Keyes Art Night captures and distils the creative pulse of Joburg for an evening that seamlessly blends art, music and conviviality. The precinct’s galleries and restaurants open their doors for a night of exploration and energy. Whether you're a seasoned art enthusiast, a curious first-timer, or simply someone who appreciates good food, cold drinks and the buzz of a city doing what it does best, Keyes Art Night delivers every time.
For April, you'll notice a vast excavation has opened up where the next phase of the Keyes precinct is taking shape. A physical reminder that this city is never finished, only being rewritten, this month's Keyes Art Night reflects on how the city is constructed and imagined. You can expect panoramic maps the size of a wall, a hands-on Makers' Space, Aspire Art's Collector's Edition showcase, exhibitions in Gallery 1 and BKhz, and a unique retrospective of Teresa Lizamore's career collecting at Lizamore on Keyes.
And as always, Keyes excels when it comes to food and drinks with a variety of restaurants offering meals, 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. Material reflections in Gallery 1
2. Private sales showcase at Aspire Art
Photo: Johannesburg In Your Pocket.
3. Over 35 years of collecting at Lizamore on Keyes
4. New solo at BKhz
5. Maps and making in The Atrium
Photo: Johannesburg In Your Pocket.
In From Waterfall to Soweto, Titus Matiyane presents a sweeping panoramic map of Gauteng, tracing the urban continuum across highways, housing, railways and infrastructure. Working from an aerial perspective, Matiyane’s dense, immersive compositions reveal the hidden systems that connect the city, shaped by movement, labour and ambition. Inviting slow looking, the work situates viewers within a vast, interconnected urban landscape and asks them to consider their place within its unfolding geography.
The ever-popular Makers' Table is back, and this month it's bigger than ever. There's no set brief or prescribed outcome, just a generously stocked table of materials and the invitation to make something that moves you. Let the exhibitions do the talking: maybe it's the layered and varied mediums at Lizamore on Keyes that get you going, or the sweeping scale of Titus Matiyane's panoramic map in The Atrium. Perhaps it's the raw materials and wonder of Groundwork in Gallery 1 that inspire you to work with texture and form, or Lunga Ntila's collaged portraits at BKhz that have you reaching for the scissors.
Whatever sparks your imagination on the night, the Makers' Table is your outlet for that energy. Whether you're a professional artist or someone who hasn't picked up a pencil since school, this is where you can slow down on the evening in the best possible way, and where some of the most unexpected things get made.
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.
Comments