Adobe Stock
The Mother City values creativity and is known as a design capital of the country. One of the aspects to consider adding to your agenda when in Cape Town is an expedition to explore the art world. Here are our top suggestions…
Top 15 art galleries in Cape TownThe Cape Gallery
Cape Gallery is one of the oldest galleries of its kind in Cape Town. The artworks showcase classic landscapes and sculptures that deal with African culture and identity. Exhibitions change monthly and usually feature a single artist at a time. These works invoke Africa’s cultural identity, from classic landscape paintings to sculptures and modern street art.
Stevenson Gallery
Situated inWoodstock, this gallery is a highly acclaimed contemporary gallery. Much like its gallery in Johannesburg, works by local artists are featured alongside an international exhibition programme. This brings international artworks to South Africa audiences and provides local artists with a platform to gain international exposure. It has participated in International shows, such as the Art Basel, Frieze London and New York.
Goodman Gallery
This gallery showcases contemporary art in an African context. Situated in Woodstock, it aims to shift perspectives and create a social transformation, often displaying provocative artworks – much like the gallery in Johannesburg. The Goodman Gallery has a history of supporting resistance art during the apartheid era.
View this post on Instagram
‘Soft Architectures’ – Group Exhibition Opening tonight: 18H00 Performance by: @_fielded_ in collaboration with @naamatsabar at 19H00 ________________ ‘Soft Architectures’ is a group exhibition interrogating the intersection of architecture and structures of power and resistance. Through sculpture, drawing, print, lens-based media and performance, the work of seven artists each explore the subtle and overt ways in which architecture has been implicated into forms of racialised surveillance, segregated accessibility and the discipline and comportment of bodies, and in turn how architecture has been subverted towards forms of resistance such as strategic concealment and networks of defiance. Artists on the exhibition include: @ytobarrada, #KapwaniKiwanga, @simoneyvetteleigh, @vemirave, #PaulMaheke, @naamatsabar, and @jeremywafer ___________________ Image: Paul Maheke, ‘The River asked for a Kiss and In The Watery Core of those Stories’, 2017. Exhibition view 21st Prix Fondation d’entreprise Ricard: Le fil d’alerte, 2019. © Aurélien Mole / Fondation d’entreprise Ricard ___________________ #SoftArchitectures #GoodmanGallery #CapeTown
Gallery MOMO
This gallery has a space in Cape Town’s CBD, with a branch in Johannesburg too. It represents a host of contemporary artworks and exhibitions based on Africa by both local and international artists.
Everard Read
With it’s sister gallery in Johannesburg, this is South Africa’s oldest commercial gallery. Dynamic exhibitions are displayed to maximise the exposure and support of fine contemporary painting and sculpture to a broad audience. It is situated at the V&A Waterfront which includes a sculpture garden.
View this post on Instagram
Opening today at @everard_read_london . #pennystutterheime Mapping the interior . @caryn_scrimgeour A Word is not a Sparrow . The exhibitions run concurrently until the 21st December. . @everard_read_johannesburg @everard_read_cape_town_ #everardreadlondon #everardread #contemporarypainting #stilllife #contemporaryart #stilllifepainting #landscape #contemporaryart #fineart #painting #abstraction #artcollector #africanart #exhibition #gallery #artgallery . Photo credit: Mike Hall
Smith Studio
This gallery is housed in a reimagined, once dilapidated warehouse that is a 230-year old heritage site. It features contemporary artworks. Positioned in town’s Church Street, it is a hub for artistically inclined audiences, particularly on First Thursdays.
WORLDART
Also in Church Street in the Cape Town CBD is this art gallery, featuring contemporary urban and street art by young, local artists. WORLDART also specialises in sourcing unique pieces for collectors. Events and artist showcases are held regularly.
View this post on Instagram
Elephant in the room 🐘 by Norman O'Flynn Acrylic and spray paint on acrylic glass 85cm x 100cm 2019 Enquiries: info@worldart.co.za/DM or visit our website to see more. (link in bio) . . . #artwork #paintings #artistoninstagram #artworld #graffiti_art #southafricanart #painting🎨 #graffiti_magazine #graffitilove #artoftheday🎨 #graffitistreetart #artcollect #onview #artpopular #artaddicts #artbuyersclub #graffitiblackbook #popularart #dailycollector #artoncanvas #graffitieverywhere #ilovegraffiti #artepopular #instartlovers #graffitipaint #visualartists #graffitiletters
WHATIFTHEWORLD
This gallery showcases innovative contemporary work by emerging South African artists. These are influential artists who critically engage with both global and local contemporary art and socio-political themes. The gallery programme features solo projects and multi-disciplinary installations by emerging creatives.
Salon 91
Salon 91 is situated along the ever-popular Kloof Street, known for showcasing some of the city’s best young and established artists. The space is small with rotating exhibitions every few weeks.
ZEITZ MOCAA
This is the largest contemporary art gallery in Africa. It is located in the V&A Waterfront’s historic Grain Silo and is spread among many levels – nine floors in total. German-born businessman Jochen Zeitz’s renowned private collection of African artworks and installations is housed here, as well as cutting-edge contemporary art and exhibitions from around the continent.
View this post on Instagram
🎊New exhibition alert 🎊 We are proud to present an exciting new exhibition selected from our permanent collection, opening to the public tomorrow, 7 November 2019. Titled 'Two Together', the show is built around major themes explored by artists from Africa and its diaspora represented in the collection, and each gallery will contain a pair: either two objects, or multiple works by two artists, or two major themes – either in dialogue, as counterpoints, or in sync. As couples do, in comedic duos or in romance, the exhibition will embrace a rigorous engagement between objects and ideas. The installation will occupy all gallery spaces on Level 4, a dedicated space for the institution’s collection. This forms part of a recent reimagining of the museum’s galleries and spatial organisation, and exhibitions here will change annually. The exhibition includes a diptych by Isaac Julien, as well as pairings of and conversation between works by Zanele Muholi and Mouna Karray; Njideka Akunyili Crosby and Joël Andrianomearisoa; Nicholas Hlobo and Taiye Idahor; Sethembile Msezane and Glenn Ligon; Leonce Raphael Agbodjélou and Athi Patra Ruga as well as Mishack Masamvu and Lungiswa Gqunta. The exhibition runs until 25 October 2020. Make sure you don't miss it! __ Artwork credit: Isaac Julien, 'Fantôme Créole Series (Papillon, No 2)', 2005, Diptych of lambda prints on gloss paper, 50 x 100 cm. Courtesy of the Zeitz Collection.
Eclectica Contemporary
This gallery is a curated space of thought-provoking contemporary African art. During a visit, you’ll discover solo shows as well as group shows as well as experimental and project-based exhibitions. Gallery staff are informed and on-hand with history, context and information on the featured works.
ABE Opperman Gallery
This gallery calls De Waterkant home, featuring contemporary works in a modern setting. The exhibitions change every 6 months, with Opperman’s works exclusively adorning the walls. His craft is distinctive, with intimate pieces containing bold subjects.
View this post on Instagram
Thank you for the love Cape Town! Our current exhibition is swinging out the doors! #sold #new #collector #grateful #art #interiors #decor #holidays #abeoppermangallery #siblings #swings #umbrella #clouds #park #canvas #whimsical #current #newexhibition
34FineArt
34FineArt showcases some of the city’s most cutting-edge artworks by local artists. There is a small selection of international artists works too. The works on display are wide-ranging in their form and cover a variety of genre, though all are thought-provoking, moving, and often entertaining.
South African National Gallery
This is another one of the oldest galleries in the country, featuring a variety of work from acclaimed local and international artists. It operates on a regularly changing schedule, covering various genres and art forms, including fine art, photography, sculpture, textiles, architecture, and bead work.
The Association for Visual Arts Gallery (AVA)
AVA is a non-profit membership-based art organisation in South Africa. Contemporary visual art production is promoted through regular exhibitions of all kinds of artworks by established and emerging artists. For a day out of town to view art, visitors are encouraged to visit the Norval Foundation in Steenberg which features a modern showroom and sculpture garden.
