New sponsor on board for Latitudes art fair, it is going physical again
With leading corporate bank Rand Merchant Bank (RMB) behind it, Latitudes art fair will take place 26-28 May 2023, at Shepstone Gardens, one of Johannesburg’s most iconic venues.
By Edward Tsumele, CITYLIFE/ARTS Editor
Again the story of Latitudes Art Fair is yet another story whose fate is very much intricately tied to the tragic story of the global pandemic, Covid-19 and its complications. However Latitudes managed to defy the odds and triumphed over adversity.
Lunched amid much excitement at Board Walk in Sandton in 2019, it is a story that inspired many in the arts, as not only is this art fair led and founded by dynamic women in the arts, who have paid their dues and earned their credentials and credibility as individuals.
The vision behind it is equally impressive as the art fair was going to add yet another art fair on the local contemporary art market centering African art in general and female artists and their art practice in particular. And indeed it has done so, reconfiguring the trajectory of how to market contemporary art in the digital era. Originally, it was not planned to go that way, but had to in light of the pandemic, which came its way and threatened to destroy the baby still in its mother’s womb, so to speak.
The story of Latitudes is this: It began as a physical art fair, on Nelson Mandela Square, Johannesburg, in September 2019. Meant to be an annual art trade platform in a physical way,that was never to happen however as Covid-19 had its own ideas of reorganising the world.
The second edition of Latitudes did not happen in 2020 as Covid-19 was in full force. But the founders did not sit on their laurels as they quickly devised a new way of connecting with role players in art, and a new format of art trade. Instead of having a physical Latitudes, an impossibility in light of the Covid-19 series of lockdowns in 2020 and 2021, they created Latitudes Online, which became a huge success ever since.
The stories of its success are plenty, including the lunch of a new art prize aimed at female emerging artists. Certain artists also were successfully launched to the market through the platform, with their works in some few cases, selling out a few days after they were put on the platform. The platform also managed to create a network, a data base of not only African artists but also art galleries that are listed on the platform, for example. In short, the online art platform grew exponentially in the past two years. In a way it is one of Covid-19 innovation success stories.
But now the team behind Latitudes has an even better story for the art trade. Not only have they attracted a new sponsor, but are now busy organising their second physically accessible art fair for next year.
“We will present our second physical edition in May 2023. And we are proud to announce that Rand Merchant Bank (RMB) a leading African Corporate and Investment Bank, is the title sponsorof our event,” they said in a statement this week.
The indoor-outdoor event will take place at Shepstone Gardens, one of Johannesburg’s most iconic venues, from 26-28 May 2023. Central to the curation of the 2023 edition is outdoor sculpture, as well as solo and duo artist presentations
The good news is Rand Merchant Bank (RMB), a leading African corporate and investment bank, has partnered with Latitudes, the largest online marketplace for art from Africa. Together, RMB and Latitudes are bringing an innovative new indoor/outdoor art experience to Johannesburg.
“RMB Latitudes (26-28 May 2023) is an artist-forward event with a focus on discovery and development. In addition to traditional art fair booths, galleries, curators and artists will be encouraged to create their own unique exhibition spaces, in response to the unexpected and intimate venue, Shepstone Gardens. Central to the curation of the 2023 edition is sculpture, as well as solo and duo artist presentations,” the statement further states.
Says RMB’s Carolynne Waterhouse: “We are thrilled to partner with Latitudes who mirror our belief in Africa’s vibrant and resourceful creative economy. This public showcase of African artistic expression, in a unique Johannesburg venue, reinforces the importance of unlocking this continent’s creative talent.”
“We are looking forward to welcoming visitors and the arts industry to a uniquely African art experience, that is inclusive, fair, highly curated and embraces our natural environment,” says Lucy MacGarry, Latitudes Co-founder. “Having always admired RMB’s committed support of the arts and refreshing approach to their many arts initiatives, we are incredibly proud to come together to realise our shared vision.”
At the 2023 edition of RMB Latitudes, artists and exhibitors from across the continent will transform Shepstone Gardens, a magnificent three-acre property, into a curated celebration of art from Africa. Visitors can enjoy some of the finest of African contemporary art and creativity, while strolling through an iconic Johannesburg garden and enjoying art talks and walkabouts, contemporary dining experiences, champagne, wine and gin bars.
RMB Latitudes is a destination event celebrating the creative spirit, fostering new relationships, connecting artists and galleries to buyers and the public, and creating new opportunities.
.For more information and to apply, please visit: latitudesartfair.com