WORDS Percy Mabandu PHOTOS Supplied
Joburg’s RMB Latitudes art fair returns in May with a message of “Co-emergence”.
This autumn, art lovers will gather at the immaculate Shepstone Gardens to take in the marvels of art and collaboration at the RMB Latitudes art fair. Now with Rand Merchant Bank (RMB) as a title sponsor, the 2023 edition of the fair will be focusing on outdoor sculpture as well as solo and duo artist presentations, converging arty lifestyle flavour with strong collaborative concerns.
The choice of venue aims to balance the tastes of casual art lovers and discerning fair visitors and collectors alike. The “art in the garden” approach, which creates space for an outdoor sculpture exhibition, will be well suited for family experiences, levelling up on the lifestyle aspect of the art fair experience. “There are people who may think we’ve gone smaller because of the park, but it allows us to have a more diverse offering,” says Roberta Coci, co-founder of Latitudes.
In a way, this year marks a return to Latitudes’ founding vision. The fair was launched in 2019 as a physical art event at Nelson Mandela Square by an all-woman team, before it evolved into a vibrant online art platform during the Covid years. It has since become an impossible-to-ignore player on the African art market. In particular, the Latitudes team are trying “to make it easier and financially sustainable for galleries from across the African continent to participate in the fair”, says Roberta. The annual art fair calendar can be demanding on smaller galleries – a reality that independent artists face too.
These concerns are central to curator Nkhensani Mkhari’s vision for this year’s fair. He says he’s looking to “imbue the exhibitions with the joy of discovery: the discovery of new art experiences; art lovers discovering they can afford to buy art; and a discovery of new collaborative possibilities between artists, and between galleries”.
Nkhensani is curating two special projects in the fair. The International Galleries section will include “carefully considered and selected galleries” that will be invited to show. According to Roberta, the approach looks to offset the often-cumbersome barriers to participation, such as paying for a booth, flying in staff, organising hotel stays, and other generally expensive aspects of travel. “We’re finding creative, collaborative ways to allow galleries to access the fair without being present,” she says.
Index – the Independent Artist Exhibition – is the platform for showcasing a selection of artists who respond to the curatorial theme, “Co-emergence”. “It’s about the idea that what is good for you is good for me too,” says Nkhensani. “We see ourselves co-emerging together with participating galleries and artists.”
The two-year hiatus may have been a bit of a blessing for Latitudes. Unlike the launch edition, this year’s fair benefits from the brand strength and organisational credibility generated through the online arm of the business. It is projected to host about 40 participating galleries and artists drawn from across the continent, as well as from New Zealand, Europe and beyond.
RMB Latitudes 2023 will be held from 26 to 28 May 2023 at Shepstone Gardens, Johannesburg.
Looking for more local art? Sign up to our weekly newsletter, here.