Workshop 2: What Are We All Doing Here? With Dan Corder

This workshop series responds directly to the fair’s theme, Listen, and to the wider dialogue about the role of art fairs in the international art market. The series is designed to encourage interaction between practitioners and audiences, provoking questions and offering exciting ways of engaging with the art fair model.

The workshops have been designed to explore both practical sessions, encouraging audience engagement and creativity, and open discussion, giving participants a chance to actively reflect and engage with current ideas in South Africa’s and the wider world’s art landscape.

WORKSHOP 2: What Are We All Doing Here?

Critique is complicated in today’s art world. Across galleries, institutions, and media, spaces for thoughtful criticism seem to be shrinking, often replaced by promotional language, celebratory coverage, and market-driven speak. When honest engagement gives way to affirmation, what happens to our understanding of artistic value and purpose?

Art fairs demonstrate these tensions. They bring together some of the finest art from around the world, yet the focus on sales/ commerce, networking, and visibility can make meaningful critique rare. In a setting where praise often dominates and dissent feels risky, how do we sustain genuine dialogue about what art is doing, and what it could do?

This session, led by Dan Corder, sets up an open-table conversation in the heart of the fair.

Seats will be arranged in a half-circle to promote interaction and engagement. Audience members will be invited to share their perspectives, opening a dialogue that probes the state of contemporary art criticism.

The aim is to unpack the tension between celebration and critique and explore how thoughtful feedback sustains the vitality of art.

The session will be recorded and later shared publicly, extending the conversation beyond the fairgrounds. By documenting and disseminating these reflections, the fair positions itself as a vital platform for open, critical dialogue - not only showcasing art, but shaping the discourse that surrounds it.

Attendance is free, but spaces must be reserved to secure a seat in this interactive discussion.