Investec Cape Town Art Fair

Our largest and most successful edition to date, Investec Cape Town Art Fair 2026 welcomed 126 exhibitors from 34 global cities, presenting the work of 490 artists, alongside tens of thousands of collectors, art world professionals, and art lovers for a weekend of cross-cultural exchange and critical conversations. As Fair Director Laura Vincenti reflects, this edition saw galleries from around the world gathering “to connect and inspire across the international contemporary art community”. A record 34,000 guests experienced the fair, with this edition’s success further reaffirmed by strong artwork sales, positive institutional interest, dynamic presentations, and enhanced programming, including the introduction of interactive workshops and our largest offering of prizes to date. Mark your calendars for our 14th edition, taking place 19 — 21 February 2027. We look forward to welcoming you back. Video by Jarred Figgins (@etal.studio.co ) #ICTAF2026 #ICTAF2027 #InvestecCapeTownArtFair

READING THE ROOM | A few articles we’ve read recently, unpacking the stories, people, and events shaping our current moment in the international art community: ⁠ ⁠ Ben Eastham (@eastham_ben ) conducts an in-depth assessment of the opening moments of the 61st Venice Biennale. Read it on e-flux Criticism (@e_flux ). ⁠ ⁠ Brian Wandera (@wandera__brian ) discusses the structural shifts required to support art markets within the African continent more effectively. Read it on ArtTactic (@arttactic ).⁠ ⁠ Sofia Hallström (@sofia_hallstrom_ ) unpacks how psychologist, collector and curator Dimitrios Tsivrikos (@theretailpsych ) applies a unique lens to engaging with art and its emotional resonances. Read it on Artsy (@artsy ).⁠ ⁠ Phokeng Setai (@mongakobo_e_bohale ) writes about how African art practices and infrastructures are redirecting the way they are placed on the global stage. Read it on Monocle.⁠ ⁠ Musician and sound artist Thabo Mkwananzi (@thaboandmusic ) reflects on his recent residency at the living library Seed Archives (@seedarchives ). Read it on C& (@contemporaryand ).⁠ ⁠ What have you been reading lately? Let us know in the comments below what pieces discussing contemporary art society have left a lasting impression.⁠ ⁠ Photograph 1 by Marco Zorzanello. Sourced from e-flux. Photograph 2 by Anton Scholtz. Photograph 3 by Oliver Eglin. Sourced from Artsy. Photograph 4 by Anthea Pokroy. Photograph 5 courtesy of Christian Cassiel. Sourced from C&.⁠ ⁠ #ICTAF2027 ⁠ #InvestecCapeTownArtFair

CAPE TOWN CITY NOTES | Widely respected as a global food destination, Cape Town is home to a variety of contemporary fine dining and premium-casual experiences. We’re highlighting a few of our favourite restaurants that contribute to the thriving gastronomic scene, many using consciously-sourced ingredients from land and sea to realise beautiful culinary ideas through flavour, atmosphere, and creativity: Chefs Warehouse at Beau Constantia serves bold, playful, seasonal food set atop Constantia Valley’s sprawling vineyards. Galjoen presents sustainably-sourced South African seafood in the heart of the inner city. Eat Out Guide’s Restaurant of the Year, FYN combines modern African cuisine with Japanese culinary philosophies. Ouzeri celebrates Greek and Cypriot flavours to inspire contemporary dishes guided by long-standing traditions. A short road trip away in the coastal village of Paternoster, Wolfgat highlights ingredients indigenous to the West Coast. Belly of the Beast encourages diners to explore tastefully prepared yet slightly unconventional ingredients. The Potluck Club offers globally-inspired small plates while overlooking Cape Town and its surrounding mountains. Seebamboes spotlights the region’s deep connection between its land and the ocean. The Melting Pot harnesses global street food’s big flavours for elevated yet uncomplicated dining. La Colombe harnesses food’s theatrical qualities to put on a show with its French-infused menu. COY explores African seafood while enjoying views of Table Mountain and the city’s bustling harbour. Riva is an Italian fish restaurant around the corner from the city’s working Waterfront. Salsify at The Roundhouse’s modern, seasonal menu is set against arresting ocean views. Amura celebrates marine flavours by Michelin-starred chef Ángel León at the historic Mount Nelson. The Foodbarn prides itself in ‘unpretentious fine dining’, pairing local flavours with its beachy suburb’s laidback energy. Upper Union is nestled in a heritage building, serving vibrant flavours both rebellious and international in character. Images courtesy of featured restaurants. #ICTAF2027 #InvestecCapeTownArtFair

The 61st Venice Biennale International Art Exhibition opens this weekend, imbued with the late Koyo Kouoh’s curatorial vision, ‘In Minor Keys’. ⁠ ⁠ Over one hundred national pavilions and special projects sit in conversation with each other, and meditate on the sounds and sensations nourishing individuals and collectives. Powerful worlds emerge through the beauty, adversity, stillness and chaos that are given particular attention through the Biennale’s conceptual ethos for this year.⁠ ⁠ In the words of Kouoh’s curatorial text, ‘In Minor Keys’ is “an exhibition that invites us to listen to the persistent signals of the earth and of life, in connection with the frequencies of the soul.”⁠ ⁠ The Venice Biennale (@labiennale ) runs from 9 May — 22 November 2026 in Venice, Italy. ⁠ ⁠ Photograph 1 by Mirjam Kluka. Courtesy of Zeitz MOCAA (@zeitzmocaa ). Photographs 2 — 5 courtesy of The Venice Biennale.⁠ ⁠ #ICTAF2027 ⁠ #InvestecCapeTownArtFair

IN OUR ART WORLD | Discover what’s showing this month at galleries and museums across the contemporary art world. ‘Der Tegernseer Bauernjunge’ is Oliver Osborne’s first solo exhibition at Paulina Caspari (@paulinacaspari ), which is an ongoing dialogue between art history and the present. Opens 15 May 2026 in Munich, Germany. ‘Deeper - Deeper’ is a solo exhibition by Pierre Vermeulen at RESERVOIR (@_reservoir_ ), delving into the relationships between objects and the metaphysical. On show until 22 May 2026 in Cape Town, South Africa. ‘A Kind of Paradise’ at Museum Rietberg (@museumrietberg ) is a group show featuring diasporic engagement with colonial-era imagery. On show until 6 September 2026 in Zurich, Switzerland. Nothing Has Been Whole For Some Time’ is a group exhibition of contemporary surrealist approaches at EBONY/CURATED (@ebonycurated ). On show until 6 June 2026 in Cape Town, South Africa. ‘Reframing Visibility’ is an all-women group show at Eclectica Contemporary (@eclecticacontemporary ), questioning the array of ways that women can be perceived. On show until 29 May 2026 in Cape Town, South Africa. ‘Suchness: Already Within’ focuses on presence as a group show at Namuso Gallery (@namusogallery ). On show until 13 June 2026 in The Hague, Netherlands. ‘GIRLS 3000’, is an exploration of femininity and its chaotic limitations. The group show is a collaboration between Everard Read (@everard_read_cape_town_ ) and Girls Gallery (@girls_girls_girls_gallery ). Opens 7 May 2026 in Cape Town, South Africa. Mallarmé’s Pillow’ by Gerda Scheepers considers relations of abstraction and forms at blank (@blankprojects ). On show until 16 May 2026 in Cape Town, South Africa. Southern Guild (@southernguildgallery ) inaugurates its New York space with two solo exhibitions, ‘Used’ by Usha Seejarim and ‘Ballad of the Peacock’ by Mmangaliso Nzuza. On show until 17 May 2026 in New York, United States of America. #ICTAF2027 #InvestecCapeTownArtFair

New for 2026, our workshops programme invited thoughtful participation through open exchange and creative thinking. These interactive sessions signal the expansion of the fair’s offering, both for this dynamic edition and beyond. We can’t wait to share what is in store for our 2027 edition. While we shape it, we’d also love to hear what you’d like to see explored in future workshops. Feel free to share your ideas in the comments below. The 2026 workshops programme was curated by Art School Africa. Photographs by Anton Scholtz.⁠ @artschoolafrica @antonxscholtz #ICTAF2026 #InvestecCapeTownArtFair

Painting at our 2026 fair expressed perspectives through a range of gestures, colours, and tones. Whether applied in many layers over time or thickly placed on a surface, the presence of paint was experienced in different ways: ⁠ ⁠ Roméo Mivekannin (@romeomivekannin ) at Galerie Eric Dupont (@galerieericdupont ) working with acrylic paint on free canvas. ⁠ ⁠ Mia Chaplin (@miachaplin ) at WHATIFTHEWORLD (@whatiftheworld_gallery ) working with thick oil paint on canvas.⁠ ⁠ Yuki Muramatsu (@yuki.muramatsu_works ) at LEESAYA (@leesayagallery ) working with pigment on handmade Japanese paper.⁠ ⁠ #ICTAF2026 ⁠ #InvestecCapeTownArtFair

Building an international art fair is certainly no small task, but we love every part of it. From brainstorming the look and feel of each edition, to physically mapping the floor for our visitors to navigate, it takes many hands to make a fair. Our team captured some moments behind the scenes, and documented what it looks like to build this fair. Photographs by @settinginstone #ICTAF2026 #InvestecCapeTownArtFair

Our 2026 talks programme brought together leading voices from across the international contemporary art community to engage meaningfully with crucial topics shaping the field today.⁠ ⁠ Couldn’t make it to our talks programme during the fair? The full recordings of each talk are now available to watch on YouTube. Link in bio.⁠ ⁠ The 2026 talks programme was curated by Art School Africa and supported by iTOO Artinsure. The video recordings were produced by Pana Media.⁠ ⁠ @artschoolafrica ⁠ @itooartinsure ⁠ @panamediaza ⁠ ⁠ #ICTAF2026 #InvestecCapeTownArtFair

Sculpture offered our visitors at our 2026 edition with a uniquely tangible way to encounter art. Today, we’re exploring how these three-dimensional forms invited art lovers to engage with expressions across sizes, shapes, and materials:⁠ ⁠ Ludwe Mgolombane (@ludwe.art ) at Art Formes (@__artformes__ ), working with clay and organic combustable materials, like leaves and straw.⁠ ⁠ Andrea Davila Rubio (@andreadavilarubio ) at Galeria NÉBOA (@galerianeboa ), working with resin, fibreglass, and stainless steel. ⁠ ⁠ Ernst van der Wal (@ernst.vanderwal ) at EBONY/CURATED (@ebonycurated ), working with marble, alabaster, and mineral materials.⁠ ⁠ Photographs by Anthea Pokroy (@antheapokroyphotography )⁠ ⁠ #ICTAF2026 #InvestecCapeTownArtFair

Discover the ways artists use intriguing materials and textures to express themselves. Today, we’re remembering these artworks from our 2026 edition:⁠ ⁠ Igshaan Adams (@igshaan.adams ) at blank (@blankprojects )⁠ ⁠ Sander Coers (@sandercoers ) at Galerie Caroline O’Breen (@galeriecarolineobreen )⁠ ⁠ Gabrielle Kruger (@gabriellekruger ) at Galerie EIGEN + ART (@galerie_eigenart )⁠ ⁠ Georgia Munnik (@georgiamunnik ) at WHATIFTHEWORLD (@whatiftheworld_gallery )⁠ ⁠ Inga Somdyala (@isomdyala ) at PSM (@psmgallery )⁠ ⁠ Photographs by Anthea Pokroy (@antheapokroyphotography )⁠ ⁠ #ICTAF2026 #InvestecCapeTownArtFair

The fair connects artists and voices from across different cultural contexts, creative voices, and visual languages. ⁠ ⁠ Take a look at these galleries who exhibited at our 2026 edition, who represented the lived experiences of the countries they hail from in the Global South, as seen here. ⁠ ⁠ Circle Art Gallery (@circleartagency ) | Nairobi, Kenya⁠ ⁠ Wunika Mukan Gallery (@wunikamukangallery ) | Lagos, Nigeria⁠ ⁠ kó (@ko_artspace ) | Lagos, Nigeria⁠ ⁠ kumalo | turpin (@kumalo_turpin ) | Johannesburg, South Africa⁠ ⁠ First Floor Gallery Harare (@firstfloorgalleryharare ) | Harare, Zimbabwe⁠ ⁠ Photographs by @antheapokroyphotography ⁠ ⁠ #ICTAF2026 #InvestecCapeTownArtFair