Art
RMB Latitudes Art Fair
At Latitudes, the indoor and outdoor exhibition spaces combine the intimacy of a curated show with the professional standards of major international fairs, bringing together artists and galleries from across the continent and diaspora.
Dates: May 22-24
Venue: Shepstone Gardens, Joburg
Tickets: From R70
latitudesartfair.com / quicket.co.za
Venice Biennale
The 61st Venice Biennale Arte, curated by the late Koyo Kouoh and titled “In Minor Keys”, features more than 110 artists and collectives. Among the highlights are works by Nick Cave, Alvaro Barrington, Maria Magdalena Campos-Pons and Wangechi Mutu. And keep an eye out for the installation by Mmakgabo Mmapula Helen Sebidi.
Dates: May 9 to November 22
Venues: Giardini, Arsenale and various sites around Venice
Tickets: From €26
Don’t miss:
- The Jack Ginsberg Centre for Book Art’s “Thoughtforms: The Page as a Liminal Field” exhibition of artists’ books inside the Wits Arts Museum, Joburg, until June 5.
- Nicola Bailey’s “Between Dog and Wolf/Entre Chien et Loup” at Everard Read Joburg from May 14 to June 13.
- Amogelang Maepa’s “One-Night Stands in White Mustangs” solo exhibition at Berman Contemporary, Cape Town, until May 3.
- The “Girls 3000” group show at Everard Read Cape Town, in collaboration with Girls Gallery, from May 7 to June 2.
- Mary Johnston’s “Gatherers” solo show at Berman Contemporary in Cape Town from May 9 to June 28.
- Lady Skollie’s “Sour Grapes” solo exhibition at Everard Read Franschhoek until May 16.
- Moshekwa Langa’s “Proxies” and Mahesh Baliga’s “The Shape of Her Bite” at Stevenson Cape Town until May 9.
- Theresa-Anne Mackintosh’s “Now Is Not Forever” show at WAM, Joburg, until July 4.
- Lebogang Mbewe’s “To Whom It May Concern” solo show at the Association for Visual Arts, Cape Town, until June 11.
Book fairs
Kingsmead Book Fair
Kingsmead College is holding its 14th annual book fair this month, and it’s a packed programme, featuring talks on, among others, women and crime writing, with Sally Andrew, Bonnie Espie, Andrea Shaw and Tracey Farren; healing, with Nozipho Tshabalala, Rachel Kolisi and Tebogo “ProVerb” Thekisho; and the urban margins of Joburg, with GG Alcock, Hannah Dawson and Tanya Zack.
Date: May 23
Venue: Kingsmead College, Joburg
Tickets: R60-R115
Franschhoek Literary Festival
A major player in the SA literary world since 2007, this festival is always worth your while, with such renowned writers, artists and thinkers as Wanted’s Wamuwi Mbao and Michele Magwood, Anwar McKay, Sven Axelrad, Anton Kannemeyer, Qaanitah Hunter, Mandy Wiener, Justice Malala, Dominique Botha and Imraan Coovadia.
Dates: May 15-17
Venues: Across Franschhoek
Theatre
Albie Sachs: Fathers, Sons, and Soft Vengeance
Directed by Fiona Ramsay and starring Graham Hopkins, this production explores the life of Albie Sachs through the lens of family, resilience and forgiveness. Written by Gail Louw.
Dates: May 5-24
Venue: Sandton Theatre on the Square, Joburg
Tickets: R200-R220
theatreonthesquare.co.za / webtickets.co.za
Rise ’76: The Story of June 16th
Marking the 50th anniversary of the 1976 youth uprisings, Rise ’76: The Story of June 16th is set in the fictional Molefe Secondary School in Soweto. It draws on testimonies from over 40 people, alongside archival material, literature and public records, to tell the story of the protests as lived, intimate experiences. Directed by two-time Fleur du Cap award-winning Tiisetso Mashifane wa Noni.
Dates: May 8-30
Venue: The Baxter Studio, Cape Town
Tickets: R150-R250
Afropocalypse
The multi-award-winning ensemble from the Market Theatre Laboratory returns with this electric and imaginative production, which follows a group of travelling storytellers in an apocalyptic setting as they share their stories of hope and resilience.
Dates: May 7-23
Venue: Market Theatre, Joburg
Tickets: R110-R220
Music
Carmen
Cape Town Opera presents Georges Bizet’s Carmen, the story of a proud, independent woman who would rather die than betray her own nature. The opera’s enduring fame can be attributed to the combination of unforgettable music and deep passion. Nonhlanhla Yende is Carmen and Lukhanyo Mayake is Don José.
Dates: May 19-31
Venue: Artscape, Opera House, Cape Town
Tickets: R180-R950
Dance
Dada Masilo’s Hamlet
The Dance Factory, in association with the Market Theatre, is doing Dada Masilo’s Hamlet before it travels to Wiesbaden and London. The work is restaged by dancer/choreographer Llewellyn Mnguni, who also plays the role of Hamlet’s mother.
Dates: May 16 & 17
Venue: Market Theatre, Joburg
Tickets: R170-R250
