Cape Town art guide: The galleries you need to visit

The Mother City values creativity and is known as a design capital of the country. One of the aspects to consider adding to your agenda when in Cape Town is an expedition to explore the art world. Here are our top suggestions…

Top 15 art galleries in Cape Town

The Cape Gallery

Cape Gallery is one of the oldest galleries of its kind in Cape Town. The artworks showcase classic landscapes and sculptures that deal with African culture and identity. Exhibitions change monthly and usually feature a single artist at a time. These works invoke Africa’s cultural identity, from classic landscape paintings to sculptures and modern street art.

Stevenson Gallery

Situated inWoodstock, this gallery is a highly acclaimed contemporary gallery. Much like its gallery in Johannesburg, works by local artists are featured alongside an international exhibition programme. This brings international artworks to South Africa audiences and provides local artists with a platform to gain international exposure. It has participated in International shows, such as the Art Basel, Frieze London and New York.  

Goodman Gallery

This gallery showcases contemporary art in an African context. Situated in Woodstock, it aims to shift perspectives and create a social transformation, often displaying provocative artworks – much like the gallery in Johannesburg. The Goodman Gallery has a history of supporting resistance art during the apartheid era.

Gallery MOMO

This gallery has a space in Cape Town’s CBD, with a branch in Johannesburg too. It represents a host of contemporary artworks and exhibitions based on Africa by both local and international artists.

Everard Read

With it’s sister gallery in Johannesburg, this is South Africa’s oldest commercial gallery. Dynamic exhibitions are displayed to maximise the exposure and support of fine contemporary painting and sculpture to a broad audience. It is situated at the V&A Waterfront which includes a sculpture garden.

Smith Studio

This gallery is housed in a reimagined, once dilapidated warehouse that is a 230-year old heritage site. It features contemporary artworks. Positioned in town’s Church Street, it is a hub for artistically inclined audiences, particularly on First Thursdays. 

WORLDART

Also in Church Street in the Cape Town CBD is this art gallery, featuring contemporary urban and street art by young, local artists. WORLDART also specialises in sourcing unique pieces for collectors. Events and artist showcases are held regularly.

WHATIFTHEWORLD

This gallery showcases innovative contemporary work by emerging South African artists. These are influential artists who critically engage with both global and local contemporary art and socio-political themes. The gallery programme features solo projects and multi-disciplinary installations by emerging creatives.

Salon 91

Salon 91 is situated along the ever-popular Kloof Street, known for showcasing some of the city’s best young and established artists. The space is small with rotating exhibitions every few weeks.

ZEITZ MOCAA

This is the largest contemporary art gallery in Africa. It is located in the V&A Waterfront’s historic Grain Silo and is spread among many levels – nine floors in total. German-born businessman Jochen Zeitz’s renowned private collection of African artworks and installations is housed here, as well as cutting-edge contemporary art and exhibitions from around the continent.

Eclectica Contemporary

This gallery is a curated space of thought-provoking contemporary African art. During a visit, you’ll discover solo shows as well as group shows as well as experimental and project-based exhibitions. Gallery staff are informed and on-hand with history, context and information on the featured works.

ABE Opperman Gallery

This gallery calls De Waterkant home, featuring contemporary works in a modern setting. The exhibitions change every 6 months, with Opperman’s works exclusively adorning the walls. His craft is distinctive, with intimate pieces containing bold subjects.

34FineArt

34FineArt showcases some of the city’s most cutting-edge artworks by local artists. There is a small selection of international artists works too. The works on display are wide-ranging in their form and cover a variety of genre, though all are thought-provoking, moving, and often entertaining.

South African National Gallery

This is another one of the oldest galleries in the country, featuring a variety of work from acclaimed local and international artists. It operates on a regularly changing schedule, covering various genres and art forms, including fine art, photography, sculpture, textiles, architecture, and bead work.

The Association for Visual Arts Gallery (AVA)

AVA is a non-profit membership-based art organisation in South Africa. Contemporary visual art production is promoted through regular exhibitions of all kinds of artworks by established and emerging artists. For a day out of town to view art, visitors are encouraged to visit the Norval Foundation in Steenberg which features a modern showroom and sculpture garden.