ART 37
CHAMPIONING
AFRICAN ARTISTS Absa is another master of curated corporate spaces. The bank is a chief champion of supporting emerging art talent from African regions where the bank has a presence. In addition to running the Absa Art Gallery, which hosts solo exhibitions of winners of the prestigious and annual Absa L’Atelier Art Awards, Absa also has an extensive corporate collection that goes a long way towards curating various corporate spaces within the banking group. “Many of these artworks adorn the
The Absa Art Gallery in downtown Johannesburg hosts Absa L’Atelier Art Award winners’ solo exhibitions.
walls of Absa’s branches, boardrooms and office space,” says Paul Bayliss, Absa Art & Museum Curator. “These works are rotated on a regular basis, allowing employees an opportunity to appreciate the rich talent of visual artists across the African continent, while providing a platform for dialoguing and engaging on various topical issues.” Without a doubt, the Absa Art Gallery is
the focal point of Absa’s push to use art to tell the narrative of rich talent from around the continent and showcase art of which the public should be aware. All the works that are shown at the gallery are by artists who participate in the Absa L’Atelier Art
“OUR ROLE AS CURATORS IS TO POSITION EMERGING ARTISTS IN A WAY THAT
ALLOWS THEM TO UTILISE THE PLATFORM WE’VE CREATED AND GIVES THEM THE
OPPORTUNITY OF PARTNERING WITH THE ABSA GALLERY TO BUILD THEIR BRANDS.”
Awards, which support up-and-coming artists in diverse fields, including painting, sculpture and photography. For example, the overall winner of the L’Atelier is given space for a solo exhibition, in addition to an international residency. The gallery is located in downtown
Johannesburg and is accessible to the public every day of the week. “The aim of any exhibition hosted in the Absa Gallery is to create an experience for the visitor, while positioning the artists and their works in the best way possible. The artworks are usually curated in a way that creates a narrative and takes the visitor on a journey,” Bayliss says. “The aesthetics of the artworks are taken into consideration, as well as their position in relation to other artworks. Our role as curators is also to position emerging artists in a way that allows them to utilise the platform we’ve created and gives them the opportunity to partner with the Absa Gallery to build their brands.” In the process, buyers get to appreciate
the wonderful works coming out of this continent, while also “shattering the myth that one needs lots of money to invest in good contemporary artworks from Africa”. Bayliss adds: “As Absa Gallery, our aim
is also to ensure that the gallery’s more accessible to all. As our strategy is to support young and emerging artists, our buyers have a unique opportunity to be part of the journey as the artists’ careers blossom.” The Absa Art Gallery hosts
regular exhibitions, each running for approximately five weeks, meaning there’s a constant rotation of artworks. This ensures that there’s always something of interest – for clients, art buyers and the general public.
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