led by Andrew Lamprecht, Curator of Historical Paintings and Sculpture at Iziko Museums of South Africa, and the lead curator of Breaking Down the Walls – 150 Years of Art Collecting. Andrew’s tour is brilliant – the best Culture Connect one long standing client commented.

This landmark exhibition which, for the first time since 2010, takes up the whole of the gallery. It aims to place this prestigious national collection under scrutiny: how do we commemorate a collection founded on colonial collecting principles? It has been curated to include the many absences in this national collection.

There are over 500 artworks – some on display for the first time, including ancient art from Africa and Greece.

Most of the works are by South African artists, some contemporary, others modern. Dotted between them are Western art history greats such as Rembrandt, Picasso, Matisse, and Goya, as well as less well known artists, such as Dame Laura Knight from the UK.

Each section is based around a topic, rather than being thematic or chronological. One small gallery has scientific highly magnified images used by entomologists in the Iziko South African Museum, the otherside of Company’s Garden.

Ambitiously there are different types of curatorial styles. It is easy to miss this as a visitor, especially as there is no accompanying publication, just brief introduction panels to each gallery/room and a few QR codes by some of the artworks.

Andrew is based here, Iziko South African National Gallery. It is his first exhibition since he started at Iziko in July 2021. For over 25 years, Andrew lectured at University of Cape Town’s Michaelis (the other side of Company’s Gardens). He has curated over 40 exhibitions nationally.

Andrew and his small team worked with a reference group that included Amohelang Mohajane, Bárbaro Martínez-Ruiz, Bettina Malcomess, Ciraj Rassool, Ernestine White-Mifetu and Tony Gum.

The whole gallery was closed for five months last year for renovation and the installation of this important exhibition.

Currently the Gallery doesn’t experience load-shedding (it is very close to Parliament).

Andrew’s tour lasts 1-5 hours, then we can look round by ourselves – so do allow longer, two hours recommended

Wednesday 24 May 2023, 9h30 to 11h00 R50 each pre-pay, for tourist guides only (please bring your card/badge)

Wednesday 2 August and Friday 4 August 2023, 10am to noon  R360 per person (R260 pay pre June), plus entrance R40 on producing ID (non South Africans R60); concessions for South African pensioners and students; free for Friends of the Gallery and tourist guides

Booking essential

kate@cultureconnectsa.com || +27 72 377 8014

Government Ave (which is very hard to drive into; taxi’s can occasionally)

Hatfield St

Company’s Garden

Cape Town, 8001

The exhibition is scheduled to close at the end of September

Do join me for lunch nearby afterwards at Maria’s Greek cafe on Dunkley Square (a favourite)

Images from a recent tour for Grace Primary School (Pinelands) by Jay Van Den Berg, who assisted Andrew with curating