After four years in development, Zeitz Museum of Contemporary Art Africa (Zeitz MOCAA), the first major museum in Africa dedicated to contemporary art from Africa and its Diaspora, opens to the public this Friday.
Photograph by Iwan Bann.
“At its heart, Zeitz MOCAA is centred on the promise of creating a museum that showcases the best talent and creativity of Africa and grants access to everyone.”
The Zeitz Museum of Contemporary Art Africa will open to the public during Heritage Weekend 2017, holding a four-day Grand Opening from Friday, 22 September to Monday, 25 September. During this time, no entrance fee will be charged.
First announced in 2013, the ambitious four-year project to convert the historic Grain Silo at the V&A Waterfront into a cutting-edge contemporary art museum is officially in the home stretch, having reached the “One Year to Grand Opening” milestone.
The Museum, a partnership between the V&A Waterfront and Jochen Zeitz, is the first major museum in Africa dedicated to contemporary art from Africa and its Diaspora, and also the first African institution to acknowledge new mediums through the establishment of different centres and institutes within the overall museum.
On completion, Zeitz MOCAA will house Centres for Costume Institute, Photography, Curatorial Excellence, the Moving Image, Performative Practice, and Art Education. In addition to the different Centres, the museum will also feature a myriad of gallery spaces, a sculpture garden, bookshop, restaurant, technical training areas, research labs, reading rooms, etc.
In addition to exhibiting an extensive art collection from some of Africa’s most talented artists, Zeitz MOCAA has sought to create a contemporary art museum that is easily accessible to South Africans and continental visitors. The Museum’s ‘Access for All’ programme will ensure that no one is ever turned away from the Museum due to the inability to afford admission.
The ‘Access for All’ programme will see visitors under the age of 18 allowed free entrance to the museum all year round, free admission every Wednesday morning for all South Africans and other visitors from the African continent, and half-price admission for all on ‘Late Night Fridays’. The Museum is removing financial barriers to entry for those who may not have the resources to visit otherwise.
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Exhibitions on view, from 22 September:
Wounded Negatives, Samson Kambalu. On view until 29 November 2017.
Luanda, Encyclopedic City, Edson Chagas. On view until 13 Jan 2018.
Off-the-Air, Mouna Karray. On view until 15 January 2018.
Material Value, Nandipha Mntambo. On view until 27 Jan 2018.
All Things Being Equal…, group show. Artists include Ghada Amer, El Anatsui, William Kentridge, Zanele Muholi, and Kehinde Wiley. On view until 19 February 2018.
Regarding the Ease of Others, Kudzanai Chiurai. On view until 31 March 2018.
Addio del Passato, Yinka Shonibare, MBE (RA). On view until 28 May 2018.
LGBTQI+:, Faces & Phases, Zanele Muholi; with a new artist announced each month. On view until 25 June 2018.
iimpundulu zonke ziyandilandela, Nicholas Hlobo. On view until 30 July 2018.
Now and Then: El Loko/Kyle Morland, El Loko, Kyle Morland. On view until 27 August 2018.
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Grand Opening Weekend: 22 to 25 September 2017 (free for all)
Operating hours beginning on 27 September 2017:
• Wednesday to Monday 10 am to 6 pm; closed Tuesdays
• “Late Night Fridays” to be announced (open until 10 pm)
Access for All:
• Free admission to all under 18s
• Free admission from 10 am to 1 pm every Wednesday, for all South Africans and people from the African continent
• Half-price admission for all on ‘Late Night Fridays’
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