Malinga follows her heArt
Curator takes the art field by storm
Gallery owner Nomfundo Malinga is a goal-driven young woman who is keen to make a mark in the field of art that was previously dominated by whites.
Malinga, the daughter of boxing legend Thulani “Sugar Boy” Malinga, is a curator and co-owner of 13th Floor Gallery, that is based at 95 Commissioner Street in the Johannesburg CBD. The gallery, which she opened in June last year, exhibits art works of different artists.
The 31-year-old Malinga, who comes from a strong marketing background, fell in love with art when she met co-partner Mathijs Lieshout – a visual artist from the Netherlands.
“I [first] fell in love with art after seeing some of the art works. I discovered that I love everything about it. I then taught myself a lot about art and how it works,” Malinga said.
The ambitious Ladysmith-born, KwaZulu-Natal, woman said running a gallery requires three qualities: passion, determination and the love for the art industry.
When Malinga established the gallery, she wanted it to be run professionally and put in a lot of effort to make it so, especially in designing and promoting the place.
“I did not go into the art field to be mediocre. I wanted everything to be done accordingly so that art buyers and followers take us seriously,” Malinga said.
The biggest challenge about running a gallery is finance and making sure that there are exhibitions every six weeks to attract a variety of customers.
To make sure the gallery is profitable, she has started a new concept where they have dinner and enjoy good wine while having conversations about art.
“When we started the concept, people did not pay. But I’m happy that people are still coming to our exhibitions despite the fact that we are now charging them. It is another way [to market the art] and it gives them an opportunity to interact with the artist exhibiting,” she told Sowetan.
Malinga is determined to expand the gallery by adding residency programmes and to introduce other programmes.
Working with the Johannesburg Central Library and Urban Ocean Property Developers, the gallery organises workshops for children and auctions on rooftops. The gallery has featured exhibitions of people such as Mbali Tshabalala, Cassius Khumalo, Thabo Motseki, Gordon Froud, Andile Buka and many others.
I did not go into art field to be mediocre. I wanted ... buyers to take us seriously