The first of its kind on the continent, gallery LAB showcases galleries and hybrid spaces from around the continent and beyond. Each participant showcases a single artist or artist collective. gallery LAB will serve as an incubator, a space to develop and nurture emerging galleries and programs as well as a space for exploration; to present and test new artists, ideas and business models relevant to the contemporary African arts landscape. The section is curated by Kim Kandan (Fair Manager, FNB Art Joburg).
For the 19th edition of FNB Art Joburg, gallery LAB features 16 exhibitors from 10 different countries reflecting the varying approaches to contemporary African art on the continent.
Introducing the 2026 gallery LAB exhibitors
Vela Projects
Vela Projects is a Cape Town-based gallery with a focus on contemporary South African art. The gallery platforms emerging artists, championing the development of influential and lasting artistic careers. Founded in 2023, the gallery has developed a curatorial sensibility that prioritises substantial engagement over volume, and presents an exhibition programming that engages with local and global cultural conversations.
David Krut Projects
David Krut Arts (DKA) is a collaborative arts organisation comprising a print workshop, gallery, and publishing programme established in 2002 in Johannesburg’s emerging Parkwood arts precinct. The organisation was founded to support the careers of South African artists through sustained creative collaboration and professional development.
At the heart of DKA is its collaborative print workshop in Johannesburg’s inner city, which has become a vibrant meeting place for artists, master printers, and arts professionals. This dynamic environment is further enriched by its proximity to William Kentridge’s Centre for the Less Good Idea and his sculpture studio, both located within the same creative precinct. Beyond its physical spaces, DKA provides long-term support to artists through printmaking, publishing, documentation, exhibitions, and collaborative projects. The organisation also offers valuable internship opportunities for art and history students, contributing to the development of future arts professionals.
Galerie MALABO
Created in 2020 in Kinshasa, DR Congo, Malabo is a multi-disciplinary organisation working to promote the work of African artists. It previously participated in 2024 and 20225 editions of the fair.
CROME Yellow M&C
Crome Yellow Modern & Contemporary is built on the foundations of dialogue and community, creating meaningful conversations across time and place — between African modernists, established contemporary voices, and emerging practices that expand process and form.
ORA LOAPI
Founded in 2019, Ora Loapi Centre for the Arts facilitates the global circulation of cutting-edge pedagogies, the latest research, and best practices in the visual arts from Botswana.
Reservoir
RESERVOIR Projects was established by Heinrich Groenewald and Shona van der Merwe as a curatorial partnership headquartered in Cape Town. In 2023, RESERVOIR opened as a gallery space on Bree Street, Cape Town, focusing the programme on solo exhibitions by independent Southern African artists while continuing to collaborate with other art spaces and institutions, both locally and internationally. Since 2023, RESERVOIR has participated in the following art fairs: ARCO Madrid (Fundación Banco Sabadell Young Talent Award) Artissima (New Entries Award); Art Brussels; SPARK Art Fair Vienna (invited as 2025 honorary board members); FNB Art Joburg; Investec Cape Town Art Fair (Investec Emerging Artist Award); and RMB Latitudes (Lexus Best Stand Award 2024 and 2026). In 2025 they were included in CULTURED’s inaugural Young Dealers List, and in 2026 they were included in SCAPE 100 list.
Wunika Mukan
Wunika Mukan Gallery, established in 2020, is a contemporary art gallery based in Lagos, Nigeria. The gallery is dedicated to promoting emerging artists from Nigeria, Sub-Saharan Africa, and the diaspora, providing a platform for them to present their work to both local and international audiences. Committed to fostering artistic growth, the gallery supports experimentation across ideas, techniques, and mediums while maintaining a rigorous standard of excellence.
AMG Projects
AMG Projects is on a mission to empower African artists and curators. The gallery serves as a critical gateway for the discovery of game changing emerging talent. We curate and support ambitious projects across diverse media aimed at encouraging critical dialogue between creators on the continent and global audience.
Rangi Gallery
Rangi Gallery is a vibrant art space in Dar es salaam committed to showcasing Tanzanian and International contemporary art. Since its establishment, the gallery has become a focal point for cultural exchange and innovation, offering a platform for artists to create, exhibit, and inspire. Through the Rangi Nyumbani Residency, the gallery seeks to foster a culture of artistic exploration, collaboration, and community impact, celebrating the rich artistic heritage of Tanzania while embracing global influences.
Modzi Arts
Modzi Arts Gallery was established in 2019 as a interdisciplinary, not-for-profit gallery based in Lusaka, Zambia, dedicated to reframing the country’s contemporary art landscape through experimental practice, residencies, mentorship, and exhibitions. Modzi has been committing to storytelling beyond borders and to reshaping regional presence in the global art conversation.
Yenwa Gallery
Founded in 2021 by Ugonna Ibe-Ejiogu, Yenwa is a contemporary art gallery based in Lagos, Nigeria, dedicated to showcasing bold and experimental work by artists across Africa and its diaspora. With a curatorial focus that embraces painting, sculpture, installation, photography, and new media, the gallery supports emerging artists and creates space for mid-career artists to expand their practice. Yenwa fosters critical dialogue and artistic risk-taking, connecting collectors to new perspectives through exhibitions, fairs, and community-driven programs.
The Space Ethiopia
The Space Ethiopia is a commercial gallery located in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. working with multitude of Artists from Ethiopia and East Africa.
Loft3 Art Gallery
Loft3 Gallery is a contemporary art gallery in Harare, Zimbabwe. Representing emerging and established Zimbabwean artists across diverse disciplines. Championing innovation, craftsmanship and contemporary African perspectives. Connecting artists with collectors and audiences across Africa and beyond.
TBP Artist Collective
Formerly known as The Botswana Pavilion, TBP Collective is an artist collective and platform founded in 2019. It comprises core members Kim Karabo Makin, Legakwana Leo Makgekgenene, Rrangwane, Thebe Phetogo, and Thero Makepe. TBP is committed to the creative development and artistic archiving of Botswana. The collective’s work addresses a lack of representation in both
local and international art spaces, drawing inspiration from the concept of a national pavilion at global art world events like the Venice Biennale. By promoting local creativity and deepening the understanding of Botswana’s aesthetic character, TBP Collective aims to bridge the gaps between contemporary art and traditional understandings of art and craft. TBP Collective has successfully hosted four chapters — three physical exhibitions and one virtual exhibition. These include No Return at Gallery MOMO in Cape Town in 2019, Subjective Nationhood at the Botswana National Art Gallery in Gaborone in 2019, Collective Ties — a virtual exhibition in 2020 supported by Pro Helvetia Johannesburg, with additional online interventions in partnership with the British Council – SouthernAfricaArts, and Maš(w)i a Ditoro (tsa Rona) at Sakhile&Me in Frankfurt in 2022. Additionally, TBP Collective participated in Unfinished Camp at the invitation of the Zeitz Museum of Contemporary African Art (MOCAA).
Forster Gallery
In the heart of Zanzibar’s vibrant tourist hub, Forster Gallery provides a professional platform for artists to present their work to the world. Through our Open Studio program, we offer artists an stress- free environment to create, encouraging cultural exchange with both the local community and international visitors. We actively support artists in gaining access to international collectors, art fairs, and exhibitions.