Cape Town (6 December 2018) – A selection of exciting works from leading contemporary artists from Africa and its Diaspora raised R6.25 million at a benefit auction at Zeitz Museum of Contemporary Art Africa (Zeitz MOCAA).
Held in partnership with Strauss & Co, the much-anticipated live auction, which was packed to capacity, took place on Saturday 1 December 2018 and featured 28 lots, by 23 artists, from 10 countries. These included William Kentridge, Nicholas Hlobo and Yinka Shonibare amongst others. Collectors, patrons and numerous people from the Cape Town art fraternity, poured into the museum to support the auction.
“Everyone at the museum is energized by the generosity of the collectors who supported this benefit auction, not to mention the artists and galleries who donated such fantastic works to us. These artists are an inspiration to the next generation of creatives and thinkers, and Zeitz MOCAA is a space that both encourages and celebrates them,” said Brooke Minto, Director of Institutional Advancement at Zeitz MOCAA.
Three works by William Kentridge sold for a total of R3 million, while works from emerging artists such as Mongezi Ncaphayi, Blessing Ngobeni, and Patrick Bongoy sold on or above the pre-sale estimates.
Held in the museum’s award-winning grain silos, the benefit auction was guided by Strauss & Co, who waived all auction commissions from this special sale.
“We are thrilled with the outcome of the auction and are delighted to have had the opportunity to lend our brand and expertise to assist in raising funds for Zeitz MOCAA,” commented Frank Kilbourn, Executive Chairperson at Strauss & Co.
The full list of artists featured in the auction were:
Igshaan Adams
Peju Alatise
Wayne Barker
Deborah Bell
Patrick Bongoy
Jeanne Gaigher
Naomi Wanjiku Gakunga
Kate Gottgens
Nicholas Hlobo
Cyrus Kabiru
Peterson Kamwathi
William Kentridge
Gonçalo Mabunda
Wallen Mapondera
Mongezi Ncaphayi
Blessing Ngobeni
Nnenna Okore
Thania Petersen
Cameron Platter
Yinka Shonibare
Hank Willis Thomas
Barthélémy Toguo
Frohawk Two Feathers
ENDS
Media enquiries
Emma King
Interim Head of Communications
emma.king@zeitzmocaa.museum
+27 (0) 72 010 7704
NOTES TO THE EDITOR
About the Zeitz Museum of Contemporary Art Africa (Zeitz MOCAA)
Zeitz MOCAA is a public not-for-profit contemporary art museum that collects, preserves, researches and exhibits 21st-century art from Africa and its diaspora; hosts international exhibitions; develops supporting educational and enrichment programmes; encourages intercultural understanding, and guarantees access for all.
More than one hundred galleries are dedicated to a large cutting-edge permanent collection; temporary exhibitions; and Centres for Art Education, Curatorial Training, Performative Practice, Photography, the Moving Image, and the Costume Institute.
Zeitz MOCAA was established through a partnership between the V&A Waterfront led by CEO David Green–acting on behalf of Growthpoint Properties Limited and the Government Employees Pension Find (GEPF), represented by the Public Investment Corporation Limited (PIC)–and collector Jochen Zeitz. The building was reimagined through a design by the acclaimed London-based Heatherwick Studio.
In its first year of operation, Zeitz MOCAA welcomed over 350 000 visitors, 100 000 of which were free admission, as part of the museum’s “Access for All” initiatives.
The Zeitz MOCAA Board of Advisors consists of David Green and Jochen Zeitz (Co-chairs), Isaac Julien and Wangechi Mutu (Artist Board Members), Suzanne Berman-Ackerman, Jody Allen, Jonathan Bloch, Kate Garwood, Pulane Kingston, Gasant Orrie, Albie Sachs, Anton Taljaard and Roger Ross Williams.
About Strauss & Co:
Strauss & Co is South Africa’s leading auction house and the global leader for South African art. It was founded in 2009 by a consortium of business leaders and industry experts, including the late auctioneer Stephan Welz, Elisabeth Bradley, Dr Conrad Strauss, Vanessa Phillips, Ann Palmer and Bina Genovese. Frank Kilbourn, a respected entrepreneur, philanthropist and art collector, was appointed Executive Chairperson in 2016.
Strauss & Co has the highest market share amongst the four leading auction houses specialising in South African art globally. In 2017 the company’s turnover totalled R329 million – a sum unrivalled by any auction house dealing in South African art in a single year. Strauss & Co annually holds five live auctions, three in Cape Town and two in Johannesburg, and up to eight online-only auctions.
Strauss & Co was awarded the prestigious Chairman’s Premier Award at the 2018 annual BASA Awards for its sustained and extraordinary commitment to the arts in South Africa.
Strauss & Co Board of Directors: Frank Kilbourn (Executive Chairperson), Vanessa Phillips and Bina Genovese (Joint MDs), Elisabeth Bradley, Dr Conrad Strauss, Caro Wiese, Carmen Welz, Susie Goodman