UPCOMING EVENT
Join Us!
Bag Factory is proud to announce our annual end of year Open Studios, in collaboration with Open City.
This is your opportunity to meet the creative practitioners in the intimacy of their working space in person. Come and enjoy a day alongside Bag Factory-based and visiting artists, alongside selected alumni. Discover the captivating art world at our studios with a wide selection of artworks and see a range in topics and mediums. At this year’s Open Studios we invite you you to come witness the magic that is Refiloe Namise’s second activation as part of the current 𝘥𝘪𝘵𝘴𝘩𝘸𝘢𝘯𝘵𝘴𝘩𝘰, 𝘥𝘪𝘱𝘢𝘭𝘰, 𝘥𝘪𝘨𝘰𝘱𝘰𝘵𝘴𝘰 exhibition!
For more information click here.
CURRENT EXHIBITION:
We are excited to present ditshwantsho, dipalo, digopotso, a solo presentation by Refiloe Namise, comprising re-placed archive prints, video, performance, remembrances and readings.
Through this exhibition-in-progress, this year’s David Koloane Award recipient explores the idea of the Open Studio. The project’s title ditshwantsho, dipalo, digopotso, meaning ‘images, readings, reminders’ is uncapitalized to connote their existence within broader contexts.
Just as the specific meanings of these words shift in response to their context, so too, the interpretations of Namise’s research are left open-ended, resolving themselves through their performance.
CURRENT RESIDENCIES
ABOUT THE PROGRAMME:
Talent Unlocked 2024 presents a unique opportunity for South African artists in Gauteng to engage in a comprehensive five-month mentorship program.
RMB Talent Unlocked offers industry-specific training and one-on-one creative mentorship support, aimed at advancing artistic careers.
In conjunction with Bag Factory Artists’ Studios and Artist Proof Studio, programme participants will benefit from studio space and ongoing support throughout the duration of the 2024 program.
The culmination of the program includes exposure to various professional exhibition and marketing opportunities, strategically timed to coincide with Joburg Art Fair’s peak season and exhibiting platforms in August and September.
2024 CASSIRER WELZ AWARD WINNER
Congratulations to Tawanda Takura
The selection jury, which included Bag Factory Director Maria Fidel Regueros and Programmes Manager Nala Xaba, as well as Strauss & Co. Executive Director Client Advisory Khetiwe McClain and Art Specialist Arisha Maharaj, agreed that Takura stands out as an exceptional artist. His self-taught practice in found object sculpture will significantly benefit from this opportunity for both creative and professional growth.
The 2024 call for entries included artists from several countries within the Triangle Network, such as Angola, Botswana, Eswatini, Kenya, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Nigeria, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda and Zambia; and it is with great pride that the award this year is presented to a Zimbabwean artist.
ARCHIVE PROJECT
BAG FACTORY LIVING ARCHIVE PROJECT
Bag Factory Artists‘ Studios has a pioneering 32 year history of providing a supportive infrastructure for artists. By combining art making with cultural debate and exhibitions, we create a fertile international environment for experimentation, innovation, and cultural dialogue between creatives in South Africa and the rest of the world.
The Bag Factory Archive Project, in collaboration with Preempt Group, aims to preserve a rich history of past and present artists, including our co-founder Dr David Koloane, Sam Nhlengethwa, Kagiso Patrick Mautloa, Mmakgabo Helen Sebidi, Bongi Dhlomo-Mautloa, as well as Penny Siopis, Tracey Rose, Kendell Geers, Gabi Ngcobo, Lady Skollie, Blessing Ngobeni, and Bronwyn Katz.
As the Bag Factory enters an important period of transition, it is more important than ever to conserve the historic records as a living archive, allowing art historians and researchers to access them for future generations.
The project lists, catalogues and preserves conserve the Bag Factory’s historic records as a living archive, allowing art historians and researchers to access them for future generations.
The project is supported by the National Heritage Council and National Arts Council, Republic of South Africa.
For more information read here
PAST EXHIBITIONS
