From iconic public artworks ( discover a few of our favourites ), intriguing street art, and established galleries and museums, to trailblazing indie spaces and the hardworking artists' studios in the city centre , Johannesburg is a city for art lovers. We update this guide weekly to help you navigate these ever-changing creative spaces, from a curated selection of solo and group shows, artist-led walkabouts and workshops to guided tours and other art-related events worth your while.
Johannesburg art picks of the week (Thu, Jun 4 – Thu, Jun 11, 2026)
One thing about Joburg is that it doesn't slow down, and while June's cold is seeping in, the art scene stays as hot as ever with an expanded Keyes Art Night , First Thursday openings and walkabouts at 223 Creative Hub and Asisebenze Art Gallery , and bookmaking workshops at Wits Art Museum . Plus, the beach comes to Goodman Gallery , Victoria Yards has a Sunday market, and Sasol Art Gallery celebrates the artists who have submitted work to Sasol New Signatures .1. Keyes Art Night at Keyes Art Mile
Thu, Jun 4 from 17:00 : This month's Keyes Art Night has us more excited than we've been in a while, and it's not just because we're collaborating with them. Keyes Art Mile activates with a massive line-up of openings and activities. We asked author Marc Latilla for some of his heritage photographs which you'll have a chance to alter at the Makers' Table , Stephen Langa presents Until Love Makes Sense at BKhz , there's Groundwork in Gallery 1. and Aspire Art brings a museum-worthy exhibition ahead of their Winter Auctions . Once you're done in the Trumpet Building, take a short stroll to Circa , back on the line-up after a long hiatus, to view Bag Factory’s 35-year retrospective, and then head to Lizamore on Keyes where two more exhibitions await. It's a busy one, but luckily Keyes has you covered with food and drink options from Marble , Kanpai , BGR , MIX Bar and more to keep you fuelled.
2. First Thursdays at 223 Creative Hub
Thu, Jun 4 from 17:00–21:00 : We'd recommend this be your first stop of the night before heading to Keyes Art Mile. Just five minutes down Jan Smuts from Keyes, 223 Creative Hub is a centre point for art and design in Rosebank. For First Thursdays, Amogelang Maepa debuts their solo exhibition, One-Night Stands in White Mustangs , in Johannesburg after a successful run at Berman Contemporary in Cape Town. The opening will be accompanied by poetry readings by the artist at 18:30 and 19:30 . While you're there, make sure to go to Candice Berman Gallery for For the Love of Corrugated Iron , a posthumous exhibition of Mark Hilltout’ s metal panels. End it off by popping into The Creatory to see the start of Khaya Njabulo Malinga's in-gallery residency.
3. Walkabout and live music at Asisebenze Art Gallery
Photo: Asisebenze Art Gallery.
Thu, Jun 4 from 17:30–19:30 : Asisebenze Art Gallery hosts a First Thursdays evening combining visual art, conversation and live performance. Artists Mmutla Mashishi and Mncedi Madolo lead a walkabout detailing the specific processes and narratives behind their current exhibitions, followed by live music from the Fly Machine Project . Read about our visit to Madolo and Mashishi's studios for a taste of why you should go.
4. If Joburg had a beach, who would go? at Goodman Gallery
Sat, Jun 6 from 10:00–13:00 : Unathi Mkonto is one of the most engaging and provoking artists, both visually and conceptually, in South Africa, and we are eagerly awaiting the opening of If Joburg had a beach, who would go? at Goodman Gallery (who wouldn't be with that exhibition title?). A spatial installation of sculptural works that combine wall-based pieces with freestanding structures, the exhibition creates a dialogue between the imagined energy of the ocean floor and the concrete reality of Johannesburg’s city centre.
5. Bookmaking Workshop at Wits Art Museum (WAM)
Sat, Jun 6 from 11:30–13:00 : Wits Art Museum hosts a hands-on design workshop focusing on the mechanics of the toroidal folding technique. Not your ordinary book, this almost structural method results in a foldable circular book. While you're there, Wits Art Museum has two exhibitions that you don't want to miss, Theresa-Anne Mackintosh's Now Is Not Forever and 1976 at 50 .
6. First Sunday Market at Victoria Yards
Sun, Jun 7 from 10:00–16:00 : Victoria Yards , Joburg’s historic steam laundry turned creative precinct, opens up for its monthly artisanal market. Wander the edible gardens, visit the artist studios, ranging from fine artists to metalworkers and ceramicists, and enjoy live music, delectable food and hands-on workshops. Entrance is free with secure parking available.
7. Enduring Signatures… again at the Sasol Art Gallery
Until Wed, Jul 15 : Following a successful 2025 iteration, Sasol Art Gallery , 50 Katherine Street, Sandton, presents a second exhibition highlighting the artists who have consistently participated in the Sasol New Signatures competition. The exhibition features a diverse selection of painting, sculpture and mixed media works, so we went for a visit and soon forgot about the ostentatious spaceship that is the Sasol headquarters once we stepped into the gallery. And if you're an artist looking to apply for Sasol New Signatures 2026 , make sure to have your submissions ready for drop off on Tue, Jun 9 and Wed, Jun 10 (find all the details here ). Admission is free, but viewing is strictly by appointment; email marina@mspr.co.za for access procedures.
More Joburg art highlights
SEE BEFORE THE END OF JUNE
Thu, Jun 4 from 18:00–22:00: If you want to walk the streets while moving between galleries, restaurants, bars and music venues, Melville Art Mile is where you need to be. The line-up changes every month, and with Melville busy and boisterous again, you can be assured of plenty of options to keep the night going once the galleries close.
Thu, Jun 4: UJ FADA Gallery presents Chronograms of Architecture, an exhibition of historical and commissioned architectural diagrams.
Until Fri, Jun 5: Jack Ginsberg Centre for Book Arts at Wits Art Museum presents Thoughtforms: The Page as a Liminal Field, tracing the book as a site of active thinking from 15th-century incunabula to contemporary experiments in redaction and annotation.
Sat, Jun 6 at 10:00 – A42 House presents a design lab with architect Dr Sechaba Maape, applying decolonial design principles to co-design the izimpande healing garden.
SEE BEFORE THE END OF JULY
Until Fri, Jul 31 – A42 House opened its doors with Grounded, a co-created exhibition shaped by voices in Johannesburg reflecting on home, belonging and place. Since then they've gone from strength to strength with an indigenous wellness centre, a book club and lots of events. Keep an eye on A42 House's Instagram for talks, workshops and other pop-up events.
SEE BEFORE THE END OF OCTOBER
Until Sat, Oct 31: With the Johannesburg Art Gallery (JAG) gearing up for its refurbishment, Homecoming brings significant pieces from its collection to Standard Bank Gallery. Curated by Khwezi Gule and Dr Same Mdluli, the show creates a fascinating friction between European classical masters and seminal African works. For more thoughts on Homecoming and Johannesburg Art Gallery, read our articles here and here.
Ongoing – NIROX Sculpture Park and the Villa-Legodi Centre for Sculpture place works by Edoardo Villa alongside other South African sculptors to explore the legacy of the artist with Villa+ the next generation.
Save the date
Jun 26 – Dec 5: Bookings are open for the last exhibition in Joburg Contemporary Art Foundation's Worldmaking Series, Reverse Futures . Slots always fill up quickly, so book your free guided tour here .Sep 4 – Sep 6: FNB Art Joburg, the longest-running art fair in Africa, transforms the Sandton Convention Centre with curated sections, large-scale installations and more.
