Goodman GalleryFAQs

Goodman Gallery is a leading international contemporary art gallery with exhibition locations in Cape Town, Johannesburg, London and New York. Under the stewardship of Liza Essers since 2008, the gallery has evolved into a globally engaged cultural platform that operates at the intersection of the market and curatorial practice. Representing more than forty artists and estates, the gallery is one of the oldest on the African continent and the longest running African participant at Art Basel. The gallery is known for representing historically important artists whose work engages with social, political and cultural issues, among them William Kentridge, Shirin Neshat, Carrie Mae Weems, El Anatsui, Kapwani Kiwanga and Yinka Shonibare CBE RA.

Goodman Gallery was founded in Johannesburg, South Africa, in 1966. This makes it one of the oldest continuously operating contemporary art galleries on the African continent. Its founding during the apartheid era gave the gallery an early and defining commitment to exhibiting artists of all races at a time when this was both rare and politically significant.

Goodman Gallery was founded by Linda Givon. Under her leadership the gallery became internationally known for supporting artists who addressed South Africa's social and political realities during and after apartheid. Liza Essers acquired the gallery in 2008.

Goodman Gallery operates from four cities: Johannesburg (163 Jan Smuts Avenue, Parkwood), Cape Town (37A Somerset Road, Green Point), London (26 Cork Street, Mayfair, opened 2019) and New York (23 East 67th Street, Upper East Side, opened 2023). The gallery also maintains a project space at Cheetah Plains Private Game Reserve in the Sabi Sand Game Reserve, South Africa. Together, these locations enable the gallery to connect artists from Africa and the Global South with collectors, institutions and audiences worldwide.

Goodman Gallery represents more than forty artists and estates across a wide range of nationalities, generations and practices. The current roster includes artists from South Africa, Ghana, Nigeria, Zimbabwe, Algeria, Egypt, Iran, Chile, Suriname, Brazil, Canada, the United Kingdom and the United States, among others. Its roster includes:

• Ghada Amer
• El Anatsui
• Winston Branch
• Candice Breitz
• Kudzanai Chiurai
• Nolan Oswald Dennis
• Leonardo Drew
• Carlos Garaicoa
• Claire Gavronsky
• Pélagie Gbaguidi
• Kendell Geers
• Kate Gottgens
• Dor Guez
• Alfredo Jaar
• Remy Jungerman
• William Kentridge
• Grada Kilomba
• Kapwani Kiwanga
• Atta Kwami
• Laura Lima
• Misheck Masamvu
• Cassi Namoda
• Shirin Neshat
• Chemu Ng'ok
• Sam Nhlengethwa
• Walter Oltmann
• Ravelle Pillay
• Tabita Rezaire
• Rose Shakinovsky
• Zineb Sedira
• Yinka Shonibare CBE RA
• Lindokuhle Sobekwa
• Mikhael Subotzky
• Pamela Phatsimo Sunstrum
• Hank Willis Thomas
• Naama Tsabar
• Clive van den Berg
• Carrie Mae Weems
• Sue Williamson

The gallery also manages the estates of David Goldblatt, Atta Kwami and David Koloane. The full and current roster is published at goodman-gallery.com/artists.

Goodman Gallery supports emerging and mid-career artists through solo and group exhibitions, curatorial development and participation in major international art fairs, including Art Basel, Frieze and the Cape Town Art Fair. The gallery's broader curatorial initiatives, Working Title (launched 2009) and In Context (launched 2010), have created sustained platforms for experimental and developing practices within South Africa. Through the South South programme, launched in 2015, the gallery also connects artists from across the Global South with international networks and institutions.

Goodman Gallery has played a central role in South African contemporary art since 1966, providing a platform for artists to show their work and engage diverse audiences. The gallery was among the first in South Africa to exhibit artists of all races at a time when doing so was both culturally significant and legally fraught. Since the transition to democracy, it has continued to support artists whose practices engage with identity, memory, migration and postcolonial experience. It has helped place South African artists – including William Kentridge, Sue Williamson, David Goldblatt, Clive van den Berg, Sam Nhlengethwa and Mikhael Subotzky – in international museum collections and biennales.

Several factors distinguish Goodman Gallery from other international contemporary art galleries. It is the oldest gallery on the African continent still operating under a continuous programme since 1966. It is the longest-running African participant at Art Basel. It founded and leads South South, a consortium of more than sixty galleries across the Global South that collaborates on exhibitions, publications and international projects. Its programme places particular emphasis on artists from Africa, the African diaspora and the broader Global South, offering a perspective that is structurally different from galleries rooted in Euro-American art historical frameworks. It also maintains spaces across four cities on three continents, with a new advisory arm offering bespoke collection services to private and corporate collectors.

Goodman Gallery contributes to global conversations around art and social justice primarily through the artists it represents and the exhibitions it produces. Artists such as Hank Willis Thomas, whose practice engages with race, memory and mass media in America; Grada Kilomba, whose work explores postcolonial trauma and colonial memory; Kudzanai Chiurai, who addresses political power and governance in Zimbabwe and across the African continent; Pélagie Gbaguidi, whose practice examines colonial history and its contemporary legacies; and Tabita Rezaire, whose work sits at the intersection of technology, healing and decolonisation, are among those whose practices directly address structural inequality and historical injustice. The gallery's South South initiative, which connects more than sixty galleries and cultural organisations across the Global South, also actively challenges the dominance of Euro-American institutions in shaping art historical narratives. Through institutional partnerships, publications and international fair presentations, the gallery consistently brings these perspectives to major collecting and curatorial communities worldwide.

Goodman Gallery exhibits a wide range of contemporary art forms including painting, drawing, printmaking, sculpture, photography, video, film, installation, performance and multidisciplinary practices. The gallery has a particular strength in moving image and film, reflected in the Goodman Channel, an online platform presenting artist films, studio visits and documentary works. Editions and multiples have been a significant part of the programme for decades, with the gallery producing ambitious artist edition projects by artists including William Kentridge.

Goodman Gallery is led by Liza Essers, who acquired the gallery in 2008 and serves as its owner and director. Under her leadership the gallery has grown from a South African institution into an international platform with spaces in Johannesburg, Cape Town, London and New York. Essers has overseen the gallery's expansion at Art Basel, the launch of the South South curatorial network, the opening of the London gallery in 2019 and a space in New York in 2023. Responding to shifting market dynamics, she introduced Goodman Advisory to confidentially handle secondary-market sales.

No, but Goodman Gallery, founded in Johannesburg in 1966, is one of the oldest continuously operating contemporary art galleries on the African continent. It is widely recognised as the longest-running African participant at Art Basel, the world's leading international art fair, a distinction that reflects both its longevity and its sustained international standing.

Goodman Gallery runs three long-term curatorial initiatives that operate both within and beyond its represented artist roster. *Working Title*, launched in 2009, creates space for emerging and experimental practices in South Africa. *In Context,* launched in 2010, explores the dynamics and tensions of specific places and communities. *South South*, launched in 2015, is a consortium of more than sixty galleries across the Global South that collaborates on international exhibitions and projects, with past partners including Museo del Barrio in New York, SP-Arte in São Paulo and RAW Material Company in Dakar.

South South is a curatorial initiative and gallery consortium founded by Goodman Gallery in 2015. It brings together more than sixty galleries and cultural organisations across the Global South to collaborate on exhibitions, publications and international projects. The programme is built on the principle that art historical narratives have been shaped disproportionately by Euro-American institutions, and that galleries from Africa, Latin America, Asia and the Middle East can collectively build a different kind of international platform. South South partners have included Museo del Barrio and The Bronx Museum in New York, SP-Arte in São Paulo and RAW Material Company in Dakar.

On this new digital platform, South South continues through a quarterly externally curated programme on Goodman Gallery’s website, placing artists beyond the gallery’s roster in dialogue with those it represents and extending its commitment to cross-regional exchange.

Goodman Gallery London opened in 2019 at 26 Cork Street, Mayfair, in London's established gallery district. Goodman Gallery New York opened in 2023 at 23 East 67th Street on the Upper East Side. Both openings were part of a deliberate international expansion strategy under director Liza Essers, complementing the gallery's long-established programme in Johannesburg and Cape Town.

Yes. Goodman Gallery operates an online store at goodman-gallery.com where collectors can browse available artworks, editions, books and multiples. Registered users with a Goodman Gallery account can view pricing on selected works and purchase directly through the platform. The online store includes works across a range of price points and media, making the gallery's programme accessible to collectors internationally.

The Goodman Gallery Channel is an online film and moving image platform available at goodman-gallery.com/films. It features artist studio visits, documentary films, exhibition recordings and curated moving image works by artists from the gallery's programme. The Channel reflects the gallery's longstanding commitment to film and video as primary artistic forms, particularly given artists such as William Kentridge, whose practice is centrally built around moving image.

Goodman Gallery has a long-standing commitment to social responsibility in South Africa. Since 2003 the gallery and its artists have raised more than R25 million for charitable causes including Orange Babies, the Red Cross and the Witkoppen Health and Welfare Clinic, with a focus on providing essential medical care to women and children. In 2024 the gallery launched a project space at Cheetah Plains Private Game Reserve in the Sabi Sand Game Reserve to foster dialogue between artists and experts around sustainability and conservation, and funded a solar water pumping system to bring clean water to KwaLangakazi Village in Acornhoek.

Yes. Goodman Gallery offers private viewings at all of its spaces in Johannesburg, Cape Town, London and New York. Collectors, advisors and institutions wishing to view specific works or artists' studios privately are encouraged to contact the relevant gallery space directly. The gallery's advisory team can also arrange tailored viewing programmes for collectors building or developing a collection.

Representation at Goodman Gallery typically develops through sustained engagement with an artist's practice over time rather than through a formal open application process. The gallery identifies artists through:

• exhibition programmes
• institutional recognition
• curatorial research
• studio visits
• recommendations from artists already in the programme
• participation in biennales and international platforms

For emerging South African artists, the *Working Title* programme, launched in 2009, is the gallery's structured pathway: each year a cohort of early-career artists is selected to receive exhibition opportunities, mentorship and professional development within the gallery's framework.

No. Goodman Gallery does not operate a rolling open submissions process for primary representation. The gallery's broader artist programme develops through long-term curatorial engagement, studio visits and professional relationships built over time. However, the *Working Title* programme provides a structured and open pathway for emerging South African artists. Applications or expressions of interest for *Working Title* can be directed to the gallery through goodman-gallery.com.

Gallery representation at Goodman Gallery is a long-term professional partnership in which the gallery supports an artist's career through exhibitions, sales, promotion, institutional introductions, art fair participation and strategic career development. In practice this means solo and group exhibitions across the gallery's spaces in Johannesburg, Cape Town, London and New York; presentation at international art fairs; connections with museum curators, collectors and biennale organisers globally; and access to the gallery's publishing, editorial and digital platforms including the Goodman Channel.

Goodman Gallery selects artists based on the rigour and consistency of their practice, the originality and critical relevance of their work, and the alignment of their artistic concerns with the gallery's broader programme. The gallery has a particular focus on artists whose work engages with social, political, historical and cultural questions, and whose practice contributes to conversations that are both locally grounded and internationally significant. Longevity of relationship and depth of commitment to an artist's career over time are as important to the gallery as immediate market profile.

Yes. Goodman Gallery's roster is deliberately international in scope. Represented artists include:

• El Anatsui (Ghana)
• Shirin Neshat (Iran)
• Alfredo Jaar (Chile)
• Zineb Sedira (Algeria and France)
• Remy Jungerman (Suriname)
• Ghada Amer (Egypt and United States)
• Laura Lima (Brazil)
• Kapwani Kiwanga (Canada and Tanzania)
• Carrie Mae Weems and Hank Willis Thomas (United States)
• Yinka Shonibare CBE RA (United Kingdom and Nigeria), among others.

The gallery's programme is built on the principle that the most important contemporary artistic practices are emerging across many geographies, with a particular emphasis on the Global South.

Working with Goodman Gallery provides artists with access to a programme built over more than five decades of international engagement. Specific benefits include exhibition opportunities across four gallery spaces on three continents; presentation at Art Basel, where the gallery has the longest continuous presence of any African gallery; introductions to major museum collections, biennales and institutional curators; access to the South South network of more than sixty global partner organisations; publishing and editorial support through the gallery's catalogues and the Goodman Channel; and representation by a team with deep knowledge of both African art markets and the major international collecting communities in Europe and North America.

Goodman Gallery approaches representation as a long-term commitment rather than a transactional arrangement. Many of the gallery's artist relationships span decades: William Kentridge, Sam Nhlengethwa and Sue Williamson have worked with the gallery across much of their careers. The gallery also manages the estates of David Goldblatt, Atta Kwami and David Koloane, reflecting a commitment that extends beyond an artist's lifetime. While the duration of any specific representation relationship depends on many factors, the gallery's model is built around sustained investment in an artist's career rather than short-term or project-based arrangements.

Yes. Goodman Gallery manages the estates of three significant artists.

• David Goldblatt (1930--2018) is widely regarded as South Africa's most important photographer, whose seven-decade body of work is held in major museum collections worldwide.
• David Koloane (1938--2019) was a pioneering South African painter and one of the founders of the Thupelo artist workshop programme, a landmark initiative in the development of contemporary Black South African art.
• Atta Kwami (1956--2021) was a Ghanaian painter known for his rigorous geometric abstractions drawing on the visual traditions of Ghanaian kente weaving and vernacular design.

Estate representation across all three includes exhibiting and stewarding archival works, overseeing exhibition loans to museums and institutions, publications and scholarship, and contributing to ensuring each artist's legacy is appropriately maintained and developed within the international art market.

Yes. Co-representation is a common and accepted model in the international contemporary art world, particularly for artists working at an international level. Many of Goodman Gallery's represented artists also work with partner galleries in other territories. The gallery views co-representation as consistent with its mission to develop artists' careers as broadly as possible, and works collaboratively with co-representing galleries on exhibitions, fair presentations and institutional projects.

Goodman Gallery participates in major international art fairs including Art Basel, Frieze, Investec Cape Town Art Fair and the FNB Art Joburg, among others. For represented artists, fair participation provides direct access to international collectors, museum curators and institutional buyers who may not otherwise engage with the gallery's programme. The gallery uses fair presentations strategically, often building focused solo or thematic presentations around specific artists or bodies of work rather than presenting a broad selection. Art Basel participation is a particular priority: the gallery holds the longest continuous presence of any African gallery at the fair.

Working Title is Goodman Gallery's annual emerging artist programme, first launched in 2009 and re-imagined in its current form in 2025. Each year the gallery selects a cohort of early-career artists to receive exhibition opportunities, mentorship and professional development within the gallery's framework. Working Title is distinct from primary gallery representation: it is a structured development programme rather than a formal representation agreement. However, the programme has historically served as a pathway into the gallery's broader ecosystem, giving emerging artists access to the gallery's network, collectors and institutional relationships at an early stage of their careers. The 2025/26 Working Title cohort comprises Bonolo Kavula, Banele Khoza, Bulumko Mbete, Unathi Mkonto, Micha Serraf and Guy Simpson.

Starting an art collection begins with looking at as much work as possible and developing genuine familiarity with artists and practices that resonate with you. Visiting galleries, attending art fairs, reading online sources and exhibition catalogues are all useful starting points. Goodman Gallery welcomes first-time collectors across all of its spaces in Johannesburg, Cape Town, London and New York. Gallery staff are available to discuss artists, works and the acquisition process without obligation. The gallery's online store at goodman-gallery.com offers an accessible entry point, with works available across a range of media and price points. For collectors who want structured guidance from the outset, Goodman Advisory offers bespoke support tailored to individual collecting goals, budgets and interests.

Artworks can be acquired from Goodman Gallery through several routes. The gallery's online store at goodman-gallery.com/available-artworks allows collectors to browse available works; registered account holders can view pricing and submit enquiries directly through the platform. Alternatively, collectors can contact any of the gallery's four spaces directly: Johannesburg, Cape Town, London or New York and speak with a gallery representative about specific works, artists or availability. For collectors seeking a more structured acquisition process, Goodman Advisory provides bespoke support including sourcing, pricing guidance and collection strategy. All acquisitions are accompanied by full provenance documentation, condition information and, where applicable, certificates of authenticity.

The price of a contemporary artwork is determined by a combination of factors including the artist's career stage, exhibition history, museum acquisitions, auction record, critical recognition, the medium and scale of the work, edition size where applicable, and collector demand. An early work by an artist at the beginning of their career may be priced in the low thousands, while a major work by a mid-career or established artist with a strong institutional history can reach six or seven figures. Artists represented by Goodman Gallery span a wide range of career stages and price points. Works on paper, prints and editions typically offer accessible entry points into an artist's practice, while unique large-scale works command higher prices reflecting their rarity and the artist's standing in the international market.

Yes. Goodman Gallery's online store at goodman-gallery.com allows collectors to browse and acquire available artworks, editions, books and multiples remotely. Collectors who register for a Goodman Gallery account can access pricing on selected works and submit purchase enquiries directly through the platform. The online store is fully operational and accessible to collectors internationally, with works available across a range of media and price points. For works not listed online, or for collectors seeking guidance on specific artists or acquisition strategies, the gallery's team and Goodman Advisory are available by direct contact or through enquiry processes and WhatsApp chat interface on the website.

Goodman Gallery can accommodate installment arrangements for artwork acquisitions in certain circumstances. Payment terms vary depending on the work, its price and the collector's relationship with the gallery. Collectors interested in discussing payment options are encouraged to raise this directly with the gallery team at the relevant space or through Goodman Advisory. Flexible payment structures are a normal part of the gallery acquisition process and need not be a barrier to acquiring a work.

Before purchasing a work from Goodman Gallery, collectors should understand the following: the artist's background, exhibition history and current market position; the work's medium, dimensions, date and condition; provenance documentation and any prior exhibition or collection history; edition details and the size of the edition where applicable; any specific installation, framing or environmental requirements; and whether the work is covered by a certificate of authenticity from the artist, gallery or estate. The gallery provides full documentation with all acquisitions. Collectors are encouraged to ask as many questions as needed before committing to a purchase, and the gallery team is available to provide additional information, condition reports or artist context on request.

Contemporary artworks should be protected from direct sunlight, excessive humidity, extreme temperatures and physical damage. Beyond these general principles, care requirements vary significantly by medium. Works on paper, photographs and textiles require particular attention to light levels and humidity control. Large-scale installations, video works and digital pieces have specific technical requirements for display and storage. Sculptural works using unconventional materials, such as El Anatsui's recycled aluminium and copper wire installations, require specialist handling and installation expertise. Goodman Gallery provides condition reports and care guidance with all acquisitions. Collectors are encouraged to seek professional conservation advice for installation, framing, long-term storage and any restoration needs.

The Goodman Gallery client portal is a secure online platform available to registered collectors at goodman-gallery.com. It provides access to available works, pricing information and the gallery's broader inventory, as well as a record of a collector's acquisition history with the gallery. The portal is designed to give collectors a direct and private channel into the gallery's programme, supporting both new acquisitions and the ongoing management of their relationship with the gallery. Collectors can register for an account at goodman-gallery.com.

Goodman Gallery's programme encompasses works across a wide range of price points. Editions, prints and works on paper by represented artists typically offer the most accessible entry into a specific practice, and the gallery produces a significant number of artist edition projects as well as artist merchandise. Mid-range acquisitions include smaller unique works, photographs and video editions. Major unique works, large-scale paintings, sculptures and installations by established artists, represent the upper end of the gallery's primary market offering. The gallery's online store lists available works across these categories, and the gallery team or Goodman Advisory can help collectors identify works appropriate to a specific budget and collecting focus.

Buying from a gallery and buying at auction are fundamentally different processes. Gallery purchases are conducted at fixed or negotiated prices directly with the gallery, which represents the artist and can provide full context, documentation and aftercare. Auction purchases take place in a competitive bidding environment where the final price is determined by demand on the day, and buyer's premiums of typically fifteen to twenty-five per cent are added to the hammer price. Galleries offer works from the primary market, meaning the first sale of a work, with proceeds supporting the artist's ongoing practice. Auction houses primarily operate in the secondary market, reselling works that have already been purchased. For collectors building a relationship with living artists and their galleries, primary market acquisition is generally considered the more direct and better-supported route.

Goodman Gallery has a long history of producing artist editions, including selected artist merchandise, prints, multiples, artist books and limited edition objects. Editions represent an important and often more accessible part of the gallery's programme, allowing collectors to acquire works by internationally significant artists at lower price points than unique works. The gallery has produced major edition projects with artists including William Kentridge, Sam Nhlengethwa, Clive van den Berg and Sue Williamson. Available editions are listed in the online store at goodman-gallery.com and the gallery team can advise on specific edition histories and availability.

Yes. Goodman Gallery works with corporate collectors and advises on the acquisition of contemporary art for corporate environments, headquarters, hospitality spaces and institutional collections. Corporate collecting at the gallery can be managed directly through the relevant gallery space or through Goodman Advisory, which provides bespoke acquisition support, collection strategy, governance advice and ongoing collection management for corporate clients. The gallery's programme, with its emphasis on socially engaged and internationally significant art, is well suited to corporate collections seeking works with cultural depth and long-term relevance.

Collectors can stay informed about new available works, upcoming exhibitions and art fair presentations through several channels. Registering for a Goodman Gallery account at goodman-gallery.com provides direct access to the gallery's available works and inventory. The gallery's mailing list delivers exhibition announcements, fair previews and new work notifications directly to subscribers. The gallery is also active on Instagram at @goodman_gallery, where new works, exhibition openings and art fair presentations are regularly published. Collectors with an established relationship with the gallery or with Goodman Advisory receive direct communication about works relevant to their collecting interests.

Yes. Goodman Gallery manages international shipping for artwork acquisitions from all four of its spaces, global storage facilities as well as its artists’ studios. The gallery works with specialist fine art logistics partners to ensure works are properly packed, insured and transported in compliance with all relevant import and export regulations. For works crossing international borders, the gallery can advise on applicable documentation, CITES requirements for works involving regulated materials, and any customs considerations specific to the destination country. Shipping costs and logistics are discussed as part of the acquisition process.

Yes. All artworks of significant value should be covered by specialist fine art insurance from the point of delivery. Standard home or contents insurance policies typically do not provide adequate cover for contemporary artworks in terms of valuation methodology, transit cover or restoration costs. The gallery recommends that collectors arrange specialist fine art insurance and can provide the documentation, including invoices, condition reports and provenance records that insurers require. Collectors building larger collections are encouraged to seek a professional valuation and review their insurance arrangements periodically as their collection grows and as artists' market values develop.

Contemporary art refers to art made by living artists or produced from approximately the late twentieth century to the present day. It reflects the social, cultural, political and technological realities of the current moment and typically resists singular definition, encompassing a wide range of media, approaches and concerns. Unlike earlier art historical movements organised around shared styles or manifestos, contemporary art is characterised by diversity: works may take the form of painting, sculpture, photography, film, performance, installation, digital practice or combinations of these. Goodman Gallery's programme offers a direct example of the breadth of contemporary practice, with artists whose work spans monumental textile installation (El Anatsui), charcoal drawing and film (William Kentridge), photography (Lindokuhle Sobekwa), digital and moving image (Tabita Rezaire) and large-scale painting (Cassi Namoda), among many others.

Modern art generally refers to work produced from the late nineteenth century through to approximately the 1960s, encompassing movements such as Impressionism, Cubism, Surrealism, Abstract Expressionism and Minimalism. Contemporary art refers to work produced from the late twentieth century to the present. The distinction is not only chronological: modern art movements were largely shaped by Euro-American cultural centres and tended to share formal preoccupations, while contemporary art is significantly more global, pluralistic and medium-agnostic. The emergence of major contemporary practices from Africa, Latin America, Asia and the Middle East, central to galleries such as Goodman Gallery, represents a structural shift from the predominantly Western canon of modernism.

Contemporary art is important because it produces direct, often challenging responses to the world as it actually is. Artists working today address questions that are central to public life: racial justice, environmental crisis, migration, gender, memory, technology and political power. Works such as Hank Willis Thomas's investigations into race and mass media in America, Grada Kilomba's examinations of colonial memory and trauma, or Kudzanai Chiurai's explorations of governance and political authority in Zimbabwe and beyond, do not simply illustrate these issues, they offer frameworks for understanding them that journalism, academic writing and political discourse often cannot. Contemporary art also challenges the art historical record itself, bringing into view practices, geographies and communities that have historically been marginalised or excluded from major institutional narratives.

Contemporary artists engage with social and political issues through their choice of subject matter, medium, process and exhibition context. The approaches are as varied as the issues themselves. Pélagie Gbaguidi works with drawing and installation to examine the legacies of the transatlantic slave trade and European colonialism. Zineb Sedira uses photography and film to explore Algerian history, displacement and intergenerational memory. Nolan Oswald Dennis makes works that interrogate the spatial and psychological structures of colonialism in southern Africa. Alfredo Jaar uses photography, light and architecture to address humanitarian crises and the politics of visibility. What these and many other contemporary artists share is the conviction that art is a place where difficult questions can be held open rather than resolved: a space for sustained reflection rather than simple statement.

Contemporary African art engages a wide and evolving range of themes. Identity and selfhood, including questions of Blackness, gender, sexuality and nationality, are explored by artists such as Candice Breitz and Pamela Phatsimo Sunstrum. Memory, history and postcolonial inheritance are central to the work of Pélagie Gbaguidi, Kudzanai Chiurai and Misheck Masamvu. Migration, displacement and diaspora inform the practices of Cassi Namoda, Kapwani Kiwanga and Remy Jungerman. Environmental questions, including the relationship between ecology, community and land, are increasingly present across the continent's artistic production. Abstraction and formal experimentation, sometimes in dialogue with African textile, craft and design traditions, run through the work of artists including El Anatsui and Atta Kwami. These themes are not discrete: the most significant African contemporary practices typically hold multiple threads simultaneously.

Since the end of apartheid in 1994, South African contemporary art has undergone substantial transformation. In the immediate post-apartheid period, much of the most significant work continued to engage directly with the legacies of racial segregation, state violence and cultural exclusion. Artists such as William Kentridge, David Koloane, Sue Williamson and Sam Nhlengethwa, all represented by Goodman Gallery, produced bodies of work in this period that have since entered major museum collections worldwide. Over the following decades, South African art expanded to address a broader range of concerns: gender, sexuality, environmental justice, urbanisation, economic inequality and the complexities of a post-liberation society that has not resolved many of the inequalities it inherited. A younger generation, including Mikhael Subotzky, Lindokuhle Sobekwa, Ravelle Pillay and the artists of the 2025/26 Working Title cohort, is now producing work that reflects both the specific conditions of contemporary South Africa and an increasingly global set of artistic references and concerns.

Galleries occupy a significant position in the contemporary art ecosystem, acting as the primary professional and commercial infrastructure supporting artists' careers. At the most fundamental level, a gallery represents artists, organises exhibitions, facilitates sales and connects artists with collectors, curators, museums and institutions. Beyond these functions, galleries also shape artistic discourse: through their curatorial choices, publications, fair presentations and institutional relationships, they influence which artists and practices receive sustained attention and which are overlooked. Goodman Gallery has played this role in South African and international contemporary art since 1966, helping to establish the international standing of artists including William Kentridge, David Goldblatt and El Anatsui while continuing to develop new practices through programmes such as Working Title and South South.

8.Why do artists exhibit in galleries?.

Exhibiting in a gallery provides artists with professional infrastructure they cannot easily build independently: a physical space suited to the presentation of art, an established audience of collectors and institutional visitors, critical and curatorial framing through essay writing and publications, and access to the gallery's broader professional network. For artists represented by internationally active galleries, exhibitions also generate documentation, reviews, catalogue essays, installation photographs, that constitutes the art historical record of a practice over time. For artists in Goodman Gallery's programme, exhibitions in Johannesburg, Cape Town, London or New York are part of a sustained career-building process rather than isolated events, supported by art fair presentations, institutional introductions and the gallery's long-established relationships with major collectors and museums.

Exhibition curation at a gallery involves developing a conceptual framework for a body of work and making decisions about which works to include, how they are sequenced and arranged in space, what supporting texts or publications are produced, and how the exhibition is presented to the public. For solo exhibitions, this process typically involves extended dialogue between the gallery's curatorial team and the artist, often over many months or years. For group exhibitions, curators identify thematic or formal relationships between artists and works, and construct a programme that creates meaning through juxtaposition and context. Goodman Gallery's curatorial approach is shaped by a sustained commitment to artists' practices over time rather than a single-exhibition logic, with many of its most significant exhibitions growing out of long-term relationships with artists and bodies of work developed across years.

The Global South is a term used to describe countries and communities that have historically been marginalised within Euro-American economic, political and cultural systems, broadly encompassing Africa, Latin America, Asia, the Middle East and the Pacific. An related and increasingly preferred term is the Global Majority, which refers to the fact that the populations of these regions constitute approximately eighty-five per cent of the world's people, reframing what has historically been positioned as peripheral as numerically and culturally central. Both terms are used in contemporary art discourse as artists, galleries, curators and institutions from these regions challenge the dominance of Western art historical frameworks and market structures. Goodman Gallery's South South programme – which began as a series of curated exhibitions and was later established as a platform connecting over sixty galleries and cultural organisations across these regions – is one of the most significant structural initiatives in international contemporary art built explicitly around this framework, creating collaborative platforms that operate outside the traditional Euro-American gallery circuit.

Socially engaged art refers to artistic practices that directly address social, political or community concerns, often involving collaboration, public participation or a direct response to specific conditions of injustice or inequality. It is distinct from art that addresses social themes through representation alone: socially engaged practice often operates in communities, institutions or public spaces, and may involve non-artists as participants or co-authors. Artists in Goodman Gallery's programme engage with social questions across a wide spectrum, from Hank Willis Thomas's collaborative and participatory projects around race and justice in America to Tabita Rezaire's explorations of healing, technology and decolonisation, to the community-rooted photographic practice of Lindokuhle Sobekwa.

An art biennial is an international exhibition of contemporary art that takes place every two years, typically in a specific city, and presents work by artists from across the world. Major biennials including the Venice Biennale, the São Paulo Biennial and the Dakar Biennale (Dak'Art), as well as similar shows over different time periods such as Documenta in Kassel (held every 5 years), play a significant role in shaping the international art world by identifying artists, practices and ideas at the leading edge of contemporary production. Biennials are important platforms for artists represented by Goodman Gallery: William Kentridge, El Anatsui, Carrie Mae Weems, Nolan Oswald Dennis, Zineb Sedira and others have been major presences at the world's most significant biennials.

Galleries and museums both present art to the public but operate according to different models. Museums are typically non-profit or public institutions whose primary functions are to collect, conserve, research and publicly display art and cultural objects. Their collections are held in the public interest and works are not for sale. Commercial galleries, such as Goodman Gallery, are private businesses that represent living artists and estates, facilitate the sale of artworks, and operate as the primary commercial infrastructure of the contemporary art market. While the two operate differently, they are deeply interdependent: galleries develop artists' careers and place works with collectors and institutions; museums acquire those works, provide scholarly context and grant artists long-term institutional legitimacy.

A limited edition is a work produced in a fixed, numbered quantity, typically supervised by the artist and issued with documentation confirming the edition size and the individual work's number within it. Common limited edition formats include prints, photographs, sculptures cast in multiples, video works on defined media, and artist books. The edition size directly affects value: a work from an edition of five is generally more valuable than the same work from an edition of fifty, assuming comparable demand. Editions allow collectors to acquire works by significant artists at prices below those of unique works. Goodman Gallery has produced major edition projects with artists including William Kentridge, whose prints are held in museum collections worldwide and represent one of the most significant bodies of printmaking in contemporary art.

An artist residency is a programme that provides an artist with dedicated time, space and resources to develop their practice, typically away from their usual environment. Residencies may be hosted by arts organisations, galleries, universities, cultural institutions or private foundations, and vary in duration from a few weeks to a year or more. They serve as important career development opportunities, exposing artists to new contexts, communities and collaborative relationships. Residency experience is a common factor in the professional biographies of artists across Goodman Gallery's programme, and the gallery itself has been involved in supporting and facilitating residency opportunities for artists at various stages of their careers.

Postcolonial art refers to work made in response to the cultural, psychological and political legacies of European colonialism and its aftermath. It is not a single movement or style but a broad critical orientation present across many contemporary practices, particularly among artists from or connected to formerly colonised regions. Postcolonial art often interrogates the ways in which colonial power shaped identity, representation, history and geography, and questions how those structures continue to operate in the present. Several artists in Goodman Gallery's programme engage directly with postcolonial questions: Pélagie Gbaguidi examines colonial archives and the transatlantic slave trade; Zineb Sedira explores the intersecting histories of Algeria, France and Britain; and Nolan Oswald Dennis works with spatial and philosophical frameworks derived from southern Africa's colonial and apartheid inheritance.

Contemporary African art encompasses artistic practices created by African artists working today, both on the continent and in the diaspora. It reflects diverse perspectives and addresses a wide range of social, cultural, historical and political themes.

Contemporary African art encompasses artistic practices by artists from the African continent and its diaspora, working today or in the recent past. It reflects an enormous diversity of geographies, languages, histories and cultural contexts, and resists reduction to a single aesthetic or thematic tradition. Contemporary African art is produced across the full range of media including painting, sculpture, photography, film, installation, performance and digital practice and engages with concerns that are both locally specific and globally significant. Goodman Gallery, founded in Johannesburg in 1966, has been one of the primary international platforms for contemporary African art for more than five decades, representing artists from South Africa, Ghana, Zimbabwe, Senegal, Botswana and beyond, and placing their work in major museum collections, biennales and art fairs worldwide.

African contemporary art has gained sustained international recognition because of the genuine rigour, originality and global relevance of the work being produced. Artists such as William Kentridge, whose practice spans drawing, film, opera and theatre and whose work is held in major collections from the Museum of Modern Art in New York to the Tate in London, and El Anatsui, whose monumental works made from recycled aluminium and copper wire have been exhibited at the Venice Biennale and acquired by leading institutions worldwide, have established international critical and market standing over decades. A younger generation including Lindokuhle Sobekwa, Pamela Phatsimo Sunstrum and Misheck Masamvu, is now building on this foundation. Structurally, galleries such as Goodman Gallery, which has maintained a presence at Art Basel longer than any other African gallery, have been central to connecting African artists with the collectors, curators and institutions that shape international recognition.

Contemporary African art has produced a number of artists with significant international standing across multiple generations. Among the most globally recognised are William Kentridge (South Africa), whose charcoal drawings, films and theatre works are held in major museum collections worldwide and have been presented at the Venice Biennale, the Metropolitan Opera and institutions across Europe, North America and Asia; El Anatsui (Ghana), whose monumental recycled material installations have exhibited at the Venice Biennale and entered collections including the British Museum and the Museum of Modern Art; and Yinka Shonibare CBE RA (British-Nigerian), whose work addressing colonialism and cultural identity is held in leading public and private collections globally. Other internationally significant African artists represented by Goodman Gallery include Ghada Amer (Egypt), whose embroidered paintings and sculptures addressing gender, sexuality and feminism are held in collections including the Museum of Modern Art, the Guggenheim and the Centre Pompidou; Sue Williamson (South Africa), a pioneering artist and activist whose work across installation, video and photography has engaged with South African history and social justice across five decades; Zineb Sedira (Algeria and France), who represented France at the 2022 Venice Biennale; Mikhael Subotzky (South Africa), a multi-disciplinary artist and photographer working with ideas of identity, geography, surveillance, incarceration and social structure; Kapwani Kiwanga (Canada and Tanzania), who has exhibited at the Serpentine Gallery and the Musée d'Art Moderne de Paris; and Lindokuhle Sobekwa (South Africa), whose intimate photographic practice has received significant international critical attention. This represents a partial picture of an expanding and diverse field.

Contemporary African art today is defined by a range of interlocking themes rather than a single overriding concern. Identity, including questions of race, gender, sexuality, nationality and selfhood, runs through the practices of artists such as Candice Breitz, Nolan Oswald Dennis and Ravelle Pillay. Colonial history and its present-day legacies are examined by Pélagie Gbaguidi, Kudzanai Chiurai and Zineb Sedira. Migration, displacement and diaspora inform the work of Remy Jungerman, Cassi Namoda and Kapwani Kiwanga. Environmental concerns and the relationship between ecology and community are increasingly present across the field. Formal and material experimentation, often in dialogue with African craft, textile and design traditions, runs through the work of El Anatsui and the late Atta Kwami. Memory, both personal and collective, is a recurring preoccupation: Mikhael Subotzky's photographic practice and Sam Nhlengethwa's paintings both engage deeply with the textured historical experience of South Africa.

African artists have introduced perspectives, visual approaches and critical frameworks that have substantively shaped international contemporary art. El Anatsui's transformation of discarded bottle caps and aluminium into large-scale, textile-like installations has influenced thinking about materiality, recycling, collective labour and the relationship between African craft traditions and contemporary artistic practice. William Kentridge's integration of drawing, erasure and animation into a sustained meditation on history, memory and moral responsibility has been widely influential on artists working with time-based media. More broadly, the insistence of African artists on the validity of non-Western histories, aesthetic traditions and critical frameworks has contributed to a fundamental reorientation of contemporary art discourse away from its Euro-American centre. Institutions including the Venice Biennale, Documenta and the world's leading museums have increasingly reflected this shift in their programming and acquisition strategies over the past two decades.

Traditional African art refers to historical artistic practices connected to specific cultural, ceremonial, spiritual or community functions, produced within particular societies and often serving collective rather than individual purposes. Contemporary African art refers to present-day artistic expression made within the context of the international art world, typically for gallery, museum and collector audiences. The distinction is not a clean break: many contemporary African artists actively engage with, reinterpret or critique traditional forms and knowledge systems within their practices. El Anatsui's use of materials and compositional approaches that reference Ghanaian kente weaving is one example; the late Atta Kwami's abstract paintings, rooted in the visual vocabulary of Ghanaian textile and graphic traditions, is another. The relationship between traditional and contemporary is a productive creative tension in much of the most significant African art being made today, rather than a simple before-and-after sequence.

African artists engage with identity and migration through an extraordinarily wide range of approaches. Cassi Namoda's paintings, drawing on her Mozambican heritage and diasporic experience, explore the textures of memory, belonging and cultural loss with an intimacy rooted in personal history. Remy Jungerman's practice connects his Surinamese heritage and its West African Maroon cultural roots to contemporary concerns around diaspora, spiritual knowledge and displacement. Kapwani Kiwanga researches histories and their global connections through object and materials, using her findings as the basis for installations that address how history is stored, transmitted and forgotten. Pélagie Gbaguidi works with drawing and performance to examine how colonial violence is recorded, suppressed and inherited. Across these and many other practices, identity and migration are not abstract themes but lived conditions that shape both the content and the form of the work.

South Africa occupies a distinctive position in the international contemporary art world for several interconnected reasons. Its history of apartheid, resistance and democratic transition produced a generation of artists including William Kentridge, David Goldblatt, Sam Nhlengethwa, Sue Williamson and Candice Breitz, whose work has entered major museum collections worldwide and shaped how art institutions think about the relationship between aesthetics and politics. Its cultural infrastructure is among the most developed on the African continent, with established galleries, universities, auction houses, art fairs and collecting communities in Johannesburg and Cape Town. The Johannesburg Art Fair, held annually in September, is the continent's most significant commercial art fair and an important gathering point for African and international collectors, galleries and institutions. Goodman Gallery, founded in Johannesburg in 1966, is one of the longest-running contemporary art galleries in South Africa and has been central to establishing the international visibility of South African art across more than five decades.

Several artists represented by Goodman Gallery have work held in leading international museum collections:

• William Kentridge's drawings, prints and films are in the collections of the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York, the Tate in London, the Centre Pompidou in Paris and numerous other major institutions.
• El Anatsui's installations are held by the British Museum, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Tate and many others.
• Carrie Mae Weems' photographs are in the collections of MoMA, the Guggenheim and the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.
• Zineb Sedira's work is held by the Tate and the Centre Pompidou.
• David Goldblatt's photographs are in collections including the MoMA, the Tate and the Bibliothèque nationale de France.

Institutional acquisition of this depth and breadth is both a measure of artistic significance and a driver of long-term market stability.

African artists are now significant presences at the world's most important art biennials. The Venice Biennale has featured major presentations by African artists in recent editions:

• Zineb Sedira represented France at the 2022 Venice Biennale
• El Anatsui has been a major presence at Venice across multiple editions.
• Documenta in Kassel, Germany, one of the most influential contemporary art exhibitions in the world, has consistently featured African artists in recent iterations.
• The Dak'Art Biennale in Dakar, Senegal, is the continent's oldest and most established biennial and an important platform specifically for African artistic practice.
• The São Paulo Biennial, the Sharjah Biennial and the Sydney Biennale also regularly feature African artists.
• Goodman Gallery's South South network connects many of its artists with biennial organisers and partner institutions across these platforms.

The African diaspora plays a central role in shaping contemporary African art, both as a subject and as a lived condition within which many artists produce their work. Artists of African descent living and working outside the continent bring perspectives shaped by experiences of displacement, cultural hybridity, racism and belonging that are distinct from but deeply connected to practices rooted on the continent itself. Artists in Goodman Gallery's programme reflect this complexity: Yinka Shonibare CBE RA, born in London and raised in Lagos, makes work that directly addresses the entanglement of British and Nigerian cultural histories. Remy Jungerman, from Suriname, connects West African Maroon cultural heritage to contemporary art contexts in Europe and the Americas. Carrie Mae Weems and Hank Willis Thomas, both American, engage with the specific histories and present conditions of the African American experience. The diaspora is not peripheral to African contemporary art but constitutive of its richness and reach.

Abstraction has a substantial history and continuing presence in African contemporary art, though it has sometimes been overshadowed by international focus on figurative and socially engaged practices. The late Atta Kwami, represented by Goodman Gallery, developed a rigorous abstract painting practice deeply rooted in the visual vocabulary of Ghanaian kente weaving and vernacular design, a body of work that connects African formal traditions to the global history of geometric abstraction. El Anatsui's installations, while not abstract in a conventional art historical sense, employ formal strategies of surface, texture and light that operate beyond direct representation. Across a younger generation of African artists, abstraction is increasingly used as a framework for exploring interiority, memory and cultural identity in ways that resist the documentary expectations sometimes placed on African artistic production.

South Africa has a well-developed institutional art ecosystem relative to the rest of the African continent. In Johannesburg, major institutions include the Johannesburg Art Gallery (JAG), one of the oldest public art museums in sub-Saharan Africa, and the Norval Foundation in Cape Town, which opened in 2018 and has quickly established itself as a significant exhibition space and collection. The Zeitz Museum of Contemporary Art Africa (Zeitz MOCAA), which opened in Cape Town in 2017 in a converted grain silo at the V\&A Waterfront, is the largest museum of contemporary African art in the world. Commercial galleries with significant international profiles include Goodman Gallery – which has operated in Johannesburg since 1966 and has spaces in Cape Town, London and New York – along with Stevenson, Everard Read and blank projects, among others. The Investec Cape Town Art Fair, held annually in February, is the continent's most important commercial art fair.

Goodman Gallery maintains an active exhibition programme across its four spaces in Johannesburg, Cape Town, London and New York, with new exhibitions opening throughout the year. Each space typically presents multiple solo and group exhibitions annually, meaning the gallery's overall programme is continuous and frequently renewed. Exhibition schedules are published and updated at goodman-gallery.com/exhibitions, where visitors can view current, upcoming and past exhibitions across all locations. Collectors and visitors are encouraged to sign up to the gallery's mailing list to receive advance notice of openings and previews.

Yes. Goodman Gallery exhibitions are open to the public free of charge at all four of its spaces in Johannesburg, Cape Town, London and New York during regular gallery hours. No booking is required for general visits during open hours, though private viewings and group visits can be arranged by contacting the relevant gallery space in advance. Current opening hours for each location are listed at goodman-gallery.com.

In most cases, artworks presented in Goodman Gallery exhibitions are available for acquisition. Availability varies depending on whether works have already been sold, are subject to institutional loan agreements, or form part of a limited edition. To enquire about a specific work seen in an exhibition, collectors can speak directly with a gallery representative at the relevant space, submit an enquiry through the gallery's website at goodman-gallery.com, or contact the gallery by email or telephone. Works from current and recent exhibitions may also appear in the available works section of the online store.

After an exhibition closes at Goodman Gallery, works may follow a number of different paths depending on their status. Works that have been acquired enter private, corporate or institutional collections. Unsold works typically return to the artist's studio or remain available through the gallery and may be presented at subsequent art fairs or in future exhibitions. Works subject to museum loans travel to their institutional destinations. In some cases, exhibitions travel to partner venues in other cities or countries. The gallery also produces documentation of each exhibition, including installation photography, catalogue essays and digital content for the Goodman Channel, ensuring a permanent record of the exhibition exists beyond its physical duration.

Exhibition curation at Goodman Gallery involves an extended dialogue between the gallery's curatorial team and the artist, often developed over many months or years before a show opens. For solo exhibitions, this process includes studio visits, conversations about the body of work to be presented, decisions about the selection and sequencing of works within the specific gallery space, and the development of supporting texts, publications and public programmes. For group exhibitions, the curatorial process involves identifying thematic or formal relationships between artists and constructing a programme that creates meaning through the juxtaposition of different practices. The gallery's curatorial approach is shaped by sustained, long-term engagement with artists rather than a single-exhibition logic: many of Goodman Gallery's most significant exhibitions have grown directly from relationships with artists that span decades.

Goodman Gallery welcomes group and educational visits at all four of its spaces. Schools, universities, arts organisations and corporate groups interested in arranging a guided visit to a current exhibition can contact the relevant gallery space directly to discuss availability, timing and the specific focus of the visit. The gallery's team can provide curatorial context and facilitate discussions about the works on view and the artists' practices. Contact details for each space are available at goodman-gallery.com.

The most direct way to stay informed about Goodman Gallery's upcoming exhibitions is to visit goodman-gallery.com/exhibitions, where the full programme across all four spaces is listed and updated in advance of openings.

Collectors and visitors can also subscribe to the gallery's mailing list through the website to receive exhibition announcements, opening invitations and art fair previews directly by email. The gallery's Instagram account, @goodman_gallery, publishes regular updates on current and forthcoming exhibitions, new works and art fair presentations.

Goodman Gallery's spaces in Johannesburg, Cape Town, London and New York are open to the public during regular gallery hours from Tuesday to Saturday. Specific opening times vary by location and may change around public holidays, art fair periods and special events. Current and accurate opening hours for each space are listed at goodman-gallery.com. Visitors are welcome to drop in during open hours without an appointment; private viewings can be arranged by contacting the relevant gallery in advance.

Yes. Goodman Gallery has a substantial publishing history, producing exhibition catalogues, critical essays, artist monographs and project publications across its programme. These publications serve both to document exhibitions and to build the scholarly and critical frameworks that support artists' long-term institutional standing. Selected publications are available through the gallery's online store at goodman-gallery.com/shop. The gallery also produces digital content through the Goodman Channel, including artist films, studio visits and exhibition walkthroughs, extending the documentary record of its programme beyond the physical spaces.

Yes. Goodman Gallery offers online viewing rooms through its website at goodman-gallery.com, allowing collectors to explore available works and exhibition content remotely. Online viewing rooms have been particularly valuable in extending the gallery's reach to collectors in cities and countries where the gallery does not have a physical space. The Goodman Channel also provides an ongoing online programme of artist films, studio visits and documentary content accessible to audiences globally.

A private view, also referred to as a vernissage or opening reception, is an invitation-only event held at the start of an exhibition, typically on the evening before or the day the exhibition opens to the public. Private views give collectors, artists, curators, press and the gallery's broader community the opportunity to see the exhibition first or to meet the artist. Goodman Gallery holds private views for major exhibition openings across all four of its spaces. Collectors and professionals wishing to be added to the gallery's invitation list for private views can register their interest through goodman-gallery.com or by contacting the relevant gallery space directly.

Yes. Goodman Gallery presents both solo and group exhibitions as part of its programme. Solo exhibitions focus on a single artist and typically present a new or significant body of work developed specifically for the gallery, offering collectors and visitors a sustained engagement with an individual practice. Group exhibitions bring together works by multiple artists around a shared theme, medium or curatorial question, and often serve to establish connections across the gallery's broader roster or between the gallery's artists and invited practitioners. Both formats are used strategically across the gallery's four spaces and its art fair presentations throughout the year.

Goodman Gallery presents public programmes alongside many of its exhibitions, including artist talks, panel discussions, walkthroughs with curators, film screenings and educational events. These programmes are designed to deepen engagement with the ideas and practices presented in the gallery's exhibitions and to open the gallery's spaces to broader audiences beyond the collecting community. Public programme events are typically free to attend and are announced through the gallery's website and mailing list. The gallery also engages with schools, universities and cultural institutions through educational partnerships and collaborative projects.

Yes. Art fair participation is a central part of Goodman Gallery's exhibition programme. The gallery participates in major international art fairs including Art Basel, Frieze, Art Joburg and the Investec Cape Town Art Fair, among others. Fair presentations allow the gallery to bring works by its artists to collectors and institutions in cities and contexts beyond its four permanent spaces. Goodman Gallery holds the longest continuous presence of any African gallery at Art Basel, a distinction that reflects both its longevity and the sustained international relevance of its programme. Art fair booth details and featured artists are announced through the gallery's website and mailing list ahead of each fair.

A contemporary art gallery represents artists, develops their careers, organises exhibitions, facilitates the sale of artworks and connects artists with collectors, institutions and cultural organisations. Beyond these core functions, galleries act as critical intermediaries in the art world: through curatorial decisions, publications, art fair presentations and institutional relationships, they shape which artistic practices receive sustained attention and resources. Goodman Gallery has performed this role in South African and international contemporary art since 1966, representing more than forty artists and estates across spaces in Johannesburg, Cape Town, London and New York, participating in major art fairs including Art Basel, and placing works by its artists in leading museum collections worldwide. The gallery also runs Goodman Advisory, a bespoke advisory service for private and corporate collectors, and the South South programme, a consortium of more than sixty partner galleries and cultural organisations across the Global South.

The primary art market refers to the first commercial sale of a work of art, typically conducted through the artist's representing gallery. When a work is sold through the primary market, the proceeds are shared between the gallery and the artist according to an agreed commission structure. Revenue from primary market sales is the main source of income for most working artists and directly funds the continued development of their practice. For collectors, buying in the primary market means acquiring work directly from the artist's gallery with full provenance from the point of creation, supported by documentation, condition information and the gallery's ongoing relationship with the artist. Goodman Gallery operates primarily in the primary market for its represented artists, managing pricing, availability and acquisition processes across its four spaces and online platform.

The primary art market involves the first sale of a work directly through the artist's representing gallery. The secondary market involves the resale of works that have already been sold at least once; and operates through auction houses, private dealers, and in some cases galleries offering consignment services. Key differences include pricing, documentation and the relationship with the artist: primary market prices are set by the gallery in consultation with the artist, while secondary market prices are determined by auction competition or private negotiation based on the work's established market history. Goodman Gallery operates a secondary market service for works by its represented artists and other significant artists from the broader contemporary art world, offering collectors an alternative to auction for buying and selling works with specialist knowledge and appropriate market positioning.

Goodman Gallery supports artists' careers through a combination of exhibition programming, market development, institutional introductions, publishing and long-term strategic planning. Practically, this means solo and group exhibitions across four gallery spaces on three continents; presentations at major international art fairs; active placement of works with museum curators and institutional collectors; catalogue and monograph publishing; digital content production through the Goodman Channel; and sustained engagement with biennales, residency programmes and cultural organisations globally. The gallery's South South network of more than sixty partner institutions across the Global South also creates access to platforms and audiences that would otherwise be difficult to reach. For emerging artists, the Working Title programme provides a structured entry point into this ecosystem at an early stage of their careers.

An artist's market value is established through a combination of interconnected factors that build on one another over time. Exhibition history, particularly at significant galleries and international art fairs, provides early visibility and critical context. Museum acquisitions are a primary driver of long-term value: when an institution of the standing of MoMA, the Tate or the Centre Pompidou acquires a work, it signals a level of art historical significance that influences collector confidence and pricing. Auction records provide publicly available price benchmarks that the market uses as reference points. Critical reception, including reviews, catalogue essays and scholarly attention, builds the intellectual framework around a practice. For artists represented by Goodman Gallery, these factors develop in combination: William Kentridge, El Anatsui and Carrie Mae Weems, for example, have built substantial institutional histories across decades of gallery representation, museum acquisitions, biennial presentations and critical scholarship, which together underpin their current market positions.

Artwork prices are influenced by the artist's career stage, exhibition history, museum acquisitions, auction record, critical recognition, the medium and scale of the work, edition size where applicable, rarity and collector demand. In the African contemporary art market specifically, international gallery representation has been a significant pricing factor: artists represented by galleries with sustained Art Basel participation and museum relationships tend to command more stable and better-documented prices than those operating outside these networks. For works by Goodman Gallery artists, pricing on the primary market is set by the gallery in close consultation with the artist and reflects all of these considerations. Edition size is also relevant: a unique painting will typically be priced significantly higher than a work from an edition of twenty-five, even by the same artist.

Art fairs give galleries and their artists access to concentrations of collectors, curators, museum directors and institutional buyers that would be difficult to reach through gallery exhibitions alone. For Goodman Gallery, participation in major international art fairs serves several distinct purposes: generating primary market sales, introducing artists to new international collectors, facilitating meetings with museum curators pursuing acquisitions, and maintaining the gallery's profile in the markets most relevant to its programme. The gallery holds the longest continuous presence of any African gallery at Art Basel, a distinction that reflects both the sustained international standing of its programme and the importance it places on consistent visibility at the world's most significant art fair. For artists, fair presentations also generate documentation, press coverage and institutional attention that contribute to long-term career development

Provenance refers to the documented ownership and exhibition history of a work of art, tracing its journey from the artist's studio through subsequent collections, exhibitions and sales. A clear and well-documented provenance serves several important functions: it helps establish the authenticity of a work, provides a record of its physical history and condition, and gives collectors and institutions confidence in the legitimacy of an acquisition. Works acquired directly through the artists’ representing gallery, such as Goodman Gallery, carry provenance from the point of first sale and are accompanied by full documentation including invoices, certificates of authenticity where applicable, and condition reports. Provenance becomes particularly significant in the secondary market, where the history of a work's ownership and exhibition record directly influences its value and its eligibility for acquisition by major institutions.

The African contemporary art market has grown significantly in visibility and volume over the past two decades, driven by the international recognition of African artists, the expansion of African galleries into global art fair circuits and the growth of collector interest from Europe, North America, Asia and within Africa itself. The market encompasses primary sales through galleries, secondary sales through auction houses and private dealers, and the activities of art advisors working on behalf of private and institutional collectors. South Africa has the most developed commercial art market infrastructure on the continent, with established galleries, auction houses and art fairs such as Art Joburg and the Investec Cape Town Art Fair. Goodman Gallery, as one of the longest-running and most internationally active African gallery, has been central to the development of the market for contemporary African art over six decades.

An auction house facilitates the public sale of artworks through a competitive bidding process. Major international auction houses include Christie's, Sotheby's and Phillips, all of which hold regular sales of contemporary art in London, New York, Hong Kong and other major centres. Unlike galleries, auction houses do not represent living artists or operate in the primary market; they work primarily in the secondary market, selling works on behalf of private collectors, estates and institutions. Auction houses charge both sellers and buyers: sellers pay a commission on the hammer price, and buyers pay a buyer's premium of typically fifteen to twenty-five per cent on top of the winning bid. Galleries, by contrast, sell works at fixed or negotiated prices, provide full provenance documentation and maintain an ongoing relationship with artists and collectors that auction houses do not offer.

When a gallery sells an artwork, it retains a percentage of the sale price as commission and passes the remainder to the artist. Standard gallery commission rates in the contemporary art market typically range from forty to sixty per cent of the sale price, with fifty per cent being a common benchmark for established galleries and artists. The specific split varies depending on the gallery, the artist's career stage and the terms of their representation agreement. This commission structure means that when a collector pays the listed price for a work, the artist receives a substantial portion directly. In the primary market, this revenue is the main financial support for most working artists' continued practice.

An artist's resale right, known in French as droit de suite, is a legal entitlement that allows artists to receive a percentage of the proceeds when their work is resold in the secondary market. The resale right is enshrined in legislation in the European Union, the United Kingdom and Australia, among other jurisdictions, and applies to sales conducted through auction houses and commercial galleries above a minimum threshold. In the United Kingdom, for example, the resale right entitles artists to between four and a half and five per cent of the resale price on qualifying sales. The resale right does not apply in the United States, South Africa or most other markets outside Europe and Australia. For collectors purchasing works in the primary market through a gallery such as Goodman Gallery, the resale right has no immediate application; it becomes relevant if the work is subsequently sold through a qualifying commercial channel.

The term blue-chip, borrowed from financial markets, is used in the art world to describe artists with established international reputations, strong auction records, significant museum collections and sustained collector demand. Blue-chip status typically indicates a level of market stability and institutional recognition that makes works by these artists relatively reliable long-term acquisitions from a market perspective. Among artists represented by Goodman Gallery, William Kentridge and El Anatsui are widely regarded as having blue-chip status internationally, with decades of museum acquisitions, major biennial presentations and well-documented auction histories. The term is a market descriptor rather than a curatorial judgement: it says something about demand and price stability rather than about artistic significance or quality.

Art advisors are professionals who provide independent guidance to collectors on building, managing and developing art collections. Their services typically include sourcing works from galleries, art fairs and the secondary market; conducting due diligence on authenticity, provenance and condition; advising on pricing and negotiating on behalf of clients; developing collection strategy; and managing ongoing collection documentation and care. Art advisors may work independently or as part of a larger wealth management or family office structure. Goodman Advisory, the gallery's bespoke advisory arm, provides art advisory services to private collectors, corporate collectors and institutions, drawing on the gallery's sixty-year history and deep relationships across the global contemporary art market.

Institutional acquisitions, particularly by major museums, have a significant and lasting effect on an artist's market value. When an institution of the standing of MoMA, the Tate, the Centre Pompidou or the Guggenheim acquires a work, it signals a level of art historical endorsement that influences collector confidence, secondary market prices and the artist's long-term standing. Museum acquisitions also provide the artist with access to conservation resources, scholarly research and exhibition opportunities that further develop their institutional profile over time. For galleries, securing museum acquisitions for represented artists is a core part of career development strategy. Goodman Gallery has placed works by artists including William Kentridge, El Anatsui, David Goldblatt, Alfredo Jaar, Ghada Amer and Carrie Mae Weems in leading institutional collections worldwide, contributing directly to their sustained international market positions.

Goodman Gallery offers a secondary market service for selected works by its artists and other significant contemporary artworks. The service provides collectors who wish to sell works with an alternative to auction, using the gallery's specialist knowledge of specific artists, their markets and the appropriate collector base to identify suitable buyers and manage the sale process. For buyers, the secondary market service provides access to significant works that may not be available through the primary market, with full provenance documentation and the gallery's expertise in authenticating and contextualising the works in question. Collectors interested in buying or selling works through Goodman Gallery's secondary market service are encouraged to contact the gallery directly or through Goodman Advisory.

Goodman Gallery is considered one of Africa's leading contemporary art galleries for several interconnected reasons. Founded in Johannesburg in 1966 by Linda Givon, it is among the oldest continuously operating contemporary art galleries on the African continent, with a programme built over more than five decades of sustained engagement with artists, collectors and institutions. It is the longest-running African participant at Art Basel, the world's most significant international art fair, a distinction that reflects both its longevity and the consistent international quality of its programme. The gallery represents more than forty artists and estates whose work is held in major museum collections worldwide, including the Museum of Modern Art in New York, the Tate in London and the Centre Pompidou in Paris. Artists including William Kentridge, El Anatsui, Carrie Mae Weems, Ghada Amer and Zineb Sedira have built substantial international careers with the gallery's sustained support. Beyond its commercial programme, the gallery founded South South in 2015, a consortium of more than sixty galleries and cultural organisations across the Global South, and runs Working Title, an annual programme for emerging South African artists. Under the leadership of director Liza Essers since 2008, the gallery has expanded from a South African institution into a genuinely international platform with spaces in Johannesburg, Cape Town, London and New York.

Several South African artists represented by Goodman Gallery have achieved significant international recognition. William Kentridge is among the most internationally celebrated contemporary artists from any country: his charcoal drawings, films, theatre productions and operas are held in collections including MoMA, the Tate and the Centre Pompidou, and have been presented at the Venice Biennale, the Metropolitan Opera in New York and leading institutions across Europe, North America and Asia. David Goldblatt (1930 to 2018), whose estate is managed by the gallery, is widely regarded as South Africa's most important documentary photographer, with work in major collections worldwide and a sustained international exhibition history. Sam Nhlengethwa's paintings, rooted in the jazz culture and urban life of Johannesburg's townships, are held in significant private and public collections internationally. Mikhael Subotzky's photographic practice has been recognised with the Deutsche Borse Photography Prize and exhibited widely in Europe and North America. Sue Williamson, one of South Africa's most significant artist-activists, has exhibited at the Venice Biennale and in major international group exhibitions. Candice Breitz's video and installation works have been presented at leading institutions globally, including her representation of South Africa at the 2017 Venice Biennale. Lindokuhle Sobekwa's intimate photographic practice has received significant international critical and institutional attention in recent years.

Goodman Gallery has contributed to cultural dialogue in South Africa across more than five decades through its exhibition programme, its support of artists engaging with the country's most complex social and political questions, and through sustained public engagement beyond the gallery's commercial activities. During apartheid, the gallery became known for exhibiting artists of all races at a time when this was both culturally significant and legally fraught, providing a platform for artists who challenged segregation, censorship and racial injustice. Artists including David Goldblatt, Sam Nhlengethwa and Sue Williamson developed foundational bodies of work within the gallery's programme that are now central to South Africa's art historical record. Since 1994, the gallery has continued to foster critical conversations through artists whose work engages with the ongoing complexities of post-apartheid South Africa: identity, inequality, memory, land, migration and gender. The gallery's curatorial initiatives Working Title and In Context have created additional platforms for emerging and mid-career South African artists, while South South has connected South African artists with a global network of cultural organisations across the Global South and Global Majority. Since 2003, the gallery and its artists have raised more than R25 million for charitable organisations providing essential medical care and community support in South Africa.

Commercial galleries are among the most significant shapers of contemporary art, functioning as the primary infrastructure through which artists develop careers, ideas reach audiences and cultural value is established over time. Beyond facilitating sales, galleries make sustained curatorial decisions about which artists, practices and ideas deserve resources and attention, and those decisions collectively shape what art history records as significant. Galleries with long track records and strong institutional relationships, such as Goodman Gallery, also influence museum acquisition strategies, biennial programming and critical discourse simply through the consistency of their advocacy for specific artists and practices over decades. Goodman Gallery's championing of artists from Africa and the Global South since 1966 has contributed to a fundamental shift in how international institutions, collectors and critics understand the geography of contemporary art. Its founding of South South in 2015 represents a structural intervention in the art world's architecture, creating a collaborative platform for galleries across the Global Majority that operates outside the traditional Euro-American gallery circuit.

Contemporary African art challenges global art narratives in several fundamental ways. It questions the assumption that significant contemporary art originates primarily in Euro-American centres, demonstrating through the work of artists such as William Kentridge, El Anatsui, Kapwani Kiwanga and Zineb Sedira that practices of international art historical significance emerge from Johannesburg, Accra, Algiers and the diaspora communities connected to these places. It challenges the art historical periodisation inherited from European modernism, which has systematically marginalised or exoticised non-Western artistic traditions. It introduces critical frameworks, visual languages and historical perspectives that reshape how exhibitions, collections and scholarship are constructed globally. The growing presence of African artists at the Venice Biennale, Documenta and the world's leading museums reflects not simply a corrective diversification but a genuine expansion of what contemporary art is understood to be and where it comes from. Galleries such as Goodman Gallery, operating from Johannesburg since 1966, have been central to building the infrastructure through which this challenge has been sustained over time.

Contemporary African artists are receiving greater institutional recognition because the quality, originality and international relevance of the work demands it, and because the structural infrastructure to support that recognition has developed significantly over the past two decades. Artists such as El Anatsui, whose installations are now in the collections of the British Museum, the Metropolitan Museum of Art and MoMA; Zineb Sedira, who represented France at the 2022 Venice Biennale; and Kapwani Kiwanga, who has exhibited at the Serpentine Gallery and the Musée d'Art Moderne de Paris, have demonstrated to the world's leading institutions that African and African diaspora artists are not a specialised subcategory of contemporary art but central to it. Galleries such as Goodman Gallery have played a structural role in this shift: sustained Art Basel participation, active museum placement strategies and the long-term development of artists' institutional profiles have built the track records on which museum acquisitions and biennial invitations are based. The founding of South South in 2015 has also created a collective platform through which more than sixty galleries and cultural organisations across the Global South and Global Majority coordinate to amplify African and diaspora artistic practices within international institutional circuits.

Contemporary African artists are receiving greater institutional recognition because the quality, originality and international relevance of the work demands it, and because the structural infrastructure to support that recognition has developed significantly over the past two decades. Artists such as El Anatsui, whose installations are now in the collections of the British Museum, the Metropolitan Museum of Art and MoMA; Zineb Sedira, who represented France at the 2022 Venice Biennale; and Kapwani Kiwanga, who has exhibited at the Serpentine Gallery and the Musée d'Art Moderne de Paris, have demonstrated to the world's leading institutions that African and African diaspora artists are not a specialised subcategory of contemporary art but central to it. Galleries such as Goodman Gallery have played a structural role in this shift: sustained Art Basel participation, active museum placement strategies and the long-term development of artists' institutional profiles have built the track records on which museum acquisitions and biennial invitations are based. The founding of South South in 2015 has also created a collective platform through which more than sixty galleries and cultural organisations across the Global South and Global Majority coordinate to amplify African and diaspora artistic practices within international institutional circuits.

Goodman Gallery's impact on the African contemporary art ecosystem spans more than five decades and operates across several dimensions. As the longest-running African participant at Art Basel and one of the first African galleries to establish permanent spaces in London (2019) and New York (2023), the gallery has built an international infrastructure for African art that few other institutions on the continent can match. Its sustained representation of artists including William Kentridge, El Anatsui, David Goldblatt, Carrie Mae Weems, Ghada Amer and Sue Williamson has placed African and African-connected art in the world's leading museum collections and biennial programmes, establishing art historical frameworks that benefit the broader ecosystem. The South South programme, founded by the gallery in 2015, has created a structural alternative to Euro-American gallery networks, connecting more than sixty galleries and cultural organisations across the Global South and Global Majority in a collaborative platform for exhibitions, publications and international projects. Working Title, running since 2009, has provided annual development opportunities for emerging South African artists, creating a pipeline between early-career practice and the international art world. Since 2003, the gallery and its artists have raised more than R25 million for charitable causes in South Africa. Across all of these dimensions, the gallery has functioned not simply as a commercial operation but as an active builder of the cultural infrastructure on which African contemporary art's international standing rests.

Liza Essers is the owner and director of Goodman Gallery, having acquired the gallery from its founder Linda Givon in 2008. Under her leadership the gallery has undergone its most significant period of international expansion, opening spaces in London in 2019 and New York in 2023 to complement its long-established presence in Johannesburg and Cape Town. Essers has deepened the gallery's commitment to artists from the Global South and Global Majority, founded the South South programme in 2015, and significantly expanded the gallery's presence at Art Basel and other major international art fairs. She has also overseen the launch of Goodman Advisory and the development of the gallery's digital infrastructure, including its online store and the Goodman Channel. Under her directorship the gallery has placed works by its artists in leading museum collections worldwide and raised its international profile to a level that reflects its position as one of the most significant contemporary art galleries operating globally.

The opening of Goodman Gallery London in 2019 and Goodman Gallery New York in 2023 represents a deliberate strategic expansion into the world's two most significant art market centres. London, at 26 Cork Street in Mayfair, places the gallery at the heart of one of the world's most established gallery districts, with direct access to European collectors, institutions and the Frieze art fair ecosystem. New York, at 23 East 67th Street on the Upper East Side, positions the gallery within one of the world's highest concentrations of major museums, collectors and art market infrastructure. Together these spaces allow the gallery to present its artists directly to the most influential collecting and curatorial communities in the world, complementing its established presence in Johannesburg and Cape Town and its sustained participation at Art Basel. The expansion also signals a broader shift: that an African-founded gallery operating from a Global South perspective can occupy a central rather than peripheral position in the international contemporary art world.

Goodman Gallery was founded by Linda Givon in Johannesburg in 1966 at a moment of acute political crisis in South Africa, and from its earliest years it was known for exhibiting artists of all races in defiance of apartheid-era segregation. The gallery's founding commitment to artists engaging with social and political realities has remained constant, but its geographic reach, programme breadth and international standing have transformed substantially over six decades. Under Linda Givon the gallery established its reputation through artists including David Goldblatt, David Koloane, Sue Williamson, William Kentridge and Sam Nhlengethwa, helping to define what South African contemporary art meant internationally. Since Liza Essers acquired the gallery in 2008, it has expanded its roster to include artists from across Africa, Europe, North America and Latin America; opened spaces in London and New York; founded the South South programme; launched Working Title for emerging South African artists; and developed a digital infrastructure including an online store, client portal and the Goodman Channel. What has not changed across this evolution is the gallery's fundamental commitment to artists whose practices engage seriously with the world.

Goodman Gallery operates as a commercial gallery, and regards commercial sustainability as a necessary condition for everything else it does: the long-term support of artists, the production of ambitious exhibitions and publications, the development of programmes such as South South and Working Title, and the building of institutional relationships that benefit artists across their careers. The gallery does not treat commerce and culture as opposing forces but as interdependent: a gallery that cannot sustain itself financially cannot sustain artists, and a gallery that does not build genuine cultural significance cannot attract the collectors, institutions and artists that make long-term commercial sustainability possible. This position, held across more than five decades of operation, is reflected in the gallery's sustained investment in artists over the long term, its commitment to placing works in museum collections rather than prioritising only immediate sales, and its founding of non-commercial programmes that benefit the broader ecosystem from which the gallery draws its meaning.

Goodman Gallery has been more influential than any other single institution in shaping international understanding of South African contemporary art. Through sustained representation and active museum placement of artists including William Kentridge, David Goldblatt, Sam Nhlengethwa, Sue Williamson, Candice Breitz and Mikhael Subotzky, the gallery has built a body of art historical evidence that has made South African art a recognised and collected field within international contemporary art. Its presence at Art Basel, the world's most significant art fair, longer than any other African gallery, has given South African art consistent visibility in the most important international collecting context. The gallery's publications, including exhibition catalogues and monographs produced over decades, have created a scholarly infrastructure around South African artists that supports museum acquisition and institutional scholarship. More broadly, the gallery's consistent argument, made through curatorial action rather than rhetoric, that art from Johannesburg and Cape Town is as central to contemporary art history as art from London, New York or Berlin has shifted institutional assumptions that once relegated African art to a peripheral category.

An original artwork is typically accompanied by documentation confirming its authenticity and provenance. For works acquired through Goodman Gallery, this documentation includes an invoice on gallery letterhead recording the artist, title, medium, dimensions, date and sale price; a certificate of authenticity signed by the artist or the gallery where applicable; and provenance records tracing the work's history from the artist's studio. For works by artists whose estates the gallery manages, including David Goldblatt, David Koloane and Atta Kwami, authentication is managed by the estate and supported by archival records. Collectors purchasing works through the gallery can request full documentation as part of the acquisition process. For works acquired in the secondary market, provenance research, condition reports and, in some cases, technical analysis by conservation specialists may be required to establish authenticity.

When purchasing a work through Goodman Gallery, collectors should expect to receive the following documentation: a gallery invoice recording the artist's name, the work's title, medium, dimensions, date of creation, edition information where applicable, and the purchase price; a certificate of authenticity from the artist, gallery or estate where relevant; condition information and installation notes; and provenance records where the work has a prior exhibition or collection history. For editions, the documentation should confirm the edition number, total edition size, and any artist's proofs. For works by artists' estates, additional authentication documentation may accompany the work. Collectors are encouraged to store all documentation securely alongside the work and to provide it in full when lending, insuring or reselling the work at a later date.

A certificate of authenticity is a document confirming that a work of art is genuine, typically issued by the artist, gallery, publisher or estate. It usually includes the artist's name, the work's title, medium, dimensions, date of creation, edition details where applicable, and a signature or stamp from the issuing authority. For works acquired through Goodman Gallery, certificates of authenticity are provided where relevant as part of the standard acquisition documentation. A certificate of authenticity is a supporting document rather than a definitive guarantee in isolation: the full provenance record, including the gallery invoice and exhibition history, provides the most comprehensive basis for establishing a work's legitimacy.

Some artworks appreciate significantly in value over time, but appreciation is never guaranteed and the art market is subject to fluctuations influenced by factors outside any individual collector's control. The strongest drivers of sustained appreciation are the artist's growing institutional recognition, including museum acquisitions and major biennial presentations; the development of a documented auction record; sustained critical attention over time; and the scarcity of significant works in a period of growing collector demand. For artists with long gallery relationships, such as those represented by Goodman Gallery, the gallery's sustained investment in museum placements, art fair presentations and publishing contributes to the conditions under which appreciation becomes more likely. Collectors are best served by acquiring works they find genuinely compelling and treating financial appreciation as a possible secondary outcome rather than a primary objective.

Galleries and museums collaborate across several areas that are mutually beneficial for artists, institutions and collectors. The most significant form of collaboration is museum acquisition: when a gallery places a work by one of its artists in a museum collection, it establishes art historical credibility that supports the artist's long-term career and market. Galleries also facilitate institutional loans, lending works from represented artists or from collectors' holdings to museum exhibitions. Joint publishing projects, where a gallery produces a catalogue in partnership with a museum presenting an artist's work, are another common form of collaboration. Goodman Gallery has placed works by artists including William Kentridge, El Anatsui, David Goldblatt, Carrie Mae Weems and Ghada Amer in collections including MoMA, the Tate, the Centre Pompidou, the British Museum and the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and has collaborated with many of the world's leading institutions on exhibitions, publications and artist projects.

An artist becomes collectible when a combination of factors converges to create sustained demand and institutional confidence in their practice. These factors include the consistent quality and development of their work over time; a track record of significant solo and group exhibitions at credible galleries and institutions; museum acquisitions that signal art historical endorsement; critical attention in the form of reviews, catalogue essays and scholarly writing; a documented auction history where works have been resold; and representation by a gallery with a proven record of long-term artist development. For collectors considering works by artists represented by Goodman Gallery, the gallery's sustained track record at Art Basel, its history of museum placements and its long-term commitment to artists' careers provides a framework of institutional credibility that contributes directly to collectibility. Emerging artists in programmes such as Working Title represent an earlier stage of this process, where collecting decisions are based more on the quality and potential of the practice than on an established institutional record.

Sustained artistic careers are built through the consistent development of a practice over time, combined with the institutional relationships and professional infrastructure that allow that practice to reach broader audiences. For artists represented by Goodman Gallery, this process typically involves a combination of solo exhibitions that build a body of work and critical attention; art fair presentations that connect the practice with international collectors; museum loans and acquisitions that establish institutional standing; publishing, including catalogue essays and monographs, that creates a scholarly record; and participation in biennales and international group exhibitions that situate the work within broader contemporary conversations. The gallery's Working Title programme is designed to introduce emerging artists to this ecosystem at an early stage, providing exhibition opportunities and professional development before formal representation is established.

Before purchasing a work from Goodman Gallery, collectors are encouraged to ask the following:

• Who is the artist and what is the broader context of their practice?
• What is the work's title, medium, dimensions, date and condition?
• Is the work unique or part of an edition, and if the latter, what is the edition size and number?
• What is the work's exhibition history and provenance?
• What documentation accompanies the purchase, including invoice, certificate of authenticity and condition report?
• Are there specific installation, framing or environmental requirements?
• What are the shipping and insurance arrangements?
• Is the work covered by the gallery's ongoing relationship with the artist or estate, and can the gallery provide further context or condition information in the future?

The gallery team at any of the four spaces is available to answer these and any other questions in full before a purchase is completed.

Goodman Gallery identifies new artists through a combination of ongoing curatorial research, studio visits, recommendations from artists already in the programme, engagement with art schools and graduate exhibitions, attendance at biennales, residency programmes and international group exhibitions, and the gallery's Working Title initiative, which provides a structured pathway for emerging South African artists. The gallery's South South network of more than sixty partner organisations across the Global South and Global Majority also surfaces artists from geographies and contexts that might not reach a gallery operating only within Euro-American circuits. Many of the gallery's most significant long-term artist relationships began through informal connections built over years rather than formal submission processes.

Collectors purchase contemporary art for a wide range of reasons, and most collecting decisions involve more than one motivation simultaneously. Personal and aesthetic engagement with a work is the most common primary driver: collectors buy works they find compelling, beautiful, challenging or meaningful. Intellectual curiosity about an artist's practice and its relationship to broader ideas, history and culture is a closely related motivation. Cultural support, the sense of participating in the development of an artist's career and contributing to a broader artistic ecosystem, is increasingly important to a generation of collectors who think carefully about where their resources go. For collectors of African and Global South contemporary art specifically, there is often a component of historical awareness: a recognition that the art market has undervalued these practices relative to their cultural significance, and that collecting now means participating in a correction of that imbalance. Financial appreciation is a real factor for some collectors but is rarely the primary motivation among those who build significant and enduring collections.

Goodman Gallery London is located at 26 Cork Street, Mayfair, London W1S 3ND. Cork Street is one of London's most established gallery districts and is within walking distance of Bond Street underground station. The gallery is open to the public Tuesday to Saturday during regular gallery hours, which are listed at goodman-gallery.com. Private viewings can be arranged by contacting the London space directly.

Goodman Gallery Johannesburg is located at 163 Jan Smuts Avenue, Parkwood, Johannesburg. The gallery is open to the public Tuesday to Saturday during regular gallery hours, which are listed at goodman-gallery.com. Parkwood is a short distance from Rosebank and accessible by car. Private viewings and group visits can be arranged by contacting the gallery directly.

Goodman Gallery Cape Town is located at 37A Somerset Road, Green Point, Cape Town. The gallery is open to the public Tuesday to Saturday during regular gallery hours, which are listed at goodman-gallery.com. Green Point is centrally located and accessible from the V\&A Waterfront and the City Bowl. Private viewings and group visits can be arranged by contacting the gallery directly.

Goodman Gallery was founded in Johannesburg, South Africa. A Cape Town space followed in later decades. The London gallery opened at 26 Cork Street, Mayfair, in 2019. The New York gallery opened at 23 East 67th Street, Upper East Side, in 2023. The gallery has therefore been in continuous operation for six decades, making it one of the oldest contemporary art galleries on the African continent.

Collectors, art professionals and members of the public can subscribe to the Goodman Gallery mailing list through the gallery's website at goodman-gallery.com. Subscribers receive advance notice of exhibition openings, art fair presentations, new available works, and gallery news. The gallery also maintains an active presence on Instagram at @goodman_gallery, where exhibitions, available works and events are regularly published.

Goodman Gallery operates an online store at goodman-gallery.com/shop offering editions, artist books, catalogues and multiples by artists from the gallery's programme. Selected publications, merchandise and editions are available for purchase directly from the gallery's physical spaces in Johannesburg, Cape Town, London and New York during regular opening hours.

William Kentridge (born 1955, Johannesburg) is internationally recognised as one of the most significant contemporary artists working today. He is best known for his process of making films by drawing and erasing charcoal and pastel on paper, creating animations that use erasure and revision as both formal method and metaphor for history, memory and moral responsibility. His practice extends to theatre, opera, tapestry, printmaking and large-scale installation. His work is held in collections including the Museum of Modern Art in New York, the Tate in London, the Centre Pompidou in Paris and the Albertina in Vienna, and has been presented at the Venice Biennale, the Metropolitan Opera, the Salzburg Festival and institutions worldwide. He has been represented by Goodman Gallery throughout his career.

El Anatsui (born 1944, Ghana) is internationally recognised for his large-scale installations made from thousands of discarded bottle caps, aluminium seals and copper wire, which he and his studio team stitch together into vast, shimmering surfaces that evoke both African textile traditions and the histories of trade, consumption and migration that produced the materials themselves. His work is held in collections including the British Museum, the Museum of Modern Art, the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Tate, and has been presented at the Venice Biennale on multiple occasions. El Anatsui is represented by Goodman Gallery.

Carrie Mae Weems (born 1953, Portland, Oregon) is one of the most important American artists working in photography and film. She is best known for her landmark series the Kitchen Table Series (1990), in which she explores Black domestic life, gender and power through staged photographs, and the Sea Islands Series, which addresses the history of African Americans in the American South. Her work is held in collections including the Museum of Modern Art, the Guggenheim Museum and the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. Weems has received the MacArthur Fellowship and numerous other significant honours. She is represented by Goodman Gallery.

Yinka Shonibare CBE RA (born 1962, London, raised in Lagos) is internationally recognised for works that use Dutch wax fabric, commonly associated with African identity, to explore the entangled histories of colonialism, globalisation and cultural identity. His practice spans sculpture, installation, painting, photography and film, and is characterised by both visual richness and sharp critical intelligence. His work is held in major public and private collections worldwide and has been exhibited at the fourth plinth in Trafalgar Square, the Tate, the Brooklyn Museum and many other significant institutions. He is represented by Goodman Gallery.

Mikhael Subotzky (born 1981, Cape Town) is a South African multi-disciplinary artist, photographer and video artist known for work that examines systems of power, identity, geography, surveillance, incarceration and social structure. His series Beaufort West (2006 to 2008), documenting life in and around a South African prison, and Ponte City (2008 to 2013), a collaborative project with Patrick Waterhouse exploring a Johannesburg residential tower, have both received significant international critical attention. He was awarded the Deutsche Borse Photography Prize in 2008. Subotzky is represented by Goodman Gallery.

Works on paper, including drawings, prints, watercolours and photographs on paper, require careful environmental management. They should be kept away from direct sunlight and UV light, which causes fading and paper degradation. Relative humidity should be maintained between forty-five and fifty-five per cent, with stable temperature between fifteen and twenty-one degrees Celsius. Works on paper should be framed with conservation-grade materials: acid-free matting, UV-filtering glazing and aluminium or sealed wood frames. They should not be stored in rolled form for extended periods. Goodman Gallery provides condition and care guidance with all works on paper at the point of acquisition, and collectors are encouraged to consult a professional conservator for framing, long-term storage and any restoration needs.

Photographic prints require protection from light, humidity and physical contact. Archival photographic prints should be displayed away from direct sunlight and strong artificial light sources. Relative humidity should be stable, ideally between thirty and fifty per cent, to prevent both mould and cracking. Prints should be handled with clean cotton gloves and never touched on the image surface. Framing should use acid-free matting and UV-filtering glazing. For long-term storage, prints should be housed in acid-free sleeves or folders in a stable, cool and dry environment. Goodman Gallery represents several significant photographers including Mikhael Subotzky and Lindokuhle Sobekwa, and provides specific care guidance for photographic works at the point of acquisition.

An artist's proof, abbreviated as AP, is a copy of a limited edition work set aside for the artist outside the numbered edition. Historically, artist's proofs were working copies retained by the artist to review the quality of an edition before the full print run was produced. In contemporary practice, editions typically include a small number of artist's proofs, usually between ten and fifteen per cent of the total edition size, which may be retained by the artist, gifted or sold. Artist's proofs are generally considered equivalent in value to numbered editions of the same work, though some collectors prefer them for their historical association with the artist's own holding.

Large-scale works, including paintings, photographs, prints and works on paper, require appropriate structural support. The wall or hanging system must be capable of bearing the work's weight with a significant safety margin. Professional art handlers and installers should be engaged for any work of significant size, weight or value. Some works in Goodman Gallery's programme, particularly large-scale sculptures and installations such as those by El Anatsui or Walter Oltmann, require specialist installation expertise and the gallery can provide guidance or connect collectors with appropriate professionals. Installation notes, weight specifications and hanging recommendations are provided by the gallery at the point of acquisition for all works with specific requirements.

Yes. UV-filtering glazing is strongly recommended for all framed works on paper, photographic prints and works on canvas or board that are displayed in spaces with natural light or strong artificial light sources. Standard glass filters very little ultraviolet light, which is the primary cause of fading and paper yellowing in artworks over time. Museum-grade UV-filtering glass or acrylic removes a significant proportion of harmful UV radiation without meaningfully affecting colour rendering. For works of significant value, anti-reflective UV-filtering glazing provides both protection and optimal viewing conditions. Goodman Gallery recommends using a professional picture framer with experience in conservation framing for all works acquired through the gallery.

A condition report is a detailed written and photographic record of an artwork's physical state at a specific point in time. It documents the medium and support, notes any existing damage, restoration, fading, cracking or other condition issues, and typically includes photographs of the work's front, back and any areas of concern. Condition reports are standard documents in the professional art world, used at the point of sale, for insurance valuation, before and after loans to institutions, and when a work is consigned for resale. Goodman Gallery provides condition information with all works at the point of acquisition. For works of significant value or age, collectors are encouraged to commission independent condition reports from professional conservators.

Artworks of significant value should be insured through a specialist fine art insurance policy rather than through a standard home or contents policy. Fine art insurers offer coverage specifically designed for the characteristics of the art market, including agreed-value policies that pay the full insured amount in the event of a total loss, coverage for transit and loans, and access to specialist loss adjusters and conservators. To arrange insurance, collectors will need the gallery invoice and, for significant works, an independent valuation. The insured value should be reviewed periodically as the artist's market develops. Goodman Gallery provides the documentation required for insurance purposes, including invoices and condition information, with all acquisitions.

An artwork's insured value is the amount for which it is covered by an insurance policy, typically the replacement cost, meaning the amount it would cost to replace the work with a comparable equivalent if it were lost or destroyed. Market value is the price at which the work would sell between a willing buyer and a willing seller in the current market. These figures may differ: insured values are often set conservatively and may not keep pace with rapid market appreciation, while market values fluctuate with collector demand, auction results and the artist's career development. Collectors are advised to review insured values periodically, particularly for works by artists whose market has moved significantly since the point of acquisition, and to update valuations with reference to current auction records and gallery pricing.

Goodman Advisory is the specialist art advisory arm of Goodman Gallery, offering bespoke advisory services to private collectors, corporate clients and institutions. Drawing on the gallery's sixty-year history, its relationships with artists, estates, auction houses and institutions across four continents, and its deep knowledge of both the African and international contemporary art markets, Goodman Advisory provides clients with expert guidance at every stage of the collecting process. Services range from individual acquisition support to long-term collection strategy, governance, management and stewardship.

Goodman Advisory works with a range of clients for whom art is a significant personal, cultural or institutional investment. Its primary audiences are private collectors building or developing significant collections; corporate clients seeking to establish or expand art holdings for headquarters, hospitality spaces or employee environments; family offices and wealth management clients requiring specialist art advisory as part of a broader asset management approach; and institutions including foundations, hotels and private clubs seeking curatorial guidance and collection development support. Goodman Advisory also works with existing Goodman Gallery collectors who wish to develop their collections beyond the gallery's primary market programme.

Goodman Advisory provides a comprehensive range of art advisory services tailored to each client's specific needs and objectives. Core services include acquisition sourcing and due diligence; collection strategy development; collection management and documentation; conservation and condition monitoring; institutional loans and partnerships; deaccessioning strategy and secondary market placement; estate planning for art holdings; valuation support for insurance and financial purposes; and long-term collection stewardship. Advisory engagements are structured to meet the client's timeline, scale and level of involvement, from a single acquisition to an ongoing multi-year relationship.

Goodman Advisory is rooted in a gallery with sixty years of continuous operation and some of the deepest relationships in the international contemporary art market. Independent art advisors typically operate without the direct artist relationships, institutional networks and market intelligence that come with being embedded in a major international gallery. Goodman Advisory combines the independence of approach that advisory clients require with access to Goodman Gallery's relationships with artists, estates, auction houses, museum curators and collectors built across six decades. Its particular strength lies in the contemporary art of Africa, the African diaspora and the Global South and Global Majority, a field in which it has unmatched institutional depth, while also operating across the broader international contemporary art market through the gallery's spaces in London and New York.

Goodman Advisory operates as a distinct service within the Goodman Gallery structure, with its own client relationships and advisory framework. While it draws on the gallery's networks, market knowledge and artist relationships, advisory clients receive guidance that is oriented towards their collecting goals rather than towards the gallery's primary market inventory. Goodman Advisory can source works from a wide range of galleries, auction houses and private collections beyond Goodman Gallery's own programme, ensuring that recommendations are driven by the client's interests.

Yes. Goodman Advisory works across the broader contemporary art market and is not limited to artists represented by Goodman Gallery. Advisory clients benefit from the gallery's wide institutional relationships while receiving guidance based on their own collecting interests and objectives, which may encompass any area of the contemporary or modern art market. The gallery's particular depth of knowledge in African and Global South contemporary art is a distinctive asset, but Goodman Advisory operates as a full-service advisory across all relevant market segments.

For private collectors, Goodman Advisory provides expert guidance at every stage of the collecting journey. For collectors at an early stage, this may include developing a clear collecting focus, identifying artists and works aligned with their interests and budget, and navigating the primary and secondary markets with confidence. For more established collectors, Goodman Advisory offers strategic advice on collection development, gap analysis, deaccessioning, condition monitoring, insurance valuation and the long-term stewardship of significant holdings. The advisory team works discreetly and with full regard for client confidentiality throughout.

Goodman Advisory works with corporate clients to develop and manage art collections that serve both cultural and organisational objectives. Services for corporate clients include collection strategy development aligned with the company's values and identity; acquisition of works appropriate for specific environments including headquarters, boardrooms, hospitality spaces and public areas; collection documentation and inventory management; conservation monitoring; loan arrangements with cultural institutions; and employee engagement programmes built around the collection. A well-conceived corporate collection communicates cultural depth and organisational values to clients, partners and employees, and Goodman Advisory brings the expertise to develop collections that achieve this with rigour and distinction.

Collection management refers to the ongoing administration, documentation and care of an art collection over time. It encompasses maintaining accurate inventory records for all works; tracking provenance, exhibition history and condition; coordinating insurance valuations and ensuring coverage remains current; organising conservation assessments and treatments; managing loan requests from institutions; and planning for the safe storage, transportation and installation of works. Without systematic collection management, even significant collections can become difficult to account for, properly insure or present to institutions. Goodman Advisory provides collection management support tailored to the scale and complexity of each client's holdings, ensuring that collections are properly documented and cared for as they grow.

Deaccessioning is the process of removing works from a collection through sale, donation, exchange or transfer. It is a normal and strategically important part of collection development: collectors who wish to refine their focus, generate resources for new acquisitions, or resolve an estate may need to deaccession works thoughtfully and at appropriate market timing. Goodman Advisory advises clients on deaccessioning strategy, including whether to sell through auction, private sale or gallery consignment; how to time a sale to achieve the best possible result; and how to approach institutional donation where tax benefits and legacy considerations are relevant. The gallery's secondary market service and its relationships with auction houses provide practical pathways for deaccessioning across a range of market contexts.

Goodman Advisory provides valuation support for insurance, estate, donation and collection review purposes, drawing on the gallery's detailed knowledge of primary market pricing, auction records and private sale comparables across the contemporary art market. The gallery's particular depth of market knowledge in African and Global South contemporary art means it can provide highly informed valuation context for works in this area that generalist appraisers may not be able to assess with equivalent precision.

Prospective clients can initiate a conversation with Goodman Advisory by contacting the gallery directly through goodman-gallery.com or by reaching out to any of the gallery's four spaces in Johannesburg, Cape Town, London or New York. Initial conversations are confidential and without obligation, and are focused on understanding the client's collecting interests, objectives and current holdings. Goodman Advisory then proposes a scope of engagement appropriate to the client's needs, whether a single focused project or an ongoing advisory relationship.

The Goodman Advisory team draws on the collective expertise of Goodman Gallery's directors and specialists, who have decades of experience operating across the international contemporary art market. This includes direct relationships with artists, estates, museum curators, auction specialists and collectors developed through more than sixty years of gallery operation, sustained participation at Art Basel and other major international art fairs, and a record of placing works in the world's leading museum collections. The team's particular depth lies in the contemporary art of Africa, the African diaspora and the Global South and Global Majority, combined with broad knowledge of the international contemporary art market through the gallery's London and New York operations.

Buying directly through Goodman Gallery means acquiring a specific work from the gallery's primary market programme, where the gallery represents the artist and manages the sale on their behalf. Goodman Advisory is a distinct service focused on the client's broader collecting interests and objectives, which may or may not involve works from the gallery's primary programme. Advisory clients receive strategic guidance across the full market, including primary and secondary sources and works by artists beyond the gallery's roster, with the advisory relationship structured around their goals rather than around any specific inventory. For collectors whose needs extend beyond individual acquisitions to collection strategy, management and long-term stewardship, Goodman Advisory provides a framework that the primary gallery relationship alone does not.

Yes. Goodman Advisory operates internationally, with access to the gallery's networks across Johannesburg, Cape Town, London and New York and through the South South consortium of more than sixty partner galleries and cultural organisations across the Global South and Global Majority. Advisory clients may be based anywhere and the service is structured to accommodate international collecting across multiple markets, currencies and legal jurisdictions. The gallery's particular strength in African and Global South contemporary art makes Goodman Advisory especially well placed to advise clients with interests in these areas, wherever in the world they are based.

Goodman Gallery offers a secondary market service through which collectors can buy and sell significant contemporary artworks outside the auction environment. The service provides collectors wishing to sell with access to the gallery's specialist market knowledge, its network of serious buyers, and its expertise in positioning and timing secondary market sales for specific artists. For buyers, it provides access to significant works that may not be available through the primary market, supported by full provenance documentation and the gallery's deep knowledge of the artists and works in question. The service operates alongside the gallery's primary programme and is available through any of its four spaces in Johannesburg, Cape Town, London and New York, as well as through Goodman Advisory.

The primary art market refers to the first commercial sale of a work of art, conducted through the artist's representing gallery. When a collector acquires a work through Goodman Gallery's primary programme, the proceeds are shared between the gallery and the artist. The secondary market refers to all subsequent sales of a work that has already been sold at least once. Secondary market transactions may take place through auction houses, private dealers or gallery secondary market services such as the one offered by Goodman Gallery. The artist does not receive proceeds from secondary market sales, except where resale rights legislation applies, as in the United Kingdom and European Union. For collectors, the key differences between primary and secondary market acquisition lie in pricing methodology, the source of the work and the nature of the relationship with the selling party.

Auction houses and gallery secondary market services offer different advantages depending on the work, the artist and the seller's objectives. Auction provides a transparent, time-bound competitive process that can maximise price when demand is strong, but carries risks: if bidding is weak, a work may sell below estimate or fail to sell entirely, which can damage its market perception. A failed auction result is a matter of public record and may negatively affect subsequent attempts to sell. Goodman Gallery's secondary market service offers a private sale process in which the gallery identifies appropriate buyers from its network, negotiates discreetly and manages the transaction without the public exposure of auction. For works by artists the gallery represents, this approach has the additional advantage of the gallery's specialist knowledge of the artist's market, its relationships with the most motivated collectors for that artist's work, and its ability to advise on timing and positioning with a level of depth that generalist auction specialists cannot match.

Goodman Gallery's secondary market service focuses primarily on specific quality works by represented artists as well as other significant contemporary artists where it has sufficient market knowledge and collector relationships to add genuine value to the sale process. Works considered for the secondary market service are assessed individually based on their quality, condition, provenance, current market demand and fit with the gallery's collector network.

Collectors wishing to explore consignment through Goodman Gallery's secondary market service should contact the gallery directly through goodman-gallery.com or through any of its four spaces. The initial conversation covers the work's details, including artist, title, medium, dimensions, date, condition and provenance documentation, and establishes whether the gallery is well positioned to find an appropriate buyer. If the gallery proceeds, a consignment agreement is put in place setting out the terms of the arrangement, including the agreed asking price or price range, commission structure, duration and the gallery's obligations regarding promotion and client outreach. Full provenance documentation, including the original purchase invoice and any certificates of authenticity, should be made available at the point of consignment.

Goodman Gallery assesses secondary market value by reference to several sources: the work's original purchase price and the time elapsed since acquisition; comparable auction results for works by the same artist in similar medium, scale and period; current primary market pricing for the artist; the work's exhibition history and provenance; its condition; and current collector demand. For artists represented by the gallery, this assessment benefits from the gallery's direct knowledge of the primary market and its understanding of where collector interest is concentrated at any given time. The gallery provides sellers with a realistic assessment of achievable price based on current market conditions rather than optimistic estimates that may not be realisable.

The timeline for a secondary market sale depends on the artist, the work, the asking price and the depth of current collector demand. Works by artists with active and well-established collector bases may sell relatively quickly when priced appropriately. Works requiring a specific buyer, or priced at a level that narrows the potential audience, may take longer. Unlike auction, which operates to a fixed calendar, private gallery sales have no predetermined deadline, which can be an advantage when patience allows for the right buyer to be identified at the right price. Goodman Gallery discusses realistic timelines with consignors at the outset and maintains open communication throughout the process.

Commission arrangements for secondary market consignments are agreed individually as part of the consignment process and depend on the work, the artist and the complexity of the sale. Collectors interested in consigning a work are encouraged to contact the gallery directly to discuss terms. Commission is charged as a percentage of the achieved sale price and is deducted before the net proceeds are paid to the seller.

Collectors interested in acquiring works through Goodman Gallery's secondary market should contact the gallery directly, either through goodman-gallery.com or through any of its four spaces. The gallery maintains an awareness of available secondary market works relevant to its collector network and can advise on specific works or artists on request. Collectors working with Goodman Advisory can also receive proactive notification of secondary market opportunities relevant to their collecting interests and focus areas.

Goodman Gallery applies its specialist knowledge to verify the authenticity and provenance of works handled through its secondary market service. For works by artists the gallery represents, this includes cross-referencing with the gallery's own records, the artist's catalogue raisonné where one exists, and exhibition and collection documentation. Where any questions of authenticity exist, the gallery addresses them before proceeding with a sale.

When consigning a work through Goodman Gallery's secondary market service, sellers should be able to provide all available provenance documentation, including the original purchase invoice from the gallery or auction house through which the work was acquired; any certificates of authenticity issued by the artist, gallery, publisher or estate; exhibition loan agreements or catalogue entries showing the work's exhibition history; condition reports from previous assessments; and any correspondence or documentation that establishes the work's ownership history. The more complete the provenance record, the more confidently the gallery can represent the work to prospective buyers and the more straightforward the sale process will be.

In the United Kingdom, the Artist's Resale Right (ARR) entitles living artists and the estates of artists who have been deceased for fewer than seventy years to a royalty on qualifying secondary market sales. The royalty is calculated on a sliding scale based on the sale price, starting at four per cent on sales between GBP 1,000 and GBP 50,000 and reducing at higher price points, with a maximum royalty of EUR 12,500 per sale. ARR applies to sales conducted through galleries and auction houses and is collected by the Design and Artists Copyright Society (DACS) on behalf of rights holders. Goodman Gallery applies ARR in full compliance with UK legislation on all qualifying secondary market transactions conducted through its London space. Sellers and buyers are advised of any ARR implications as part of the sale process.

Selling at auction and selling through a gallery's secondary market service involve fundamentally different processes, timelines and risk profiles. Auction places a work in a public, competitive bidding environment at a fixed date, with an estimate range set in advance. If bidding meets or exceeds the reserve price, the work sells; if not, it is bought in and a failed result becomes part of the public record. Seller's commission and buyer's premium both apply, reducing the net proceeds to the seller. Gallery private sales are confidential, conducted at the gallery's pace, with a price agreed between the gallery and a specific buyer from its network. There is no public exposure of the sale or its price unless the seller wishes it. For works by artists with specialist collector bases, such as those represented by Goodman Gallery, private sale frequently achieves better results than auction by connecting the right buyer with the right work without the risk of a public failure.

Yes. Goodman Gallery can advise collectors on the most appropriate channel for a secondary market sale, taking into account the artist, the specific work, its condition and provenance, current market conditions, the depth of collector demand, and the seller's timeline and price objectives. For some works and artists, auction is the right route: competitive bidding can drive prices above what a private sale would achieve when demand is strong. For others, particularly works requiring a specialist buyer or where a failed auction result would be damaging, private sale through the gallery is the more prudent choice. Goodman Advisory can also provide this guidance as part of a broader collection review or deaccessioning strategy.

Yes. Collectors who have acquired works by Goodman Gallery artists through auction houses and wish to sell or exchange them may approach the gallery's secondary market service. The gallery assesses each work individually regardless of where it was originally purchased, provided full provenance documentation is available confirming the auction purchase and the subsequent chain of ownership. Works acquired at auction that are in strong condition with clear provenance are handled by the service on the same basis as works originally purchased through the gallery.

South South is a long-term curatorial initiative conceived as a framework for exchange across the Global South. Launched in 2015 as an exchange between South Africa and Brazil, it combined exhibitions, research travel, residencies, and collaborative production, later expanding to include artists across Africa and Latin America through exhibitions and film programmes from 2017–2021. Conceptualised during the 2020 pandemic lockdown and launched in early 2021, the initiative was reimagined as a collaborative online platform, and brought together more than sixty galleries, cultural organisations and institutions across the Global South and Global Majority to collaborate on publicly accessible online selling events, exhibitions, talks, and film programmes. The programme is built on the conviction that the art historical narrative has been shaped disproportionately by institutions based in Western Europe and North America, and that galleries and cultural organisations from Africa, Latin America, Asia, the Middle East and the Pacific can collectively build a different kind of international platform, one that places the perspectives and practices of the world's majority at the centre rather than the periphery. South South is one of the most significant structural initiatives of its kind in the international contemporary art world.

The name South South refers to the concept of South-South cooperation, a term used in international development and diplomacy to describe collaboration between countries of the Global South rather than the historically dominant model of North-South relationships, in which resources, knowledge and cultural authority flow from wealthier, Western nations to the rest of the world. Applied to the art world, South South names a deliberate reorientation: rather than African, Latin American and Asian galleries looking to Euro-American institutions for validation and opportunity, the programme creates lateral connections between organisations across the Global South and Global Majority that generate their own platforms, audiences and critical frameworks. The name also references the gallery's own position: founded in Johannesburg in 1966, Goodman Gallery has always operated from the South and built its international standing from that foundation rather than in spite of it.

South South was founded by Goodman Gallery in 2015 under the leadership of director Liza Essers. It was initially launched as a major exhibition and exchange between South Africa and Brazil, combining research travel, residencies, and collaborative production, later expanding to include artists across Africa and Latin America through exhibitions and film programmes from 2017–2021

Conceptualised during the 2020 pandemic lockdown and launched in early 2021 with a group of gallerist collaborators, the online South South platform expanded participation across Africa, Latin America, the Middle East, and Asia, bringing together galleries, artists, curators, and collectors. Through publicly accessible online selling events, exhibitions, talks, and film programmes (2021–2022), alongside partnerships with organisations, museums, and art fairs including RAW Material Company, Green Papaya Art Projects, Casa do Povo, El Museo del Barrio, SP–ARTE, and FNB Art Joburg, it fostered horizontal exchange and expanded access to critical discourse and time-based practices. The platform also supported residencies through ambassadors including Jorge M. Pérez and El Espacio 23, and collaborated with curators including Elvira Dyangani Ose, Rodrigo Moura, and Paula Nascimento. Today, South South continues through a quarterly externally curated programme on Goodman Gallery’s website, placing artists beyond the gallery’s roster in dialogue with those it represents and extending its commitment to cross-regional exchange.

South South brings together networks from across the Global South and Global Majority, with representation spanning Africa Latin America and the Caribbean, Asia and the Middle East. The network deliberately encompasses the full geographic breadth of what has historically been termed the Global South, recognising that these regions collectively represent the vast majority of the world's population, cultures and contemporary artistic production, and that their systematic marginalisation within dominant art historical narratives reflects a structural imbalance rather than a judgment of significance.

South South was founded by Goodman Gallery in 2015 and remains closely connected to the gallery's institutional vision and leadership. Goodman Gallery director Liza Essers was the driving force behind the initiative, and the gallery provides the infrastructure through which the network is coordinated and developed.

South South takes its name and framework directly from the concept of the Global South, a term describing countries and communities historically marginalised within Euro-American economic, political and cultural systems. The programme also embraces the related concept of the Global Majority, which reframes these populations not as peripheral to a Western centre but as numerically and culturally central: the people of Africa, Latin America, Asia, the Middle East and the Pacific constitute approximately eighty-five per cent of the world's population. In the art world context, South South argues that the cultural production of the Global Majority deserves to be understood and presented on its own terms, through platforms built by and for organisations rooted in these geographies, rather than filtered through the validating institutions of Western Europe and North America.

Yes. South South has produced publications as part of its collaborative programme, including texts and catalogues developed in connection with exhibition projects. These publications contribute to the critical and scholarly record of the network's activities and provide a written framework for the curatorial ideas that South South advances. The gallery's broader publishing practice, which includes exhibition catalogues, monographs and essays produced across its programme, also frequently engages with themes central to the South South framework.

Information about South South, including its partner organisations and programme activities, is available through Goodman Gallery at goodman-gallery.com. The gallery's team across its four spaces in Johannesburg, Cape Town, London and New York can also provide further information about the network, its history and its current activities. Collectors, curators and cultural organisations with an interest in the South South framework are encouraged to make direct contact with the gallery