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JOBURG'S many art galleries have put together a variety of exciting exhibitions in the run up to the festive season.
There are Scandinavian artists at the grand old lady - the Johannesburg Art Gallery - and ancient manuscripts from the Ahmed Baba Institute in Timbuktu, contemporary local artists and French architects around the city, among other intriguing shows.
Johannesburg Art Gallery
An exhibition of works by Nordic and South African artists entitled Disturbance is on at the Johannesburg Art Gallery in Joubert Park. It explores the literal and implicit ruptures that exist in society.
Norwegian Marja Helander, 'Mount Palopää' can be seen at the JAG
Norwegian artists taking part in the exhibition include Bodil Furu, Torbion Rodland, Maia Urstad and the duo Goksoyr and Maartens, Astrid K Jensen represents Denmark, while the Finnish group includes Eija Liisa Ahtila, Maria Helander and Veli Grano.
South African artists with works on show include Siemon Allan, Anthea Moys, James Web, Nandipha Mnthambo, Athi Ptra Ruga, Nicholas Hlobo and Alastair Mclahlan. Disturbance runs until 1 March 2009.
Johannesburg Art Gallery is in King George Street, between Wolmarans and Noord streets, in Joubert Park. For further information on the exhibition, contact the gallery 011 725 3130.
Alliance Francaise
The French cultural association, Alliance Francaise, presents Wayne Barker's To Love is 2 Live, from Wednesday, 29 October to Saturday, 1 November.
Barker focuses on friends and sex workers, touching on the theme of the rat race and how modern humans spend their lives chasing material dreams. He uses a mixture of different materials, including bead work, neon lighting and small sculptural money globes, his symbol of the world.
Also at Alliance Francaise is Les camets de la creation, a bilingual French and English series of biographies focusing on 100 artists from around the world. Seven well-known South African artists are included in the series - Lolo Veleko, Andrew Tshabangu, Mikhael Subotzky, Sue Williamson, Tracey Rose, Brett Murray and Moshekwa Langa.
The exhibition is on Thursday, 23 October.
Alliance Francaise is at 17 Lower Park Drive, corner Kerry Road, Parkview, opposite the Zoo Lake. For further information, contact Pauline on 011 646 1169 or send an email to
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Art at the Dam
Region B's Residents Association will be holding an art exhibition and community get-together at Westdene Dam on 25 October.
Local artists and small businesses will exhibit their works and introduce themselves to the community of Westdene, Meldene, Melville, Auckland Park - and anyone else who wants to enjoy a day at the dam.
Westdene Dam is at the corner of Lewes and Tenby South streets, Westdene. For more information, contact Cindy Grobbelaar on 082 8228 387 or send an email to
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Standard Bank Gallery
Standard Bank Gallery is known for its striking exhibitions, bringing some of the best art and artists to the city. Its latest offering is a collection of 40 manuscripts from the Ahmed Baba Institute in Timbuktu, in Mali, west Africa.
Mother Nature is painting the city in bright summer hues, and Joburg's art galleries are following in her footsteps with a succession of excellent exhibitions.
Ghandi in Judith Mason’s retrospective exhibition, which is on at Standard Bank Gallery in Johannesburg until 6 December
Some of these manuscripts are hundreds of years old, written in a variety of styles of Arabic calligraphy by scholars who were part of an African Islamic intellectual tradition based in Timbuktu.
The exhibition includes manuscripts on topics ranging from religion to astronomy and mathematics as well as history and literary forms, legal judgments and commercial transactions that give a sense of daily life in Timbuktu.
The exhibition is an integral part of the South Africa Mali project which was initiated by President Thabo Mbeki in 2002.
As an initiative of the New Partnership for Africa's Development (Nepad), the project aims to conserve the important collection of manuscripts held at the institute through the training of staff and the construction of a building to house the collection.
Timbuktu is a Unesco World Heritage site and is the home of the prestigious Koranic Sankore University and other madrasas, or Islamic schools. It was an intellectual and spiritual capital in the 15th and 16th centuries. Its three great mosques, Djingareyber, Sankore and Sidi Yahia, recall Timbuktu's golden age. Although continuously restored, these monuments are today under threat from desertification.
The exhibition opens on Friday, 21 November and closes on Monday, 1 December
In addition, A prospect of icons, Judith Mason's retrospective exhibition, is on at Standard Bank Gallery in Johannesburg until 6 December.
The battery hen by Judith Mason can be seen at the Standard Bank Gallery
The title of Mason's show is drawn from her essay in a book dedicated to Heather Martienssen by her former students and colleagues. The contributions pay tribute to Martienssen on her retirement as professor of fine art from the University of Johannesburg in 1973.
While Mason's work draws extensively on religion, she also explores mythological figures and creatures such as the Minotaur and Arachne, the spider that symbolises creativity and aggressiveness.
The gallery is at the corner of Simmonds and Fredrick streets in downtown Johannesburg. It is open from 8am to 4.30pm on Mondays to Fridays and from 9am to 1pm on Saturdays. It is closed on Sunday and public holidays.
For more information, contact the gallery on 011 631 1889.
Bag Factory
On Thursday, 23 October, Katharina Rohde from Germany and Barbara Walker from the United Kingdom will discuss their work and current projects at the Bag Factory, in the inner city.
The informal session begins at 4.30pm. The programme will allow the audience to interact with the two artists in an environment of cultural diversity.
The Bag Factory is at 10 Mahlathini Street in Newtown. For further information, contact the gallery on 011 834 9181 or send an email to
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Extra Muros, Architectures of Delight
A collection of exceptional photographs of contemporary architecture by various French architects will be on display in different locations around Johannesburg from 13 November to 12 December.
Athi-Patra Ruga, 'Even I Exist in Embo: Jaundiced tales of counterpenetration' (Image courtesy of Art Extra)
It is held by the French Institute of South Africa, the Cultures France, the French Institute of Dusseldorf, and the Cite de I' Architecture et Patrimoine. Extra Muros, Architectures of Delight will focus on architecture in line with current urban environments, territorial or programme-related issues that are relevant throughout the world.
The exhibition will take place at several venues:
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Drill Hall, on the corner of Plein and Twist streets, Joubert Park, from Tuesday to Saturday, 1pm to 4pm;
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Market Photo Workshop, 2 President Street, Bus Factory entrance, Newtown, from Monday to Saturday, 9am to 5pm until 5 December;
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Alliance Francaise, 17 Lower Park Drive, Parkview, from Monday to Thursday, 9am to 8pm, on Friday, 9am to 6pm and Saturday, 9am to 1pm;
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Six Bar, Seventh Street, Melville, everyday from 12pm to 2pm; and
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Roka Lounge Bar, 44 Stanley Avenue, Milpark, from Tuesday to Saturday, 11am to 2pm.
For more information, contact Ben Motresor on 011 836 5850
Goodman Gallery
The Goodman Gallery presents the works of Willie Bester from 25 October to 15 November.
Bester's works are largely political and reflect the turbid history of South Africa and his own experience of growing up during apartheid. He also brings into focus of what he perceives to be current threats to humanity and potential atrocities playing themselves out in the world.
The gallery is at 163 Jan Smuts Avenue, Parkwood and is open from Tuesdays to Fridays, between 9.30am and 5.30pm and on Saturdays from 9.30am to 4pm. It is closed on Sundays and Mondays. For more information, contact the gallery on 011 788 1113.
Amoeba
Coming to Amoeba on Thursday, 23 October is Colin Cole's exhibition Mouth without minds and other fragments.
In this exhibition, Cole explores the attitudes of humans living in the city and the effects of technology on society.
Amoeba is at Shop 3, corner 4th Avenue and Seventh Street, Parkhurst. For more details, call 011 447 5025.
Kim Sacks Gallery
An exhibition of works by Gregory Joffe and Shelley Maisel will be on display at Kim Sacks Gallery on 25 October.
Maisel will present a selection of her intricate patterning of pieced work. Her inspiration is drawn from rich tapestries and intricate abstract patchworks.
Joffe focuses on sculpturing. Most of his work is constructed using slabs of white stoneware which are manipulated to the required shapes.
The exhibition closes on 8 November.
Kim Sacks Gallery is at 153 Jan Smuts Avenue, Parkwood. For more information, contact the gallery on 011 447 5804 or send an email to
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