guerilla gallery - concept

guerilla gallery (b. 2012) is an artist-led initiative located in Johannesburg, South Africa. It eschews its own bricks and mortar to temporarily inhabit vacant spaces in Johannesburg CBD buildings with art exhibitions or installations.

Aims

guerilla gallery aims to contribute to the broader creative rejuvenation of innercity Johannesburg through encouraging imaginative responses to the urban environment. Its primary objective is to provide visual artists in South Africa with the opportunity to exhibit their work in an experimental context, facilitating production that may not suit a more formal exhibition venue. guerilla gallery is a non-profit enterprise, enabling projects without commercial imperatives. It also hopes to extend the viewing audience by positing art in surprising venues and reinvesting buildings with cultural value.

Motivation

guerilla gallery is broadly inspired by the global ‘pop-up’ cultural phenomenon markedly evident over recent years. This trend effectively harnesses unusual venues to host transient cultural events, often interdisciplinary and experimental in nature. The idea speaks also to ‘guerilla’ marketing, which uses low-cost and unconventional means to convey a message.

Scope



The canvas for guerilla gallery is the ambit of Johannesburg’s CBD. It may extend to other vicinities in future. guerilla gallery interventions may run for an evening, 24 hours, a week or a month – the project and selected space together determine the timeframes.

Logistics and Resources

guerilla gallery is a non-profit initiative: all costs relating to the artwork, including but not limited to transport, insurance and installation, are organised and covered by participating artists. guerilla gallery provides the physical location, curatorial direction, installation assistance and marketing, primarily through social media. Artist applications are welcome (see contact details).

--Abridged founding document, Kim Gurney, Johannesburg, 2012