ABSA Gallery in Johannesburg CBD has a new venue
By Edward Tsumele
Before Covid-19 came and disrupted the art sector in South Africa and of course elsewhere, one of the most desirable invitations in Johannesburg art circles was the opening of exhibitions at ABSA Gallery in Johannesburg CBD. The openings, which took place on Sundays, hosted by ABSA senior art specialist and curator Dr. Paul Bayliss, were always more than an exhibition. At each exhibition opening crowds of people flocked there and there was always a carnival atmosphere.
The atmosphere was always apt for networking in the arts community while enjoying food and drink, and of course viewing great art from some of the continent’s most interesting emerging artists who were good and lucky enough to be selected as finalists for especially the annual L’Atelier competition. But when Covid-19 came, those interesting opening parties also stopped, denying the art patrons, collectors and the art establishment at large, an opportunity to network and enjoy viewing art and each other’s company.
However all that is not lost completely, and in fact even better art viewing experience awaits the art sector as the waiting for the long awaited opening of the newly built ABSA Gallery is over. While the new standalone Gallery situated in the basement of a residential building housing apartments on Main Street, officially opened recently virtually, art lovers and art collectors can now visit the art gallery physically in its new premises. The gallery is now conveniently situated across the road from its original venue in the Main ABSA Towers Building on Main Street JHB CBD.
“Now people can come and visit the gallery in its new home. All they need to do however is to book in advance as per current Covid-19 protocols in place. This new venue is of course more accessible as the previous venue was situated within the main building where other departments are also housed, making accessibility not that smooth sometimes. In fact some people may have not even known that there was a gallery in that building,” Bayliss said on Thursday, June, 9, 2022 at a media tour of the new ABSA gallery.
Balysliss however reemphasised the fact that the gallery’s main focus just like before, is on emerging artists as these are the category of artists who struggle to get an opportunity to exhibit.
“Sometimes we get approached by young emerging artists enquiring about opportunities for exhibiting in the gallery. I always advise them the point of departure is to enter the L’Atelier Awards and If they get selected by the independent panel, they then get to exhibit in this space. What is also good about the process is that all the finalists who are slected as ambassadors from the countries in Africa in which ABSA has a foot print, get to become ambassadors who exhibit as a group here and then go to their respective countries for further exhibitions opportunities,” Bayliss added.
The selected artists also get mentorship from industry professionals about the business of art, among other skills.
Currently the gallery is hosting an exhibition of masters and emerging artists, selected from the art works that were part of this year’s KKNK Festival in the Karoo, which took place in a physical sense for the first time this year since 2022.