ABOUT THE PROJECT

!KAURU is supported by the Department of Arts and Culture (International Relations).

!KAURU is a platform to showcase African contemporary art, this platform is used to educate the public about the role of art in society.

The project contributes to regional and continental integration and unity.

The exhibition takes place annually during Africa month around the month of May and is used as a platform to promote intra-

African trade and initiate dialogue amongst artists, government and the private sector.

WHO WE ARE

The !Kauru African Contemporary Art Project aims topromote conversations in Africa and internationally thatchange perceptions of the continent through contemporaryart. It provides a platform for African contemporary artistsand cultural practitioners to engage with a showcase ofcontemporary art from the continent. The project is focusedon dialogue around social and economic cohesion,transformation and access within the creative sectors inSouth Africa but also across the continent to strengthenengagement and build sustained relationships with creativesin countries around the African continent. The project beganin 2012 and over the past 5 years, !Kauru has exhibited over100 artists from over 20 African countries.

THE BLACK COLLECTORS FORUM (BCF)

The BCF is an initiative of !Kauru Contemporary Art

from Africa, and is primarily an independent platform that is creating spaces for seasoned and potential

collectors to engage with each other, as well as

supporting professional development in the creative

sectors. It also aims to cultivate new audiences and

art markets. The BCF continues to be supported

by leading art industry people including art loving

audiences, curators, collectors, gallerists,

auctioneers, art patrons and art executives.

WHAT WE DO To showcase the finest of African contemporary art.

Sensitize and mobilize South African/African audiences and media to appreciate African visual art.

Promote inter Africa/Diaspora cultural exchange in a direct and meaningful way.

Create a network and visibility for artists, artist promoters and academic cultural institutions.

Skills transfer, empower young and up coming local artists through our skills development workshops and community outreach programs.

!KAURU not only recognizes the visual arts as a means to celebrate heritage, but it strives to position the visual arts as an important contributor to the economy of the region and stimulate ongoing investment in this field.

PROJECT’S ACHIEVEMENTS OVER THE PAST 5 YEARS

Successfully presented opportunities for creative and cultural exchanges between local and internationally based/continental curators and artists, and South African audiences/creatives.

Developed a number of key collaborations and partnerships, and through the prism of !Kauru as a mass based, highly public audience and collector development programme

Promotes the growth and sustainability of the sector including a strong emphasis on audience development, economic growth and market access through the initiative of the Black Collectors Forum

Showcased 5 exhibitions of international standards featuring over 100 African artists from over 20 countries around the continent, working in a variety of media including digital and multimedia to visual art audiences in South Africa.

Initiated transfer of skills and professional development, as well as a sharing of expertise, experience and innovation through its educational and professional development programmes.

FUNDING AND PROJECT PARTNERS OVER THE PAST 5 YEARS

French Institute (IFAS) Art Africa

Goethe Institut Sandton Art Gallery Haute Cabriére Wits Art Museum Museum Africa The Point of OrderGordon Institute of Business Science, Art SourceUniversity of Pretoria Afrikan Freedom StationDestiny Magazine Back2Back AdvertisingUNISA NIROX Sculpture ParkEssays of Africa REMY MartinPretoria Art Museum Black Collectors ForumVANSA Embassy of SeychellesProhelvetia/SDC Embassy of MauritiusEmbassy of Tanzania Department of Arts and Culture, Italian Cultural Institute, JHB Embassy of AngolaSumep Media

A DYNAMIC FEMALE-LED TEAMTshepiso Mohlala Tshepiso Mohlala is the founder and director of !Kauru African

Contemporary Art from Africa. She started her career in the corporate environment working for blue chip companies such as Audi AG (Germany), Audi SA, BMW SA and Sony Ericsson SA, SAMPLEX Advertising and Marketing Agency. In 2003, she established her own Marketing and Advertising Agency, Back 2 Back Experiential Marketing specializing in social entrepreneurship, Corporate Social Investment and below the line advertising. She has 15 years experience in the field of business development, Advertising and marketing, as well as in the Arts and Culture sector. In 2012, Tshepiso conceptualized and initiated the !KAURU Contemporary Art from Africa project in collaboration with the Department arts and culture.

Refilwe Nkomo is a partner in !kauru and a Johannesburg based multimedia artist,

educator and culturalist producing cultural interventions and installations using various mediums including performance, video, text and sound to navigate and communicate experiences and use the arts as a tool for activism and social dialogue. She is the founder of Kalima, a marketing and research based project management company focusing on the arts and culture sector and is the co-founder of We Are Here (WAH), a non-profit organization working to dismantle gender based violence.

Ijeoma Loren Uche-Okeke is a partner in !kauru and worked for over 5 years as the

Regional Manager for the Visual Arts Network of South Africa and the Arts Projects Manager at the prestigious Gallery MOMO in Johannesburg, where she project managed both international, continental and local projects. She is an independent researcher, cultural facilitator and project manager with over 10 years of professional experience in the arts and culture sector as an administrator, curator and manager. Her professional experience has not only been in the arts but in academia as well, in particular working as a cultural and academic researcher and offering editorial and transcription services to MA and PhD students at the Wits University Business School and School of Arts.L-R: Tshepiso Mohlala, Refilwe Nkomo & Ijeoma Uche-Okeke