Taking SA art to the world

TWELVE talented South African artists will showcase their contemporary art to an international audience when their work is exhibited in Germany throughout next month.

The purpose of the Travelling Art Gallery (TAG), which will run from December 1 till the end of that month, is to showcase contemporary South African art to an international audience via accessible pop-up exhibitions in European cities, according to its organisers.

Founded by a group of South African artists early this year and driven by the passion of art lover and gallery owner Barbara Lenhard, the TAG previously held three successful exhibitions in Germany in June and July.

Johannesburg-based Bidvest Panalpina Logistics’ business development director Maria du Preez, with the company’s managing director Craig Mountjoy, supported the TAG from the start.

The initial concept for the TAG was simply to “take South African art to the world and invite the world back to South Africa”, Du Preez said.

Before the June and July trip many had thought logistics for travelling around Europe with large artworks, and setting up and promoting pop-up exhibitions, would be complicated.

But Lenhard and her team hosted two successful crowdfunding campaigns on Kickstarter to raise the initial operational costs.

The TAG is now in the process of being set up as a NPO.