Art Residency Centre Botswana | ARChive Abroad

The upcoming RMB Latitudes Art Fair 2025 in Shepstone Gardens, Johannesburg (23 - 25 May) will feature a Special Project that spotlights Botswana. As a part of the International Galleries Platform (from Africa and beyond), the ‘Botswana Focus’ will include five creative organisations, whose artists are pushing boundaries through their works of art. The Art Residency Centre (ARC) Botswana, will notably present four visual artists: Ann Gollifer, Giancarlo Diablo Santana, Kim Karabo Makin, and Visule Kabunda.

Together, the selected artists represent the ‘ARChive Abroad’ – extending the centre’s base from the Gaborone Club in the nation’s capital to an international audience and online marketplace. In a range of mediums, including digital photography, pencil, acrylic on canvas, ink and earth on paper, as well as a series of ceramic basket installations, ARC will showcase the emergence of a contemporary art scene in Gaborone.

As an artist-led space, ARC is rooted in building and nurturing a community practice across generations. By presenting a selection of its members, whose committed voluntary service has played a vital role in the non-profit’s growth over the last 5 years; the ‘ARChive Abroad’ reflects on the artists’ experiences of daily life in contemporary Botswana. With some reference to aspects of history, culture, and tradition, the selected works of art expand beyond the confines of the traditional, where ARC’s program boasts a dynamic mode of expression, both at home and away.

Amongst related personal, social, and political themes, the presentation is representative of the diverse voices within the ARC community, an extended dialogue from Botswana, to Zambia, Guyana, and more. The artworks aim to challenge – and in some ways reimagine, the archives of our past, with respect to a contextualised reflection on upbringing, home, naturalisation, and transformation. In so doing, the artists are situated in an interconnected present, which simultaneously spotlights their individuality.

Whilst actively engaged in the creative development of Botswana, central to ARC’s Mission is the establishment of national and international networks for mentorship and support, as well as developing platforms for exhibiting artists to display and workshop their ideas. Including emerging and established creatives, the ARC community nurtures artists with a keen interest in learning and sharing.

In the spirit of celebrating collaboration, and fostering a space where creative minds can collectively break new ground, the Art Residency Centre showcases a selection of artists, all of whom value art as a social responsibility. Their works of art truly speak to the extended revolution and innovation of the Botswana art scene, amongst the relevant voices on the continent. In this way, Gollifer, Santana, Makin, and Kabunda each use their artistic practice to critically dialogue with contemporary themes, both individually and collectively.

This show runs from 22nd - 25th May 2025.