What is happening at Oovookoo?
About OOVOOKOO
OOVOOKOO’s journey began with a transformation. A once nondescript building in downtown Johannesburg, has been reborn as a vibrant and dynamic studio-gallery space. OOVOOKOO seeks to inspire within the art industry by providing affordable spaces for artists to create and display their work. It is a physical haven for creativity but also a platform for artistic expression to flourish.
‘Ukuvuka’ in Zulu or ‘vuka’ in Xhosa - meaning ‘to rise’ or ‘to wake up’ - While OOVOOKOO itself may not directly translate to ‘uprising’, it represents the spirit of awakening, rising, catalysing change. We chose this name to symbolise our mission to catalyse change in the industry. We see k to awaken stagnant norms and challenge the status quo. We transformed a building in downtown Johannesburg into a hybrid studio-gallery space that provides affordable and accessible spaces for creatives. Our aim is to create a thriving, collaborative community that values growth, responsibility, integrity, and generosity - providing rich and nurturing opportunities for our community.
We at OOVOOKOO want to elevate value between artists and art buyers, and for everyone to be able to build equity. We are passionate about creating global spaces that encourage and facilitate this and are looking forward to transforming real estate in other locations to empower the reach and impact of our community.
OOVOOKOO is located at 15 Hulbert Road, Village Deep. There is only on-street parking located at this venue. The shuttle will collect guests from the main entrance.
Studios open to the public.
From 10:30 to 17:00 the following artists will open their studios to the public:
Reginald Teys // Ramotoana Richard Mokgomme // Solomon Mugutso // Wisdom Chitembetembe // Frans Thoka // Bukhosi Nyathi // Samkelo Matomela // Mkhuthazeli Nkwanyana
Poetry and Music - Free
One of OOVOOKOO’s resident artists, Reginald Teys, is a classical cellist. He will play the cello while poet Zama Madinana recites poetry. Their performance will be followed by another musician, Sinelizwi Teka.
We Go Gentle - A Group Exhibition - Free
& We Go Gentle reflects on the tumultuous journey of sustaining an art career and how small breakthroughs in the form of an opportunity, public recognition and sales encourage us to persevere and revel in success as we grow through different seasons. Inspired by a song by Hiatus Kaiyote with the same title, artworks presented in this exhibition tell stories of faith, spiritual enlightenment and harnessing the patience to remind oneself of the importance of finding joy in daily rituals. The journey to success is long and arduous, but the views are sublime.
This activity is FREE. No booking is required. You just need your Contra.Joburg ticket.