Located in the walkable Oxford Parks, Radisson RED Rosebank is best known for incredible views from its rooftop bar, a vibrant restaurant, and chic accommodation. However, visitors will quickly notice the larger-than-life works of art on display in the lobby and common areas. More than just a static art collection, every year since opening (2021) Radisson RED Rosebank reaches out to an artist to exhibit their works in the hotel, with these reflecting the pulse of the art world and celebrating artists from the African continent who are pioneering new forms of representation.
To find out more, we chatted with this year's featured artist Sam Nhlengethwa, and Guido Giachetti, the Chief Executive of RDC Property Group, the man behind this concept at Radisson RED Rosebank. Radisson RED Rosebank forms part of the RDC Property Group's portfolio. A Botswana-based property company, RDC is one of the major sponsors of the annual Investec Cape Town Art Fair.
A legend of Joburg's art scene
Born in the small community of Payneville, near Springs, in 1955, Nhlengethwa grew up in Ratanda "location" in nearby Heidelberg and moved to Johannesburg in the 1980s where he honed his artistic practice at the renowned Johannesburg Art Foundation under its legendary founder, Bill Ainslie. It was a heady and dramatic time in Johannesburg, when apartheid strictures were reaching their height and the city, and country, was in the grip of states of emergency.At the Bag Factory in Newtown, Nhlengethwa shared studio space with other pioneering artists David Koloane and Kagiso Pat Mautloa. The trio laid the foundation for many artists to follow, creating a welcoming space in a city that at that time did not recognise them as equal to their white counterparts. People who were part of the art world at that time might recollect the stories of Linda Givon, founder of Goodman Gallery, then opening exhibitions showcasing the work of white and black artists. These would be raided by the police, and Nhlengethwa wryly recalls that he and his fellow black artists would disguise themselves by donning waiters' jackets to avoid being arrested.
In his time Nhlengethwa has seen the art world in South Africa evolve from something that was repressed and restricted into one of the most exciting and vibrant art scenes in the world. His work has changed with the city around him, touching on jazz, street life, fashion, and architecture, and there are few artists who can introduce and speak to the city better than him. While his collaged works may be best known, Nhlengethwa moves across mediums to represent this patchwork city.
Represented by Goodman Gallery, Nhlengethwa has also fostered a new generation of young artists as one of the co-founders of the pioneering Bag Factory, an essential art studio space in Newtown in the City Centre. Nhlengethwa has exhibited across the globe, but exhibiting his work at the Radisson RED Rosebank is what excites him the most: "[As an artist] our hub is always at the galleries. So for the first time, one's [work] is out of the gallery, and the hotel has got international guests, and then people start to ask: ‘Who is this person? How can we see his work?"
On the day of the launch, he can hardly contain his joy at seeing the large-scale works displayed across the hotel interiors.
This is not insignificant, as people are often inhibited by the gallery experience, and so to have artworks displayed where they can engage with them in an informal way, expands the reach. Nhlengethwa encapsulates it well by saying, "You are welcomed by the artists who are practising culture, and this is very meaningful to us."
Art for space and space for art
An avid art collector, the dapper Giachetti says that for him, it is essential that all RDC's buildings have an art component, capturing this with the phrase "art for space and space for art." With Radisson RED Rosebank's brand being committed to art and culture more broadly, Giachetti saw a unique opportunity to change the way the hotel uses and engages with art.
This comes in the form of yearly exhibitions in which the hotel displays large-scale renditions of a chosen artist's work. These high-quality prints on billboard material truly transform the mood of spaces in the hotel. Giachetti says he was inspired to work in this way with artists, because: "We can really do something that is interactive, that is joyful, and it goes into the brand. That's how we got involved."
"You are welcomed by the artists who are practising culture, and this is very meaningful to us." – Sam Nhlengethwa
In selecting artists, Giachetti says RDC focuses on people with a strong community orientation and who the RDC Group feels have made an impact on both African art and the communities of which the artist is a part.
The first artist they reached out to was Prince Jyesi from Ghana, who has gone on to do work with Hermes, Apple, and Pirelli. Since then, they have brought South African artist Zanele Muholi's powerful works to the hotel, as well as Zimbabwean artist Tega Tafadzwa. Now, they pay homage to this city with Sam Nhlengethwa's legendary Joburg-inspired works.
More than an exhibition
Nhlengethwa has been one of the driving forces of the evolution and development of art in South Africa, and he jokes that now he can rest in peace knowing that his impact is being recognised outside these formal gallery spaces. Not one to only focus on himself, Nhlengethwa points to the opening of fresh opportunities for the new generation of artists: "I am excited, and I wish I were at their age because I envy the things that are happening to them that didn't happen to us then," he says. His reference to "then" points to another universe in South Africa and its art landscape, as Nhlengethwa came of age as an artist at a time when the country was in the grip of apartheid and black artists were being denied the recognition that their white counterparts were enjoying.
"There is a shift happening, but I think I've done my duties representing the city of Johannesburg. It's for a new generation; yeah, they can all carry on. I gave them the baton; they must just run with it." – Sam Nhlengethwa
Part of the appeal of Radisson RED Rosebank's rotating exhibition is how each artist's work transforms the space differently. This imbues the hotel with a creative atmosphere, one that taps into the surrounding culture. The brand is known globally as being connected to fashion, art, and music.
The 10 works on display give the viewer a glimpse into Nhlengethwa's oeuvre, from his focus on fashion and interior design, and the streets of Joburg, to his love of jazz music and his use of different mediums. A devoted family man, his wife, Maureen, even features as a fashion model in his work.
It's hard to choose a favourite work, but if pressed, it would be "After Miles Davis, 2021," an image that was woven into a magnificent tapestry by Marguerite Stephens Tapestry Studio.
Nhlengethwa says that after the opening night, one of the staff members came up to him, saying, "I peeped at the grand piano. It's so stunning. I love it!" It is emblematic of why Radisson RED Rosebank has decided to do these exhibitions, in that it allows for a broader audience for the artists' work, one that is not inhibited by the idea of what an art gallery is and the "expert looking" often associated with those kinds of spaces.
Looking forward
Giachetti has big plans for the future of this project: "The plan is to have a new artist every year, and over 10 years, ideally we will print a coffee table book of all the artists of the Radisson RED. It might even culminate with an exhibit along the streets. I would love to have 100 pieces put up as billboards." The prospect of an art exhibition on Joburg's streets excites us immensely, and for Giachetti, these exhibitions are more than just decoration in one of his hotels, they are an expression of his commitment and love for the arts.
As we ended our chat with Sam Nhlengethwa, we asked him what is next for Joburg and himself. The artist has moved his studio of many years from the City Centre to his home on the East Rand. Always humble, he replied, "There is a shift happening, but I think I've done my duties representing the city of Johannesburg ... It's for a new generation. I gave them the baton; they must just run with it."
Run with it, they will, but what Nhlengethwa's exhibition at Radisson RED Rosebank highlights is that he has laid the bedrock.
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