A pioneering contemporary art gallery with spaces in Johannesburg and Cape Town, the Stevenson presents artists from near and far. The gallery, Stevenson, was founded in 2003 after two of its founding directors Michael Stevenson and Andrew da Conceicao, visited Documenta 11, and felt that something new was afoot that had yet to find a home in South Africa, which at the time had only one serious contemporary art gallery. In 2005 and 2006, Stevenson was the first South African gallery to exhibit artists from other countries in Africa, and over time developing a fully international exhibition programme with a particular focus on the region.
While there’s a strong focus on promoting local work, the gallery has been instrumental in bringing international talent like Thomas Hirschhorn and Glenn Ligon to the southern part of the continent. The gallery occupies a former garage in Woodstock, one of Cape Town’s hippest ‘hoods. The industrial space is clean and cool, with a good amount of room—you won’t need to elbow your way to the art.
