Strauss & Co Talk Series

The South African Secondary Market vs The World | 3:00PM

Conducted by Dr Alastair Meredith, Director, Art Department Head, Senior Art Specialist and Senior Auctioneer

For decades, the South African secondary market developed and evolved in relative isolation. Driven by an admittedly small but knowledgeable group of private, institutional and corporate collectors, this well-supported and self-regulating market grew consistently across all price points, and was defined by its resilience, transparency and opportunity. While the reputations – and markets – of homegrown masters were celebrated and consolidated locally, their international exposure was sadly limited. This talk explores how the South African market created its own stars, trends, records and idiosyncrasies. These features are contextualised within the broader international market, revealing interesting differences and similarities. Finally, it discusses the benefits and pitfalls of greater international integration.

“Collecting for Life” | A Roundtable Discussion | 4:30PM

How do art collectors approach issues like sustainability, longevity and impact when it comes to the deep future? What are the complexities of creating lasting legacies? How does an art collection live beyond the collector?

Come hear top collectors’ thoughts on these and other hot-button issues. Aimed at established and emerging collectors, advisors and art patrons, this dynamic session will look at legacy-building as a collaborative, forward-thinking journey that has the potential to support and sustain the art ecosystem for decades rather than years.

Facilitated by Sean O’ Toole, writer, editor and curator.

Legacy in Motion: The Impact of Modern Art on Today’s Artists | 6:00PM

Conducted by Wilhelm van Rensburg, Senior Art Specialist & Head Curator, Strauss & Co

Criticism of the stature of Contemporary African Art in art history has led to a renewed interest in the antecedents of today’s art, especially in Black Modernism. The aim of the talk is to show, through a series of legacy exhibitions at Strauss & Co over the past decade, that contemporary artists do stand on the shoulders of giants. These shows are based on the principle of pairing artists to highlight affinities in and through their work, for example pairing George Pemba and Robert Hodgins (2021), Mary Sibande and Dorothy Kay (2022), and, recently, Gerard Sekoto and Lena Hugo (2025). These legacy exhibitions are one of many examples of the deep-seated social responsibility of Strauss & Co in terms of art education. The talk is augmented by considering how contemporary artists on the Investec Cape Town Art Fair might have been inspired and influenced by Modernism.