MOMO makes Cape grand entrance with gallery opening

09 June 2015 - 12:41 By Percy Mabandu

Gallery MOMO, the Johannesburg art space that opened in 2003, has opened a Cape Town branch. It marked the opening of its eponymously named space with a party and group exhibition late last month."It's a bigger space [than the one in Johannesburg] in one of the country's important art cities," said MOMO founder Monna Mokoena ."It brings exciting creative challenges for curating shows. Imagine the potential for installations and large-scale works like Mary Sibande'shuge sculptures. They've never been shown together in one space."We can do that here, which we couldn't do in the Johannesburg space," he said.The expansion of MOMO comes on the back of its successful showing at the Cape Town Art Fair in February, with a record R6-million sale of a Dumile Feni sculpture - the highest amount yet paid for a sculpture in South Africa.Over the past decade MOMO has thrived in a hostile economy, earning the tag of the country's premier black-owned gallery.Mokoena said the new Cape Town gallery had a projector room that could seat up to 50 people."This means we can host public discussions and seminars to unpack important issues and other interesting talking points about art and its politics."He would not be drawn on the cost of the expansion but was eager to punt the gallery's first solo exhibition, by Blessing Ngobeni. It is open to the public from July 2.170 Buitengracht Street, call021-424-5150, gallerymomo.com..

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