The AVA is a non-profit, membership based art organisation whose aim is the advancement of visual art.

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Featured work: Debbie Field, shimmer, 2025

UPCOMING EXHIBITIONS

Join us for the exhibition opening on Thursday, 29 January | 5 pm - 8 pm

29.01.26 - 05.03.26
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Making Space

Nando’s Creative Exchange | Spier Arts Trust

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Ain’t Shit Funny But A Joke Ni… 

Tusevo Landu 

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Coastline, interrupted

Tanja Bosch

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“Where Are We Going?”

Richard ‘Specs’ Ndimande

A LONG AND REMARKABLE LEGACY

Dating back to 1850, the AVA is the oldest nonprofit gallery in Cape Town with the mission to advance contemporary art and artists.

The AVA is committed to being the most accessible professional gallery space for emerging and independent artists to exhibit and develop their work.

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A LIVING ARCHIVE

Discover AVA’s digital archive. Five decades of our archives are available online, for public access and research.

VISIT

Seeking to add to your collection?

Hannah Macfarlane, Bubblegum Swamp, 2025

Browse our general catalogue featuring a curated selection of artworks from our past exhibitions, available to purchase. For sales inquiries, contact admin@ava.co.za

Aimee Lindeque, “The man with the border collie always greets us there”, 2025

Alka Dass, Expired, 2025

EXPLORE
PAST EXHIBITIONS:
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As Natural As Daylight: Plants, Memory and The Edge of Belonging

Group show | Curated by Yusuf Essop & Jade Nair

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Try a Little Tenderness

Hannah Macfarlane and Amber Alcock

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Do You Know the Place?

Aimee Lindeque

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Who is King? And What Do I Know?

Gill Allderman

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Everything is White

Luciano Luz

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Cities of the Future - In the Past

Svea Josephy

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Horizons Unbound

Suzanne Leighton

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Meeting Point

Davina de Beer

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The Gods Must Be Crazy

Tshepo Sizwe Phokojoe | Curated by Mzoxolo Vimba

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Drawing the Line by Adelheid Frackiewicz

Absa L'Atelier Ambassador

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Transposing an Echo: Reimagining Oral Setswana Poetry through Digital Intervention

Tebogo Boikanyo Matshana

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Remember This Land

Stefan Raubenheimer

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A Home Called Vogue

Yazeed Kamaldien

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A BEAST WITH TWO BACKS

Group show | Curated by Grace Matetoa and Keely Shinners

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Reflections of a Queen

Kganya Mogashoa

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Tell me about a day you don’t remember

Group Show | Curated by Aaliya Dramat, Aiden Nel, Vida Madighi-Oghu and Erin Sweeney

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Nanna’s Kitchen

Aaron Philander

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GEOMATICS: LAND | LAW | ORE

Jeannette Unite

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Temperamental

Group show | Curated by Chloé de Villiers

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JOURNAL:
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Exhibition Programme

2026

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The Dog Is Chasing Its Tail: Tshepo Sizwe Phokojoe’s ‘The Gods Must Be Crazy’

ArtThrob review by Luca Evans

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Precarious Times: Svea Josephy’s ‘Cities of the Future – In the Past’

ArtThrob review by Tiyani Rikhotso

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Call for Internships (CLOSED)

Art Fair Assistant

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Winter Ceramics Exhibition Open Call

by Spier Arts Trust

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Opening: Tales of History Retold at The lyatsiba Lab

Curated by Kim Gurney & Carlyn Strydom

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Recalling: Reflections of a Queen at AVA Gallery

ArtThrob Student Review by Ellen Augustyn 

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After the Anthropocene: Stefan Raubenheimer’s Remember This Land

ArtThrob Student Review by Drew Haller

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Notice of 2025 AGM

Wednesday 12 November | 6pm

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What Remains: Adelheid Frackiewicz’s ‘Drawing the Line’ at AVA Gallery

ArtThrob Student Review by Tara Hall 

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In conversation with Keely Shinners

Writer, editor, curator & performer

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In conversation with Vida Madighi-Oghu

Visual artist, writer, and curator

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Call for Board Member Nominations (CLOSED)

2025 AGM

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In conversation with Sean O’Toole

Writer, editor and curator

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Apply: Art Writing Workshop (CLOSED)

Hosted by Keely Shinners

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PAST PROJECTS:

NEXXUS (2023)

Sonya Rademeyer, Franco Prinsloo, Caroline Sohie

iQhiya Panel at the AVA.

Uncovering a discourse centred on the voices of black women.

Curator-led Walkabout Tomorrow Wednesday 21 January | 6 for 6:30 pm As we near the end of our current exhibitions, we invite you to join us for a curator led walkabout of As Natural As Daylight: Plants, Memory and The Edge of Belonging, a group show
Upcoming Curator-led Walkabout Wednesday 21 January | 6 for 6:30 pm We invite you to a special curators’ led walkabout of As Natural As Daylight: Plants, Memory and The Edge of Belonging, a group show currently on view in our Main Gallery. Cu
Artists’ Walkabout Saturday 17 January at 11am We invite you to a special artists’ led walkabout tomorrow, as we explore three of our current exhibitions: Try a Little Tenderness by Hannah Macfarlane @hannahmacfarlane.studio and Am
Artist Walkabouts Saturday 17 January | 11am Join us for our first walkabout of 2026, featuring three exhibitions from our current cycle. We invite you to connect directly with the artists for an inside look at the inspiration and process behind th
Currently on view As Natural As Daylight: Plants, Memory & The Edge of Belonging | Group Show curated by Yusuf Essop @yusufessop and Jade Nair @jadenair.curate As Natural As Daylight is a group exhibition that uses the garden to think about ho

FOLLOW OUR JOURNEY ON INSTAGRAM

Supporting emerging and established artists of South Africa

From our annual open call, we curate up to 28 exhibitions per year at our gallery space at 35 Church Street. Principles of experimentation, collaboration and shared decision making are at the heart of the AVA.

The AVA is generously supported by its Donors and Sponsors