As the early winter chill begins to settle over Joburg, Keyes Art Night returns on Thu, May 7 to heat things up with its signature blend of contemporary art and excellent food.
Taking place at Keyes Art Mile on the first Thursday of every month, Keyes Art Night is a brilliant excuse to wander between world-class galleries and buzzing eateries. It’s an evening designed for discovery, whether you're looking to engage with thought-provoking new exhibitions, get hands-on at the Makers Table or just wanting to soak up the atmosphere and chat to new people.
This May, alongside the dramatic, ever-evolving backdrop of the precinct's ongoing excavations for its next phase, the art programming is particularly compelling. Visitors can explore our material histories Gallery 1's ongoing Groundwork exhibition, unpack complex themes of identity and memory in a new group show at Lizamore on Keyes and marvel at intricate paper artistry at BKhz. And this month's Makers Table with Open Window takes inspiration from ancient rock art.
Of course, no Keyes Art Night is complete without the selection of restaurants at Keyes. From The Prawnery, Momo Kuro and Kanpai to Marble and BGR, while Pantry by Marble serves yummy soft serve. When all is seen and done, round the night off at MIX Cocktail Bar with cool beats and drinks.
1. A Small Kind of Magic at Lizamore on Keyes
Lizamore on Keyes opens a compelling new group exhibition, A Small Kind of Magic, with a preview from 17:30. Featuring the works of Rosemary Marriott, Moloko Mabotja and Jenny Nijenhuis, the show brings together three artists whose works return to early experience, memory, and the ways identity is shaped over time. Marriott’s paintings and cloth sculptures draw from childhood storytelling, while Mabotja uses soft pastel and colour reduction printmaking to navigate vulnerability and reclaim a sense of self. Nijenhuis examines how identity is shaped through social conditioning, particularly around gender and conformity. Across painting, sculpture, and printmaking, the works invite quiet reflection on how we come to know ourselves.
2. Solo exhibition at BKhz
BKhz hosts the solo exhibition of Ayobola "Zak" Kekere-Ekun, a contemporary visual artist born in Lagos, Nigeria, and now living and working in South Africa. Kekere-Ekun works predominantly with quilling, a painstaking technique in which individual strips of paper are shaped and assembled to create intricate, layered forms. She views the density and delicacy of her work as a visual metaphor for the weight and complexity of the subjects she explores, among them gender, mythology, memory and trauma.
3. Material reflections in Gallery 1
Timed to mark the ground-breaking of the much-anticipated Keyes Art Mile 2.0 expansion, Groundwork shifts the way you look at the materials underpinning the world around us. Stone, dust, carbon, concrete – the raw materials of Joburg's built world – are put under the artistic microscope in an exhibition that examines the geological matter and human labour that hold this city together. As the excavation for the precinct's next phase deepens just outside the gallery doors, this ongoing exhibition offers a fascinating, real-time look at how our environments are formed materially, culturally and imaginatively.
4. Visions in Stone at The Makers Table
The Makers' Table turns The Atrium into a studio, and this month it's hosted by Open Window Johannesburg, presenting Visions in Stone. Drawing inspiration from South Africa's rich heritage of rock art, this interactive session invites you to create your very own piece of rock art. Inspired by the Bushmen’s shamanic medicine rituals, participants are encouraged to communicate through associations and symbols rather than literal depictions. Think about representing a dream or spiritual experience, layering images for added meaning or using the natural shape and colour of the rock as a co-creator of your artwork, and if you need some inspo, Groundwork is the perfect place to get it. Whether you're a professional artist or just looking to slow down on the evening, grab a seat and leave your own mark.
6. Pause for a drink and a meal
While art is front and centre at Keyes Art Night, you certainly won't be leaving hungry, given all that Keyes has to offer dining-wise. Enjoy beautifully crafted sushi at the Japanese-fusion restaurant Kanpai or giant tiger prawns on the hibachi grill at The Prawnery. Book via Dineplan. Freshly Ground is great for a casual bite – a favourite is the creamy chicken tikka masala pasta. Add appetising Asian street food to the line-up at Momo Kuro on the top floor of the Trumpet Building, or try the ramen at Momo's street-level store. Burger and fries more your style? Keep it easy at BGR. Unwind with sunset drinks at Marble (also in the swanky Trumpet Building), and if soft serve is your thing, head down the parking lot stairs to Pantry by Marble.
7. Sip and spin at MIX Cocktail Bar
To round off the evening, head to MIX Cocktail Bar, where a dynamic line-up of DJs will provide the soundtrack to an evening of artful celebration. With its lively atmosphere, MIX remains one of the city’s most popular post-gallery destinations.
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