From rooftops to alleyways, Contra.Joburg connects diverse hubs to redefine the art fair

Sara Hallatt is from Meta Foundation, the organisation behind Contra, and founded the event back in 2021 as OpenStudios.joburg. Over the years, Contra has picked up a few key sponsors, including Jozi My Jozi, the corporate-backed organisation that’s been investing a lot of time and money into patching up some of the city’s broken bits. 

What is Contra’s goal, exactly? 

In Johannesburg, where sprawling new developments and infrastructural collapse brush up against each other all over the city, and cultural events like exhibitions and art fairs are increasingly taking place in privatised spaces in the suburbs, Contra does the important work of redirecting focus to the artists making their work in the city. 

Hence the decentralised nature of an event like this, where free shuttles move art lovers from Braamfontein and Lorentzville, to Doornfontein, Marshalltown and more.  

Through partnering with noteworthy artist studios like August House, Ellis House and Transwerke Studios, and spaces of collaboration and collective making like Victoria Yards and Bag Factory Artists’ Studios, Contra sees artists opening up their studios to the public for two days. 

The idea is that you are able to hop off a shuttle, step into the world of the studio, converse with the artist, and buy their work right off the wall, effectively short circuiting the commercial art market processes that private galleries have built their business models around. 

Since its inception, Contra has reportedly facilitated nearly R3-million in direct art sales. Its partnership with financing platforms like Africa Collect also means that buyers can purchase works and pay them off over time, which ultimately benefits artists and new collectors alike. 

But attending an event like this also means that you’re effectively in conversation with these spaces, and the parts of the city they draw their energy from — the labyrinth-like August House with its many artists and sweeping rooftop views, or the relatively unknown Oovookoo, which, situated at the edge of the city, is a space of urgent and exciting new artmaking.   

Two weeks before Contra, the organisers put together a half-day excursion and invited a handful of artists, writers, journalists and people with smartphones and large social media followings to journey with them through the city via bus. 

At Ellis House, in Senzeni Marasela’s studio, the artist is characteristically reticent about her practice, choosing instead to focus on the work of younger artists she’s mentoring, and the growing community of practice that exists in places like Ellis House. 

Collective growth

During Contra, Marasela’s studio is hosting Ekunye: A Collective Journey, an exhibition of “emerging” black women artists. It was about shifting the emphasis on collective growth rather than competition, said Marasela. 

As we’re gathered in her studio, Joburg Ballet stages an intervention, seeing dancers Monike Cristina and Revil Yon performing an extract from choreographer Mario Gaglione’s new ballet, Maria Callas: Prima Donna. Based in Braamfontein, Joburg Ballet is “an essential part of the city and of our artistic community”, says Hallatt. 

Back on the bus, we leave Doornfontein, onto bustling Albertina Sisulu, and head into town. 

On Loveday, across from the Rand Club, sits the new Asisebenze Art Atelier. 

Having started as a hub of artist studios on 28 Plein street, this is Asisebenze’s second space, located at 34 Loveday Street, occupying the first two floors of the newly renovated Aegis building, an art deco heritage building. During Contra, they’ll have a brand new group show, featuring artists from their network. 

Optimistic

The ground floor of Asisebenze is glass panelled, an optimistic and inviting choice for an inner-city gallery. As Hallatt puts it: “How do I know that art is returning to the city? Because a property development group renovated a building and, instead of using the ground floor for retail, chose to turn it into a gallery space.” 

The junket ends in Braam, where we all take a walk across Nelson Mandela Bridge, recently touched up and now sporting benches, new lights and patterned motifs. 

A lone member of the Joburg Opera emerges, equipped with nothing but a portable speaker, and manages to project his voice above the cacophony of rush hour traffic. A little over the top, perhaps, but a memorable moment. 

The aim, of course, is to give us all a taste of what the city and its artists have to offer — from its dancers and painters to its singers and designers — and this is something that Contra has been succeeding at since its inception. 

The challenge, says Hallatt, is getting people to pay attention, drawing audiences into the city. So, consider this a gentle nudge. The cold has finally left Johannesburg. The artists are there, as is the infrastructure. All you need to do is hop on a shuttle. DM

Contra.Joburg takes place from 30 to 31 August 2025. Find the full programme here.