Joburg’s accessible and innovative art fair, RMB Latitudes, has just wrapped up to universal acclaim and with great success this year for the newest entrant to the country’s art fair scene. The unique venue of Shepstone Gardens has a daily visitor limit due to its baroque geography and rambling, charming layout on the side of Joburg’s Linksfield Ridge. Nonetheless, the fair recorded about 10,000 visitors this year, a triumph for sponsors RMB and Latitudes co-directors Lucy MacGarry and Roberta Coci.
Every walkabout and talk were packed, including a hugely successful networking event before the official VIP vernissage, titled Creative Connections, which was co-hosted by Wanted and addressed by deputy sports, arts and culture minister Peace Mabe. Latitudes has inaugurated Creative Connections this year as an annual feature of the fair, bringing together organisations and companies from various economic sectors to network with participating galleries and artists.
Our guide to some selected highlights proved correct, and were among the most visited stands at the fair. As we pointed out, perhaps the biggest art star of the event was the venue itself, with the main gallery space, the Latitudes Centre for the Arts, as its centrepiece. This was most evident in the opening night’s projection performance by artist Marcus Neustetter, who very effectively projected drawings and graphics onto the neoclassical façade of the main gallery and exhibition building at Shepstone Gardens. Other highlights abounded throughout, however.
Renowned contemporary artist Mary Sibande drew much attention with her installation in collaboration with new media gallery Usurpa, titled “A Queen never dies”. Set within the turret building, visitors encountered a holographic representation of Queen Sophie, Sibande’s alter ego and a means to embody SA black women’s history. The installation of holographic laser projections was topped by a giant fabric sculpture of Sophie.
In the mezzanine and rooftop spaces, Strauss & Co fine art auction house showed a selection from their latest auction, which took place on Tuesday 26 May. The centrepiece of their display was a famous Vladimir Tretchikoff original oil painting from 1955, titled Lady from the Orient. At the sale on Tuesday evening the painting sold for an eye-watering world record for the artist of R31.9m on the hammer.
Untitled Gallery from Cape Town won the best stand award, with an exhibition of work from the artist Guy Simpson. But perhaps one of the busiest galleries was Southern Guild, situated in the lovely Atrium space of the Latitudes Centre for the Arts. They showed a selection of work by last year’s ANNA Award winner, given to outstanding women artists, Xanthe Somers. She debuted a series of large-scale ceramic sculptures as a special project at the fair, entitled “Wearing Thin”. A Zimbabwean ceramic artist based in London, Somers created her new body of work in Cape Town while on an artist residency that formed part of her ANNA Award. The collection of braided vessel-like forms is a progression from the monumental pieces in her 2024 solo presentation, “Invisible Hand”, which explored traditions of basket-making in Zimbabwe and the value of women’s work in postcolonial contexts.
Also on show at Southern Guild was an exhibition of paintings by Joburg artist Terence Maluleke, who proved a hit at this year’s Investec Cape Town Art Fair, showing with the same gallery. His paintings are a paean to Joburg. Titled “A Love Letter to Joburg, First Draft,” Maluleke joins in the long roll-call of writers and artists who reflect on the sometimes frayed urban fabric of the old mining town. A standout painting is his homage to two Jozi icons — yellow plastic stackable chairs and the noble Egyptian Ibis, aka the Hadeda.
There was much else to draw the attention and hold the gaze at this year’s very successful RMB Latitudes. It seems they go from strength to strength and may soon be challenging the big boys of the African Fair circuit.
