Cape Town - African contemporary art is attracting the attention of collectors from all over the world, who will be travelling to Cape Town to snap up the work on display at the Cape Town Art Fair later this month.
The galleries exhibiting at the Art Fair don’t like to disclose exactly how much buyers paid for artworks, but last year sales were in the region of R120-150 million.
Fair director Laura Vincenti said the last five years had seen African art become a hot commodity in the art world.
“We know at this moment that African art is very hot. It’s sold very well in auctions in New York and London,” she said. “That is showing there is a lot of expectation and curiosity around what it means to be an African artist. That is the main reason why people are so attracted by coming to the fair.”
Vincenti’s Art Fair is the only one on the continent that places African work side by side with artworks from international galleries. Artists from 58 different countries will be showing their work, with just over half the galleries being international.
“It appeals to international collectors who want to see more in-depth African art, but it appeals also to local collectors because it has a lot of international works that they couldn’t see anywhere else in South Africa,” Vincenti said. “It’s quite an extraordinary thing.”
Vincenti said as the fair had grown over the past eight years, so had the cohort of collectors who come to find works to buy. Now, many buyers are from Europe and elsewhere in Africa - but there is also a trend of buyers being younger and more local.
“When it comes to the international crowd, it’s very mixed - not just established collectors but a lot of young collectors coming too, very passionate about what they can see in a new country.”
Tisot Tommaso is an Italian collector who will be attending the Cape Town Art Fair for the second time.
“For a collector and fan of young and emerging artists, like myself, it’s the best place in the world right now,” Tommaso said. “I believe that contemporary African art is growing rapidly and is the most interesting in the world at this moment in history.”
He said that young African artists had a unique vision, paired with incredible creative force in the world’s contemporary art scene.
Tommaso said that this year he would be making some studio visits in the hope of discovering new young artists who are unknown to most but show immense promise - as he has did on his previous visit.
Andrea Boghi is another Italian art collector who keeps coming back to the fair. This year will be his third trip.
“Cape Town Art Fair offers the opportunity to find in one single place among the best artworks, galleries, institutions that the African continent can offer,” he said.
He fell in love with the city, along with its art.
Boghi is also in search of young artists, particularly those who grapple with their social environments through their work. He’ll be making a beeline for the section of the Art Fair that showcases emerging talents.
The Cape Town Art Fair will be taking place from February 14-16 at the International Convention Centre.