Global and African art market according to the Art Basel Report 2023
The annual Art Basel and UBS Art Market Report is out. With pages and pages of well-researched insights on the global art market from the previous year, the report covers topics from NFTs and online sales to auctions, dealers and fairs. It’s dense and certainly doesn’t qualify as light reading so here at Pavillon54 […]
Pavillon 54 in conversation with collector Liesle Barrath
Joburg-based collector Liesle Barrath takes Pavillon54 on a walk through her private art collection. Housed in her leafy home, it is a cool and eclectic mix of works featuring heavy-hitting names such as Mmakgabo Helen Sebidi and Nandipha Mntambo together with street-art inspired works courtesy of artists Khaya Witbooi and Vusi Beauchamp. Walking through […]
Cape Town Art Fair: A report from Pavillon 54
Celebrating a decade of contemporary South African art, Investec Cape Town opened its doors for its tenth edition. From modest beginnings, it is now generally acknowledged as the largest international contemporary art fair in Africa. The fair focused on the concept of time — the theme was broad, appropriately so as time is all-encompassing of […]
Black History Month Through Art
In the American cultural landscape, the contributions of black American artists are both crucial and significant. This is largely overlooked because of America’s well-documented history of slavery and systematic racism. It is important to mention this because it has affected the way that art, made by black American artists, is viewed and valued so […]
Through the crystal ball: Four artworld predictions for 2023
A new year welcomes new trends in the art world. While it is difficult to predict the future of any industry, specific movements will transform the art world this year. After years of uncertainty due to the pandemic, the year ahead will face some challenges with the art market set to contract. Even so, […]
Who is Victor Ekpuk?
Who is Victor Ekpuk? Nigerian-American artist Victor Ekpuk has come to acclaim through his unique visual language, which abstracts the ancient Nigerian script Nsibidi and indigenous Uli art forms. By taking these codes and philosophies as the base for his artistic practice, Ekpuk creates his own symbolism that aims to decrypt the truths of the […]
Kojo Marfo’s ‘Dreaming of Identity’: “Artworks to create a connection with people, to be a symbol for everyone to relate to”
With his first solo UK exhibition ‘Dreaming of Identity’ at JD Malat gallery, London, Kojo Marfo (b. 1980) explores the theme of identity through his own experience of migration. The artist depicts human figures with references from Africa, representing his roots in Ghana and Akan’s culture, and from the Western world – representing his travel […]
What to know when buying art?
The possibilities of buying art grow ever more abundant. Indeed, these days, the dual-swoop of new, innovative digital art galleries and the increasing trend in the wealthy investing in art means that the art market is booming, particularly online. Among those using online platforms are wealthy millennials, many of whom are first-time buyers. If you count yourself among those who are interested in acquiring art for the first time, there are a few important questions to ask yourself before you make that big purchase. Below we’ve listed what to know when buying art, including some of the most important factors to consider.
Why is African Contemporary Art trending (and why should you buy now)?
Didier Claes booth, AKAA Art Fair, Paris, November 2019 For all the talk of the ‘African Art Boom’ in recent years, it isn’t always evident why is African contemporary art trending and what this boom entails, how it came to be, or what the future of the African art market is. Before investing in […]