JHB Gallery Opening

Southern Guild and WHATIFTHEWORLD disrupt Johannesburg’s artistic landscape with their dynamic new space in Rosebank’s Keyes Art Mile precinct. The 300-square-metre contemporary exhibition space heralds an intriguing partnership between the esteemed collectible-design platform and the leading contemporary art gallery, both firmly established in Cape Town.

Each gallery maintains its distinct identity while provoking a new exchange between artists and designers and introducing a fresh creative dialogue. This local manifestation of a global movement toward blurring the line between art and design, results in a curatorially focused intimacy between artists working in the two arenas. With both galleries strongly focused on representing artists and designers throughout Africa, this collaboration offers a ground-breaking showcase of the best work from the continent.

For their inaugural show, the two galleries curate a synergetic collection of work that presents a strong narrative of their shared methodology. The exhibition includes work by Nigerian photographer Lakin Ogunbanwo, Zimbabwean sculptor Moffat Takadiwa and visual artist Athi-Patra Ruga, alongside limited-edition furniture by leading African designers such as Cheick Diallo, Hamed Ouattara and the late Babacar Niang, as well as South African design heroes Gregor Jenkin, Porky Hefer and Dokter and Misses.

(Update: Please note that Southern Guild’s flagship space at the V&A Waterfront Silo District is the gallery’s current location in Cape Town.)