RMB Latitudes Art Fair 2025: Your Complete Visitor Guide

Founded in 2020, RMB Latitudes Art Fair has rapidly become Africa’s leading platform for contemporary art, celebrated for its focus on cultural exchange and innovation. The 2025 edition, themed “Horizons Unbound,” emphasizes Africa’s dynamic role in global art discourse, showcasing works that challenge geographic and conceptual boundaries.

Visitor Information
🎟️ Tickets:

• General Admission: ZAR 150 (~USD 8)
• VIP Pass: ZAR 1,200 (early access, curator tours, lounge access)
• Free Entry: Students, under 18s, and public art zones

🚗 Getting There:

• Gautrain: Direct to Sandton Station (5-min walk to venue).
• Parking: Secure underground parking at Sandton City Mall.

Why Attend?

• Collect: Art priced from ZAR 5,000 to ZAR 5M+, with a focus on affordable investment pieces.
• Discover: 30% of works debut at Latitudes, including NFTs by African digital collectives.
• Network: Engage with curators from Zeitz MOCAA, Tate Modern, and Sharjah Biennial.

Sustainability & Social Impact
♻️ Green Initiatives:

• Solar-powered exhibition halls.
• Zero single-use plastics; all materials recycled or composted.
• Carbon-offset partnerships with African Conservation Trust.

🌍 Community Programs:

• Art for All: Free workshops in Johannesburg townships pre-fair.
• Artist Residencies: Post-fair residencies for 10 emerging artists.

Stay Connected:
📱 Social Media: @RMBlatitudes (Instagram), #Latitudes2025
📧 Newsletter: Sign up for artist spotlights and early-bird tickets.

RMB Latitudes Art Fair 2025: Where Africa’s Creative Pulse Meets the World.
“A compass pointing to art’s true north – bold, unapologetic, and boundless.”– Art Africa

Founding & Early Years (2020–2022)
RMB Latitudes Art Fair was launched in 2020 by a consortium of South African gallerists, collectors, and corporate partners, including headline sponsor Rand Merchant Bank (RMB). Its founding mission was to reposition Johannesburg as a global art hub while amplifying African voices in contemporary art. Key milestones:

• 2020: Inaugural hybrid (physical/digital) edition at Sandton Convention Centre, featuring 40 galleries and 15,000 visitors. Focused on post-apartheid narratives and emerging South African artists.
• 2021: Introduced “Latitudes Focus”, a curated section for experimental installations addressing decolonization and identity.
• 2022: Expanded to include Design Intersect, merging functional art with African design studios like Darkie and Imiso Ceramics.

Growth & Internationalization (2023–2024)

• 2023: Partnered with Zeitz MOCAA (Cape Town) for a satellite exhibition, attracting European and U.S. collectors. Attendance surged to 25,000+.
• 2024: Launched “Future Africa”, an open-call platform for artists under 30, and debuted the AI Ancestral project blending AI with traditional crafts.

2025: The “Horizons Unbound” Edition
The 5th anniversary edition (August 7–10, 2025) marks RMB Latitudes’ evolution into a pan-African cultural phenomenon:

Key Developments Leading to 2025

• Global Partnerships: Collaborations with Sharjah Art Foundation (UAE) and Documenta (Germany) for cross-continental artist exchanges.
• Sustainability Pivot: First major African art fair to achieve carbon-neutral certification via solar energy and waste-to-art initiatives.
• Tech Integration:
• NFT Marketplace: Dedicated platform for African digital artists.
• AR Tours: Augmented reality guides for remote attendees.

Impact & Legacy

• Economic: Generated ZAR 200M+ in art sales since 2020, boosting Johannesburg’s creative economy.
• Cultural: Elevated African artists like Mary Sibande and Mohau Modisakeng to global prominence.
• Social: Funded Art for All, a free arts education program in townships, impacting 10,000+ students.

Evolution Timeline

Thematic Journey

• 2020: Reimagining Narratives (post-colonial identity)
• 2023: Ubuntu in Motion (collective healing)
• 2025: Horizons Unbound (decolonizing global art flows)

Quote from Founder :
“Latitudes was born to challenge the idea that African art is a ‘category’—it’s a compass, recalibrating the world’s creative axis.”
– Mmakgabo Helen Sebidi, Curatorial Advisor

Learn More: RMB Latitudes Art Fair
Follow: @RMBlatitudes #Latitudes2025

RMB Latitudes Art Fair 2025, under the theme “Horizons Unbound,” is driven by a transformative vision to redefine Africa’s role in global art ecosystems while fostering equitable cultural exchange. Its mission centers on five pillars:

1. Amplify African & Diasporic Voices

• Elevate contemporary artists, designers, and collectives from Africa and its diaspora as global cultural innovators.
• Prioritize narratives that challenge colonial legacies, celebrate indigenous knowledge, and explore themes like migration, identity, and ecological justice.

2. Decolonize Art Narratives

• Dismantle Eurocentric art hierarchies by curating non-linear dialogues between African traditions and global avant-garde practices.
• Spotlight experimental formats, from ancestral craft reimagined through AI to NFTs rooted in African digital storytelling.

3. Pioneer Sustainable Creativity

• Lead as Africa’s first carbon-neutral art fair through:
• Solar-powered exhibition spaces.
• Zero-waste policies (recycled materials, compostable packaging).
• Partnerships with eco-artists addressing climate crises.

4. Democratize Access & Education

• Art for All Initiative: Free workshops, township pop-ups, and subsidized tickets for marginalized communities.
• Future Africa Program: Mentorship and grants for emerging artists under 30, ensuring intergenerational creative continuity.

5. Bridge Global Divides

• Foster South-South collaboration via partnerships with Global South biennials (e.g., Kochi-Muziris, Havana).
• Host the Global Curators Forum, connecting African talent with institutions like Tate Modern and Zeitz MOCAA.

Guiding Philosophy: Ubuntu in Action
“I am because we are.”
The fair operationalizes Ubuntu by:

• Creating communal spaces for dialogue, not just commerce.
• Prioritizing collective growth over individual prestige.
• Ensuring 30% of exhibitors are women, LGBTQ+, or disability-led collectives.

Why This Mission Matters in 2025

• Cultural Sovereignty: Challenges the tokenization of African art, positioning it as a driver of global trends, not a “category.”
• Economic Equity: Redirects art market flows to support African galleries and creators.
• Innovation: Merges tradition with tech (e.g., AR tours of township murals, blockchain for provenance transparency).

“We’re not just hosting a fair—we’re igniting a renaissance.”— Curatorial Statement, RMB Latitudes 2025