Investec Cape Town Art Fair: Africa’s biggest art showcase

A full weekend of contemporary African art with over 98 exhibitors

Investec Art Fair is back IRL this year. It’s one of Africa’s most exciting annual events, where the world (and locals) gather to enjoy art and artists from the continent, with curators and galleries coming everywhere from Morocco to Milan.

Investec Cape Town Art Fair is a highlight on the annual cultural calendar. Credit: Nina Lieska

Most exciting is that Investec Cape Town Art Fair 2022 – the 9th edition of the event – is hosted back at its usual home, the CTICC. This is a full weekend of art immersion, a vibrant annual meeting place for art lovers, collectors and the creative community. Book your space for the event, on from 18 to 20 February, 2022. 

FEEL THE PULSE OF CONTEMPORARY ART

Artists are interpreters of the zeitgeist, the defining mood and trends of a period. This makes Investec Cape Town Art Fair 2022 the place to be for artists, creatives, makers and people wanting to feel the pulse of current culture and better understand the times we live in. 

There will be more than 98 local and international exhibitors from 20 countries, including 17 participants who will exhibit for the first time. The fair will feature contemporary African and global art, with galleries from Berlin and Milan to Senegal and Johannesburg showcasing remarkable, thought-provoking work. 

Investec Cape Town Art Fair. Credit: Byron Berry

There’ll be eight sections (SOLO, ALT, Tomorrows/Today, Main, Editions, Past/Modern, Cultural/Platforms and Magazines & Publications), from the main hall through to curated areas that speak to a particular theme. The most established galleries, from Everard Read through to Goodman Gallery together with international organisations, will be in the Main section.

Aviwe Plaatjie’s “The Podcast”; Plaatjie is represented by Capetonian gallery Ebony Curated. Credit: Ebony Curated

ADD TO YOUR COLLECTION OF AFRICAN ART

There’ll be over eighty exhibitors in these sections, so if you’re an African collector, it’s rich pickings. Besides the countries mentioned above, African galleries represented include Uganda, Angola, Ivory Coast, Kenya and Tunisia.

South African big names are here, too, including Everard Read, Goodman Gallery, Southern Guild, Stevenson, WhatIfTheWorld, Berman Contemporary, Botho Project Space, Kalashnikovv Gallery and others.

Cinthia Sifa Mulanga’s “Shades of Ambition”. Mulanga is represented by Johannesburg gallery Botho Project Space. Credit: Botho Project Space

START YOUR OWN COLLECTION

Living with art is incredibly enriching, and you can start small. Tomorrows/Today is where you’ll find all the up-and-coming artists, and where prices are better suited to the starter-pocket. Another possibility is the ALT section – debuting this year – where young and non-traditional exhibitors will show the work of their artists.

Michaela Younge is represented by SMAC; this is “Maybe this year I’ll marry Henry – afterall, I’m not getting any younger”. Credit: SMAC

If originals are out of your price range, head to the Editions section, where galleries and workshops that specialise in prints, editions and multiples are represented. Here you may find the print of a painting you’ve fallen in love with at a fraction of its original price. 

Buy a print like this one by Nigerian modernist Uche Okeke. Credit: Asele Institute

CONNECT WITH OTHER ART PEOPLE

Investec Art Fair 2022 is one of the main events on South Africa’s cultural calendar. It’s the largest contemporary art fair on the continent with thousands of visitors and VIPs, and curators, artists and art journalists from around the globe. This is the place where the African art market gains exposure to the international market. Plus, it’s a great vibe, with loads of connecting events, such as Gallery Night.

Gallery Night provides exposure to galleries around the city. Visitors to the Art Fair can hop on any one of 3 Cape Town Red Buses, which will leave from outside the CTICC and stop for 20 minutes at each participating gallery. It's a great opportunity for galleries to gain exposure to a broader, international audience, and for visitors to the fair to see what's happening on the city scene. The buses leave at 6pm, 6:20pm and 6:40pm, and will loop back to the convention centre again. Covid protocols will be in place.

This is a place to meet art lovers, and people who invest in art. Credit: Nina Lieska

WHEN + WHERE TO GO  

Investec Cape Town Art Fair is on: Friday, 18 February to Sunday, 20 February, 2022
Find it: Website; Cape Town International Convention Centre, 1 Lower Long Street, Cape Town
Cost: R130 - R210 for a day ticket. R330 for a weekend pass.
Book: Online at webtickets
Contact on: 021 702 2280, art@fieramilano.co.za. Follow on Instagram: @investeccapetownartfair
Parking: At the Cape Town International Convention Centre for a fee.
Food and drink: A variety of food and drinks, including a full bar service. The vendors will accept credit cards or cash.
Where to stay: For assistance with flight bookings, hotel deals, transfers, etc get in touch with the concierge partner: Heidi@tourdafrique.co.za

PLEASE NOTE COVID SAFETY PROTOCOLS

• Proof of vaccination or of a negative covid-19 test result must be presented.

• It will be mandatory to wear masks, and social distancing must be practiced. 

• On-site rapid tests will be available, at the cost of the guest.

• Find more details on their website: investeccapetownartfair.co.za/hours-and-info

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LET THE FAIR LAUNCH YOUR ART EXPERIENCE

While you’re in town, you can see what’s on in other galleries in Cape Town.

Just over an hour away from Cape Town is Hermanus, another art hub in South Africa.

You’ll find more creative experiences in our 7 Things to do This Week(end).

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