Goodman GalleryEst. 1966
Since 2008, under the ownership and leadership of Liza Essers, the gallery has evolved from a South African enterprise with an international outlook into a globally engaged cultural platform, working closely with artists from across Africa, the wider Global South and beyond. Today, Goodman Gallery represents more than forty artists and estates whose practices have played a decisive role in shaping world art history.
Established by Linda Givon and now one of the oldest galleries on the African continent, Goodman Gallery has been a pioneer in the global art market and is the longest running African participant at Art Basel. While rooted in the Global South, the gallery has increasingly shaped artistic discourse and institutional engagement in the Global North through the artists it represents and platforms, its rigorous curatorial programme and its sustained international collaborations. This outward looking approach culminated in the opening of Goodman Gallery London in 2019 and New York in 2023.
The gallery is widely recognised for its role in fostering community and critical dialogue, activities anchored in core values of free expression and respect for the complex social contexts in which its artists work. Its hybrid model is articulated through a series of ambitious curatorial initiatives that operate both within and beyond its represented roster of artists. These on-going initiatives include Working Title (launched in 2009), In Context (launched in 2010) and SOUTH SOUTH (launched in 2015). Together, these initiatives have created space for emerging and experimental practices, enabled the presentation of institution-scale works in South Africa, and fostered transnational networks connecting artists, curators and audiences across the Global South, particularly those historically marginalised by Euro-American art centres.
Committed to building new audiences, Goodman Gallery regularly presents seasonal pop ups and exhibitions in non-traditional venues across South Africa, Europe, Great Britain and the United States. The gallery continues to lead in market and organisational innovation, from its e-commerce platform, which enables streamlined online art acquisition, to the ongoing online SOUTH SOUTH programme and the establishment of a project space at Cheetah Plains in the Sabi Sands Nature Reserve. Goodman Gallery Advisory is a new initiative offering clients access to confidential secondary market services. Goodman Gallery Editions has for decades served as a platform for the realisation of ambitious artist projects, notably books and collectable multiples.
A good corporate citizen, Goodman Gallery is committed to contributing positively to society. Since 2003 Goodman Gallery has raised R25 million for charities such as Orange Babies and Red Cross. It is involved in a long-term partnership with the Witkoppen Health and Welfare Clinic, with a focus on providing essential medical care to women and children.
