The third edition of the RMB Latitudes Art Fair is bringing together artists and exhibitors from across the African continent to transform the enchanting Shepstone Gardens from Friday, 23 May to Sunday, 25 May 2025. Here’s what you need to know.
What’s new at the RMB Latitudes Art Fair 2025
Presented by Latitudes Online in partnership with Rand Merchant Bank (RMB), the RMB Latitudes Art Fair has become a standout event on Johannesburg’s cultural calendar, celebrated for its unique, immersive approach to experiencing contemporary African art.
By moving beyond the confines of a traditional fair venue, RMB Latitudes invites visitors to explore art in a dynamic and multi-sensory confirmed of Shepstone Gardens. Attendees can wander through distinctive indoor and outdoor spaces, pausing for a leisurely lunch in lush gardens, engaging in thought-provoking conversations, and contemplating sculpture beneath Johannesburg’s crisp autumn skies.
The Fair’s 2025 International platform takes a deliberate and engaged focus on Botswana, with several exhibitors working collaboratively to create a presentation that respects the balance between contemporary art and more traditional, foundational art practices in that region.
See the What’s on in Joburg top festival picks
This year’s festival theme is all about the power of collaboration
“This year’s theme of CO-PRODUCTION is a nod to the Fair’s central ethos of working collaboratively with and connecting all players in the art industry,” says Lucy MacGarry, co-founder and director. “The theme sees galleries, artists and institutions come together to create an exciting programme of exhibitions and special projects, exemplifying the truly African sentiment of what is possible through collaboration.”
On show: Over 300 artists from Africa and beyond
This year, RMB Latitudes Art Fair is excited to be working with 50 galleries and with over 300 artists showcasing their talent over the course of the weekend. From major local galleries such as Southern Guild, Stevenson and Everard Read to nomadic gallery FEDE Arthouse, Strauss & Co auction house and new Nigerian space AMG Projects, every aspect of the art ecosystem is represented. To view the full list of 2025 participating exhibitors, visit latitudesartfair.com/exhibitors-2025.
The talks and discussions you cannot afford to miss
Each year, the RMB Latitudes Art Fair offers an array of engaging conversations and keynote talks designed to enrich the attendee experience. In keeping with this year’s festival theme, the talks programme is centred around fostering more creative explorations between artists within Africa, Europe and Asia. There’s also an interesting session on the role of AI in art, and how digitalisation is driving growth in the African art economy, an intro into Korean art, and the ongoing relationship between art and the design world.
RSVP is required for all talks – see here
Join a free guided walkabout sharing rare insights + daily festival walking tours
If you’re looking to get an overview of this year’s RMB Latitudes Art Fair, the daily guided tours are a perfect starting point. The interactive walkabouts offer attendees the chance to engage with artists, curators, and cultural experts while gaining deeper insights into the themes and narratives behind the works on display.
RSVP is required for the festival walkabout and selected artist walkabout – see here
The return of INDEX, a space for independent artists to shine
INDEX is the art fair’s annual focus on independent artists, the creatives who operate outside the traditional art world and typically without the backing of major galleries and dealers.. This year’s instalment is curated by artist Bonolo Kavula. The exhibition seeks to highlight the rich depth of abstract art. Kavula mentors her chosen artists in posing questions that force them to think deeper about abstraction and what it is they are abstracting.
Performance art shows that blurs the lines between fashion, dance and art
Fashion designer Onesimo Bam brings the philosophy of their label into a live performance that blurs the lines between fashion, ritual, and transformation. Progression Two enacts clothing as a living process and continuous interaction between body, textile, and time. Through choreography, live making, and the dynamic tension of movement, the performance captures fashion’s boundaries. This event takes place on Saturday, 24 May at 4pm.
Mlondi Magubane’s Isikhanda explores the choreography of pantsula dance culture, looking more specifically at the South African dance style. The performance takes place on Friday, 23 May at 3:30pm and Sunday, 25 May at 3:30pm.
No RSVP is required
Sip on wines at the CLINK Wine Experience
Wine lovers can enjoy a break at the CLINK Wine Experience, hosting daily guided wine experiences over the fair weekend from 12:30pm and 4:30pm.
Gabrielskloof wines will showcase its bold and experimental Project Series, including Amphora Sauvignon Blanc, Wholebunch Syrah and Madam Lucy Bubbles, crafted with minimal intervention.
Carinus Family Vineyards presents a Chenin-focused journey, from gateway wines to standout expressions like Rooidraai Chenin and Syrah, all rooted in five generations of winemaking tradition and unique South African soils.
No RSVP is required
Here’s the book launches happening at RMB Latitudes Art Fair
Meet cultural theorist and writer Ashraf Jamal as he speaks about his publication, African Art: The ARAK Collection. The work rightly places African art, and indeed the continent itself, at the centre of the world, and delves into why the rest of the globe is beginning to shift its focus toward African artists.
Everard Read Gallery will host a special book signing event for Teresa Firmino’s newly published monograph, Owners of the Earth. The book is both a visual archive and a scholarly resource, combining striking imagery of Firmino’s paintings, installations, and performances with six critical essays. Through personal and familial histories, Firmino explores collective memory, inherited trauma, and Black womanhood, reclaiming space and voice through a deeply intimate and politically charged lens.
RSVP for both book launches are required – see here
A capsule fashion and design pop-up curated by Design Week South Africa
This year’s edition of the art fair will feature a special Design Showcase collaboration between Design Week South Africa. Five dedicated design spaces will collectively exhibit 25 of Africa’s exceptional brands with a focus on innovation, craftsmanship, and creative excellence.
Fairgoers will be able to explore and purchase not only art, but also design. Featured labels include the likes of Merchants on Long, The Herd, Viviers, Maghama Stories, Chommies, Pichulik, and many more
The RMB Latitudes CuratorLab: Cultivating next-gen art curators
Throughout the year, the art fair runs RMB Latitudes CuratorLab, which is a practice-based, online curatorial residency for emerging curators in Africa. Ten selected aspiring curators are guided through a facilitated online programme that offers practical experience in the industry and refine their curatorial skills.
No formal training is needed, and practical curatorial experience is preferred. Email the team to find out more about the 2025/2026 call or entries.
How to book tickets
Cost: From R290pp for a day pass. From R850pp for a VIP Preview ticket. R60 per child for single entry on one of the three days. Book online
When: Friday to Sunday, 23 to 25 May 2025 | Friday from midday to 7pm. Saturday from 10am to 7pm. Sunday from 10am to 5pm | Thursday (22 May) VIP preview from 6pm to 9pm
Where: Shepstone Gardens, 12 Hope Rd, Mountain View, Johannesburg
Website: latitudesartfair.com
Email: [email protected]
Instagram: @latitudes.online
Facebook: @latitudes.online
See more Art and Design experiences in and around Joburg
