Ten things to look out for at Joburg’s RMB Latitudes 2026

This week, we bring you things to see at the Latitudes Art Fair, Joburg’s inner-city art fair, and in my opinion, it’s the most beautiful and interesting one. I attended last night, a fairyland of delights and I strongly recommend a visit. It’s the only time I wish that I could become both banker and journalist – to afford some of the fabulous work. It’s a feast for the eye and heart and it shows what Joburg is.

The gig guide is taking a break for two weeks as we work out what to do after the monumental loss of our gig guide maestrina Maria McCloy.

Bronwyn Coppola writes: There is something magical about that in-between stage when everyone is still setting up for RMB Latitudes Art Fair: ladders everywhere, technicians tweaking lighting, paint still drying, the artworld surviving on caffeine and a sense of community second to none. I get to experience a pre-preview preview.

She has selected 10 must-see items at the fair, which is being held at Shepstone Gardens from 22 to 24 May for its fourth edition.

INDEX 2026: The Contours of Return

Before INDEX launched in 2019, artists generally needed gallery representation to be part of an art fair. RMB Latitudes flipped that model and it’s become one of the most exciting spaces at the fair. It creates real opportunities for emerging artists while opening conversations with galleries, collectors and audiences.

This year’s INDEX exhibition, presented in partnership with the National Arts Council, feels especially powerful in relation to the theme. The Contours of Return explores resilience, inheritance, renewal and survival – ideas that feel deeply connected to this city. There’s something very Joburg about creativity pushing through difficult conditions.

Watch out for The Ghost of Nostalgia by Mhlonishwa Zulu. Without being prescriptive it leaves room for your own internal dialogue. Let it take you wherever you wish to go.

Koooooos: Performing Humanism (101)

Koos Groenewald has a finely attuned ability to expose the strange theatre of being human. Through loose, instinctive linework and deceptively playful compositions, his works capture moments of vulnerability, ego, intimacy, longing and absurdity with a rare combination of humour and emotional insight.

His figures often feel caught mid-thought or mid-crisis or mid-something-we’ve-all-felt-but-never-said-out-loud. And that’s what I love about it: beneath the humour there’s real tenderness. Performing Humanism (101) – curated and produced with Samantha Whittaker of Curatorial Edge – feels like a celebration of all the weird, messy, universally relatable moments that make us human.

Occupying the Gallery: Pay to Play

Every year Occupying the Gallery brings something fresh and energetic to the fair, but what really stands out for me is the intention behind the project. Established by Mary Sibande and Lawrence Lemaoana, it’s not simply an exhibition platform – it’s a mobile mentorship programme, a space for conceptual and technical experimentation, collaboration and active investment in emerging artists.

This year’s presentation, Pay to Play, taps into the visual language of eighties arcade culture while also speaking to the realities of navigating the art world. It’s playful but sharp.

Dada Khanyisa: Above and Beyond

Watch this space to see what Dada Khanyisa does with The Turret this year. I’ve always admired their process – seamlessly working across painting, sculpture and installation. It feels alive and social somehow. After seeing the artist’s video I’m even more curious to experience how they transform the circular architecture of the space into something immersive and layered.

Artist Proof Studio

Artist Proof Studio is an absolute must-see this year, especially as they celebrate their 35-year legacy. What makes APS so critical in this ecosystem of ours, is that it’s never just about prints on walls – it’s about education, access, mentorship and sustaining future generations of artists. There’s something beautiful about the fact that buying art here genuinely means investing in young creative talent. That ripple effect matters.

ESSAY 2026: Jan Neethling and Robert Hodgins

I’ve had a deep respect for Robert Hodgins’ work since my days at Wits while whittling away in the Fine Arts department, so ESSAY is definitely on my list this year. Conceived and curated by RMB Latitudes Co-Director Lucy MacGarry, the pairing with Jan Neethling contemplates the quieter artistic relationships that shape South African art history. It’s about influence, friendship and mentorship. While Hodgins became internationally recognised, Neethling continued to develop his practice somewhat outside the spotlight. There’s something very moving about seeing his work given this level of attention and context now, reminding us that art history isn’t only built by the loudest or most commercially successful voices but by the artists working steadily and thoughtfully for decades, shaping others along the way.

Everard Read Gallery

Everard Read shifts the paradigm with a presentation of smaller-format works that proves artistic value doesn't require massive real estate. The booth is intentionally curated to be accessible and unintimidating, providing the perfect entry point for younger, emerging buyers looking to start their collecting journey. In doing so, the gallery is actively investing in the longevity of the African art ecosystem by inviting a fresh generation of patrons into the fold. This intentional platform also gives the gallery an exciting opportunity to introduce compelling, younger emerging voices such as Boytchie and Luca Evans.

Also keep an eye open for Guy du Toit’s whimsical depictions of his instantly recognisable Hares posing as the iconic Dance of the Cygnets from Swan Lake. The artist and the gallery have donated the first edition (1/16) towards a fundraiser that will benefit Joburg Ballet’s Pointe Shoe Fund. Here’s a link if you’d like to donate and stand the chance to own a R90,000 sculpture.

Heidi Fourie: Altar

This week, I caught a glimpse of Heidi Fourie’s Altar while it was being installed at David Krut’s booth and it genuinely stopped me in my tracks. It’s one of those works you don’t just look at – you physically enter it. The painting feels lush and immersive without being dramatic. Standing in front of it, I could completely understand the Oasis theme on a sensory level. It made me want to walk straight into some dense green landscape and disappear for a while. Take a moment to stand in front of it.

The Outdoor Programme

One of the defining factors about RMB Latitudes is the way the fair unfolds through gardens and outdoor spaces. It encourages people to participate, play, explore and engage with the environment differently. It breaks down that intimidating feeling art fairs can sometimes have and reminds people that art can also be joyful, collaborative and curious.

Look out for Johannes van Greunen’s botanical installation in the Japanese Garden and Emely van Heesch’s Rooted Resonance.

Then there’s Creatures of the Oasis by Shade and ORMS Print Room & Framing, which transforms discarded materials into imagined future beings scattered throughout the gardens.

Naledi Maifala: ANNA Award Solo Presentation

In collaboration with ReCurate, ANNA Pure Organic and RMB Latitudes Botswana artist Naledi Maifala, winner of 2025 ANNA Award, presents her first solo exhibition in Joburg at this year’s fair.

Mafaila’s work stands as a testament to the quiet power of observation – a practice anchored in solitude and deep attentiveness to the everyday. By deliberately avoiding overt political commentary, she subverts the expectation that her work must carry the weight of historical struggle. Instead, her art finds profound meaning in the fleeting and the intimate.

Across all 10 of these presentations, what lingers is a shared attentiveness to the human condition – to gesture, memory, humour, vulnerability and the quiet poetry of everyday life. The works that stay with us are rarely the loudest. They are often the ones that ask us to slow down, look closer and feel more deeply. That, for me, is the enduring pleasure of a fair like this in a space like this.

Enjoy!

The Weekend Essay — Laurice Taitz-Buntman

Joburg’s Keyes Art Mile 2.0: A vision finally takes shape after a decade of dreaming

Time in Joburg doesn’t move in a straight line. It bends, stalls, accelerates and loops. A minute here can hold a universe of change – and just as easily, years can pass while you wait for a pothole to be filled or a streetlight to stop blinking.

Ten years ago, the Keyes Art Mile launched in lower Rosebank with the Trumpet building beside Circa Gallery. What was imagined as the beginning of a new precinct gradually drew in its neighbours, from St Teresa’s School to Everard Read, sketching the outline of an art mile.

And then came the wait.

Read it here

Joburg’s Keyes Art Mile 2.0: A vision finally takes shape after a decade of dreaming

May 20, 2026

Joburg ‘Person of the day’

Nomthandazo “Nom-t” Dladla is a South African fashion designer, stylist, and entrepreneur who founded the clothing label UJU Designs. She began her creative journey making doll’s clothing and reconstructing her own garments as a child in Soweto. After matriculating, Nom-t attended the Soyikwa Arts Centre in 2006 before studying Advanced Fashion Design at Birnam Business College, graduating in 2010. She gained widespread recognition after showcasing her collections at Soweto Fashion Week in 2012, which established her brand among local fashion enthusiasts. From 2014 to 2023, she served as a wardrobe stylist for the long-running SABC 1 lifestyle and variety show Selimathunzi. Her design contributions garnered her the Best Pageant Designer of the Year award at the 2024 Global Pageantry Awards (GPA). DM

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