Founded by The Forum Company's innovative Glynis Hyslop who lives to create memorable events the fair is now being sponsored by RMB and is focused on presenting works that are affordable and also investment-worthy with a ceiling price of R50,000.
Expect an awesome and wide-ranging selection of contemporary art and a super hip crowd, there as much for the art as for The Forum Company’s imaginative gourmet fare and a fun social occasion in a fabulous urban setting. Now in its sixth year this contemporary African art fair has become a city fixture attracting thousands to downtown Joburg over three wintry days. If ever you had dreams of collecting art this is a great place to start.
Special exhibitions and installations
As well as the wealth of fabulous art on display from participating galleries, this year's art fair also presents a number of exciting special exhibitions including:
Is there Still Life? The Work of Irma Stern
Drawn from private collections around the country by leading auction house Strauss & Co, the fair hosts this exhibition of works by renowned South African painter Irma Stern, South Africa’s bestselling artist on the secondary market. This is an opportunity to view works such as Stern’s 1947 Dahlias. A companion exhibition is Life Force: The Still Lifes of Irma Stern, an exciting collection of works in different media that have been inspired by Stern's work. This is a special project curated by Strauss & Co. that saw the auction house go out to universities, a design school and Artist Proof Studios to inspire new treatments of still lifes in printed works and even ceramics. Great collectables.
This landscape. This Landscape! The Quintessential Metaphor of Life by David Koloane
Acclaimed artist and co-founder of Bag Factory Artist Studios David Koloane teams up with art studio LL Editions and curator Ruzy Rusik for a retrospective of his incredible 80-year long art career.
The Graduate Exhibition - Home/Land
An exhibition specially curated for the event that showcases some of the best post-graduate painting and photography from fine arts departments across South Africa.
RMB Talent Unlocked
A showcase of new works by exciting young, up-and-coming South African artists curated by 2017 ASEF Visual Artist and Market Photo Workshop alumni photographer Fulufhelo Mobadi.
RMB PRIVATE BANK TALKS
The talks programme at this year's fair includes discussions on how buying and collecting art supports the creative economy, led by, among others, KayaFM CEO and art collector Greg Maloka, Strauss & Co. art specialist Wilhelm van Rensburg and celebrated artists such as Robyn Penn. Taking place under the theme Think, topics include learning how to build an art collection that appreciates over time, panel discussions with artists who turned their passions into careers and how to identify promising artists.TAF FOR KIDS
On Saturday and Sunday the fair hosts a special kids area where the little ones can get busy creating their own masterpieces. There are also artist-led walkabouts for children taking place at 11:00 and 12:15 (for children aged 6-11 and for those aged 12 and upwards).RMB Turbine Art Fair 2018 is open:
Thu July 12 18:00-21:00, First Access cocktail party (tickets will not be sold at the door for the opening night and must be purchased online).
Fri July 13 11:00–20:00
Sat July 14 10:00–18:00
Sun July 15 10:00–17:00
Take note that RMB Turbine Art Fair is a completely cashless environment.
Newtown Now festival
Running alongside the fair is the Newtown Now Festival on July 14. Graffiti and public art walking tours, creative workshops for families and performances are on the programme for the first Newtown Now festival. Festival events are all free of charge and will be dotted along the 'cultural corridor' from Newtown Junction Mall, over Mary Fitzgerald Square, through Newtown Park with the route leading to RMB Turbine Art Fair.The festival is a celebration of the Newtown Heads refurbishment project. One of the city’s first public art projects, completed in 2001, saw the installation of close to 500 carved wooden heads on plinths installed across the Newtown precinct. Created by artist Americo Guambe and a team of wood carving specialists the heads represent faces from across the continent of Africa.
Now, 18 years later, the heads have been waiting for a re-grooming, a varnish and a general polish and Guambe is heading the wood working team. The official launch will be held on Mary Fitzgerald Square, named for the iconic figure who campaigned and mobilized people around issues of exploitation of workers.
