Project Space . Emerging Artists
Gugulective is a collective of artists who share a common set of interests around the position of the contemporary arts in an urban township context. Gugulective originated in 2006 out of the desire to create a place for artistic and intellectual exchange outside the mainstream: a space for ideas and art underpinned by the hope of inciting processes of interaction and change in a politically and socially disadvantaged environment. Gugulective often involves various communities and, above all, young people in its projects. Members include Unathi Sigenu, Kemang Wa Lehulure and Lonwabo Kilani. Gugulective creates exhibits, installations, performances, video screenings, community discussions in the midst of a community far from the art galleries of Cape Town. Gugulective is based at the KwaMlamli shebeen, is a gathering place where everyone gathers to learn from one another.
 
Key people:
Kemang Wa Lehulure
Unathi Sigenu
Lonwabo Kilani
Dathini Mzayiya
 
Contacts
Mobile: +27 (0) 78 398 5574 (Kemang Wa Lehulure) +27 (0) 78 255 2634 (Unathi Sigenu)
 
 
-33.9833333 18.5666667
  • Western Cape
  • associations/industry organisations
  • Independent Platforms
Red Marker The Africa South Art Initiative (ASAI)
On-Line Media . Research . Independent Platform

ASAI (Africa South Art Initiative) operates as a critical platform for research, debate and discussion on the position of the contemporary arts in Africa, and is particularly concerned with reconnecting South African art discourse to wider debates in the contemporary arts in Africa. It also provides a non-profit online platform for a range of contemporary African artists to profile themselves and their work.

Key People:
Mario Pissarra

Email: info@asai.co.za
Tel: +27 (0) 21 650 3267/3581

Physical Address
Room BG5
Beattie Building
University of Cape Town
Rondebosch
Cape Town

Postal Address:
ASAI
Department of Historical Studies
Beattie Building
5 University Avenue
University of Cape Town
Rondebosch 7701
RSA
 

-33.957667 18.462231
  • associations/industry organisations
  • specialist service providers
  • Western Cape
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