AFTER a few years spent primarily promoting and selling contemporary Namibian art online, StArt Art Gallery has returned to a physical space at The Village Opera House in Windhoek.
The gallery’s permanent showroom was launched on 26 March, and will feature a variety of solo and group exhibitions amid a calendar of special events.
Rather than the end of StArt’s digital showroom and purchasing portal, the new venue is meant to complement the gallery’s hybrid model of showcasing Namibian art.
“It’s always been important for us to have a physical presence as well as an online one in order to create many platforms for artists and audiences to meet,” says StArt Art Gallery curator and co-founder Gina Figueira.
“This is the best way to reach as many people as possible, from locals who can pop into The Village Opera House, to international collectors who can still engage with Namibian artworks despite not being in the country.”
StArt Art Gallery formerly offered a permanent showroom at Grüner Kranz in 2018 and makes this move to The Village with appreciation of the company’s commitment to showcasing the arts.
“Village Management Company is working quite consciously to steer their space into one that encourages creativity and supports the arts,” says Figueira
“Many discussions about what the arts industries need involve space and particularly how difficult space is to come by. This is not only physical space, but a space to be empowered to create, share and show work,” she says.
“This makes it a great fit as we’re not simply making use of a physical space at The Village, but also working with their and our overall visions of how to support the arts.”
This pledge is echoed by The Village Management Company itself as they encourage more artists to reach out.
“The Village is committed to opening itself up as a space for creatives and artists to feel at home,” says The Village’s Deane Spall.
“We would like to encourage all those within the creative ecosystem, whether it be art, music, poetry, theatre or so much more, to get in touch with us directly or via StArt Art Gallery.”
The StArt showroom is currently presenting work by mixed media artists Actofel Ilovu, Fillipus Sheehama and Isabel Katjavivi, sculptors Ismael Shivute, Alpheus Mvula and Elisia Nghidishange, painters Nicky Marais and Arno Hoth and printmakers Lok Kandjengo and Petrus Amuthenu.
The opening exhibition also features work by the late photographer Tony Figueira.
As their new showroom finds its feet, StArt Art Gallery continues to thrive in the online space. The gallery will be participating in African Galleries Now, hosted by the African Art Galleries Association and Artsy, where the work of Marais, Hoth, Shivute and Nghidishange will be showcased, alongside over a dozen other African art galleries.
The fair launched on 30 March and runs until 17 April.
StArt Art Gallery is open for viewing from Monday to Saturday from 09h00 to 21h00. The showroom is located at The Village Opera House in The Village Garden on Liliencron Street.
Follow StArt Art Gallery on social media for more information.
– martha@namibian.com.na; Martha Mukaiwa on Twitter and Instagram; marthamukaiwa.com
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