The almost-century-old building, with aged glamour wooden doors big enough to allow in giants, stands at the heart of the city to welcome the common man.

Within its walls art pieces by European greats Picasso and Rembrandt stand side by side with African artists, some previously unrecognised.

The art within the Johannesburg Art Gallery’s (JAG) walls has a monetary value of R500 million. Its cultural value is less easy to measure.

Perhaps that is why it is being neglected. As you enter an exhibition of beautifully crafted African dolls in the underground section of the new building, a foul smell hits you.

Staff know it’s human waste, slowly building up in the basement.

Pumps in the building have broken, leaving sewage flooding into the basement.

delicate: Chief curator at the Johannesburg Art Gallery Antoinette Murdoch points to damage to an art work. Pictures: Timothy Bernard

INLSA

The first set of pumps broke in November, but bureaucratic red tape – requiring that the gallery get signatures from a variety of city officials before spending any money – means the problem is yet to be fixed, and suppliers who have been brought in have not been paid.

Hundreds visit the gallery, all possibly needing to use the bathroom.

“If this carries on any longer we will have to close the gallery,” says chief curator Antoinette Murdoch.

And this is not the only maintenance problem caused by lack of funding. The gallery is required to meet international museum standards, which dictates that they regulate temperature, humidity and light in order to protect the art. And this costs money. Leaking is also a problem that over the years has seen some works damaged.

“We can’t borrow art (from other museums) because we can’t say our gallery is safe,” says Murdoch.

Murdoch grew up loving the gallery. Every day when she comes to work she is reminded of her childhood trips into the building.

“It’s been a lifelong love affair with this place… It’s literally my husband,” she laughs.

And like every good wife, she is protective of her spouse and rejects the view that the gallery is on a downward spiral because of its inner-city location.

“We need to stop thinking of visitors to this gallery being rich white people,” she says.

When they have exhibition openings, about 80 percent of the attendees are young, trendy black people. “Just because demographics have changed, because old white people don’t want to come here anymore, doesn’t mean the gallery is irrelevant.”

Standing next to a restored painting of a grand-looking man with a large frill around his neck, Murdoch takes a few moments to think about the greater meaning of the gallery.

“This is the place where Europe and Africa come together, where cultures merge. This is a place where we can have conversations.”

On Sunday the exhibition A Fragile Archive opens.