The central exhibition at Art Haus, titled 'Whose Waters Do We Drink From?', will feature participants including Lady Scully and other artists. The article's author notes the fine line between writing a preliminary article and promotional material, emphasizing the need to pay for advance coverage of events.
BMW Art Generation Vol. IV will take place this Saturday, August 29, and Sunday, August 30, at BMW Art Haus, formerly Stevenson Gallery, located in Parktown North, Johannesburg. A quieter version of the event will follow next week, from September 3 to 6.
Since 2023, this event has been held in the same week as the annual FNB Art Joburg contemporary art fair, the 19th edition of which opens next week. This, according to the author, has a certain strategic logic because the art community is already in the city and ready to discuss current discussions.
Previously, BMW Art Generation has always looked good on social media, featuring performers such as Sifo 'Hotstix' Mabuse, Msaki, Munei, and Gregory Makoma. This year, the musical program will be headed by Nduduzo Makhathini and Thando Zide. In addition, visitors can expect an exhibition, a reading room, a bookstore, dining options, and organized walking tours.
Speaking with curator and manager Kim Kandan, the author learned more about the event. Kandan explained that the ambition established in 2023 was to create a space where learning could initiate the collecting process, allowing artists, collectors, curators, academics, and viewers to meet through ideas, not just through artworks. This led to the creation of a 'sustainable platform for engaging with contemporary African art' outside the traditional structure of an art fair.
Since then, BMW Art Generation has evolved into an annual venue for exhibitions, talks, education, performance, and cultural exchange. This year, the event is scaling up, offering a two-part exhibition that will be presented both at BMW Art Haus at 46 7th Avenue, Parktown North, and in the MAX FNB Art Joburg section. The intimate scale of the first part will dialogue with the larger structure of the second.
Simply put, BMW Art Generation aims to make the art fair not an endpoint, but a starting point. The central exhibition at Art Haus explores the origin of knowledge, who carries it, how it is transmitted, and what happens when analyzing systems that have historically determined the legitimacy of certain forms of knowledge.
The exhibition brings together numerous artists, including Bernie Searle, Bronwyn Katz, Cherise Dilridge, Donna Cookam, Everlyn Nicodemus, George Mahashe, Helen Sebidi, Kamila Adam Hassim, Kamva Matuisa, Kemanga Va Lehulele, Lady Scully, Lebohanga Kganye, Lindokule Sobekwa, Nolan Oswald Dennis, Pamela Patsimo Sanstrum, Paulo Nazareth, Portia Zwavahere, Robin Road, Simnike Buhlungu, and Yinku Shonibare. Among them are both artists whose works are represented in major international institutions and biennials, and those whose practice is more deeply connected to research, place, and specific intellectual traditions.
The curatorial proposal, at least on paper, is aimed not at a collection of names, but at putting different modes of knowing into dialogue. Works are not for sale, although some will be available for purchase at the Art Fair itself.
When the author asked Kandan how to start visiting, she advised entering the space with curiosity rather than looking for a clear beginning, middle, and end. She recommended: 'Give yourself time to familiarize yourself with the works without trying to resolve them immediately.' Doors open at 11 am on Saturday and Sunday, and the program starts at noon with a tour of the 'Whose Waters Do We Drink From?' exhibition. Talks are scheduled for 1:00 pm and 3:00 pm, followed by musical performances from 4:00 pm to 8:00 pm. Thando Zide will perform on Saturday, and Nduduzo Makhathini on Sunday.
Art Haus will reopen from September 3 to 6 for those who prefer to visit the exhibition without the weekend rush. Entry is free on these days, but pre-registration is required. Mandla Sibeko, Director of FNB Art Joburg, concluded that the goal of BMW Art Generation is to create conditions for meaningful interaction, where knowledge is shared across generations, and collecting begins with understanding. He added that this year's theme prompts reflection not only on what we know, but also on where that knowledge comes from and how to ensure its further development.