Cape Town Art Fair 2019: Africa's Art Scene Takes Center Stage

The seventh edition of the Cape Town Art Fair, acquired three years ago by miart and directed by Laura Vincenti, brought together 52 galleries, including 12 Italian ones, alongside major European players like Perrotin and Templon. The fair is part of Cape Town's Art Week, which also features private institutions such as the Norval Foundation (opened April 2018), dedicated to African artists, and A4, hosting an intervention by Dan Perjovschi and a residency by Gian Maria Tosatti. The Zeitz MOCAA, a contemporary art museum opened in 2017 in a former grain silo renovated by Thomas Heatherwick, has drawn criticism for its reliance on loans from German collector Jochen Zeitz rather than a permanent collection. Galleries presented emerging Black artists like Nelson Oswald Dennis (post-colonial conceptual work), Bronwyn Katz (minimalist sculptures about memory), and Thania Petersen (critical analysis of South Africa's Muslim community). Vincenti noted that South African collectors are increasingly interested in contemporary art, thanks to the fair and Zeitz MOCAA, but stressed the need for stronger ties with public institutions. The fair reflects a broader push to build an African modern art identity, supported by collectors like Atose Aguele and Tokini Peterside, founder of Art X Lagos.