SMAC Gallery presents A Show of Solidarity, a group exhibition at SMAC Gallery in Cape Town. The exhibition opens online on Thursday, 4 June 2020, and will run until 31 July 2020. Viewings by appointment are welcomed. 

Born from a collective desire to support the South African Solidarity Fund, A Show of Solidarity presents new works available to support the country’s most vulnerable. With the generous support of our artists, we stand by the government’s formalised process of capital allocation, structured through the Solidarity Fund, and commit to donating 50% of sales on each exhibited artwork to the fund. As part of its many definitions, contemporary art seeks to present a mirror to society and challenge the practices of the past. As a result, its existence, along with its institutions, is often political – reflecting the messaging which inevitably pervades a globalised world. In the past decade no other phenomena has had the kind of collective effect as the current pandemic – restricting movement, access to commerce, religious gatherings, cultural practice, and the freedom to unboundedly be together. It has forced us to reconsider where and how we direct our energy in this world, in a period of unprecedented instability. While some artists did not have access to their studios during the national lockdown, many have had the opportunity to create new works specifically for this show. Some have used the time to refine their techniques, while for others the isolation has resulted in innovative new pursuits. We are excited to share A Show of Solidarity with you.