Gallery MOMO was named Outstanding Art Gallery at the National Arts Council Awards, a recognition arriving more than two decades after its founder Monna Mokoena set out to fill a gap in South Africa's contemporary art scene.
Founded in 2003, it has weathered a market that has seen peers such as Kalashnikov and Stevenson's Johannesburg branch close, while building a reputation as one of the country's most consistent champions of contemporary African art.
Odysseus Shirindza, who joined in 2015 after a career in fashion and advertising, now sits at the intersection of MOMO's commercial operations and its commitment to nurturing artists as the Gallery's director. I caught up with him to talk about Gallery MOMO's history, its residency programme and what the award means for a gallery that insists it was never chasing trophies.
Gallery MOMO was founded in 2003 to fill a gap in the contemporary art market. More than two decades later, what do you think that original mission got right and what's changed since then?
One of the things that keeps Gallery MOMO in business is our commitment to telling the stories and creating a platform for artists here in South Africa and across the continent, then taking those stories to the world. We don't present these stories as little curio objects. We believe they matter and they need to be valued.
When I joined in 2015, after a corporate career, I looked at what they were doing and felt aligned with my own mission to work with businesses that champion people who look like me. I've seen that commitment at play ever since and I think that's what has kept us in business for the last 20-odd years.
You came from fashion, not the traditional gallery world. How did that background prepare you for this role?
I studied fashion, then worked in corporate fashion for Truworths as a designer, before running my own clothing line and working in advertising. My biggest frustration as a creative was people in business speaking over your head, so I made it my mission to understand how the creative industry's business side actually works.
That prepared me for this role, understanding both sides.
What has been the biggest challenge in keeping an independent gallery running for more than 20 years?
When this gallery was founded in 2003, there were very few black gallerists with their own spaces and there was a lot of support because it was pioneering. But sustaining that support over time is very challenging. Nurturing artists in an industry that wasn't catering for people who look like us has come with a huge element of education. One has to educate not only the patrons but the artists too, in moving their talent to a business level, then the collectorship on why they should be buying this art. Education has been the hardest part, reiterating the importance of owning and preserving our own narratives.
Have you seen meaningful growth in a new generation of younger Black South African art collectors?
The appetite is certainly there, whether that's new artists emerging or people wanting to collect. At the same time, more people have suddenly become art experts, which can create instability. That's part of any growth journey.
We've been committed for 23 years, and it was never about a quick buck, it was about creating a platform that stays committed to elevating art history in this country. There are new collectors emerging and institutions have programmes to foster that interest. When you buy art, you're sustaining not just the artist but the gallery's employees too and that's how the money moves through the economy.
Johannesburg has seen some significant gallery closures in recent years, including Kalashnikov and Stevenson's Joburg branch, while new spaces are opening. What does that tell you about the health of the South African art market?
Sometimes when galleries close, it's not a reflection of the market, it boils down to personal business decisions. It's a very tough business right now, because art is not a primary need for anybody. Fairs cost a lot of money, which is why we've readjusted our approach, balancing local and select international fairs to stay sustainable. Being seen at every fair doesn't translate to economic activity and in the social media age, fairs have become backdrops for great Instagram and TikTok stories, which can mess with the actual business happening there. I think the appetite is still there.
MOMO has historically supported emerging artists, including through a residency programme. What does meaningful support for an emerging artist look like to you now?
We've created a platform with a network spanning over two decades, so exposing artists to it gives them a step up and a debut into the people who pay attention to our work.
The residency programme is a tough aspect for us because it's entirely self-funded. We do our best to give support through material and a place to stay, though it's not a continuous arrangement. It gives an artist time to break away from going at it alone and depending on the arrangement, it translates into exhibitions, the commercial element.
I'd like to reach a point where I can invite artists to a one- or two-month residency knowing they'll get a small stipend and their materials covered, so they can produce work without stress. It's costly, but we've struck some interesting partnerships, including one with the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, where a graduating artist comes here for a month-long residency with a studio and a place to stay. We currently have an artist, Janice Yang, experiencing the local artscape through it and we've also partnered with Southern African Foundation and Fellowship for Contemporary Art (SAFFCA), receiving artists from Europe.
Are there artists who came through MOMO's doors early in their careers that you're particularly proud to have watched grow?
There are quite a few, though I'm cautious about naming names, because taking in someone emerging is a huge investment, financially and educationally, walking with them into a future where you believe they'll be great.
Among those we work with, we debuted Kagiso Gundane around 2022, a young artist who had just graduated from UJ, whose solo debut sold out. We believe he has what it takes to become a major international star. There's also Phoka Nyokong, whose debut show was well received. And there's the exhibition I'm currently presenting, by Blessing Blaai, mentored by Vivian Kohler, one of our own artists. They're all slowly making a name for themselves and pushing boundaries.
Congratulations on Gallery MOMO winning Outstanding Art Gallery at the National Arts Council awards. What does that recognition mean to you personally and what do you think it says about the gallery's work?
It's quite an honour to be recognised by the industry and the Department of Arts and Culture. It shows they're diligent in surveying the country's cultural space. I hope it inspires other spaces to come forward, so we can slowly build the standard of what it means to be an operating gallery in South Africa.
It was never about the awards. It's back to business as usual. It does put a little pressure on us, all of a sudden my email inbox has more activity than it's had in weeks, people wanting to do something with the gallery. But we remain committed to doing the work more than anything.
There's been much greater international interest in African artists than there was when MOMO was founded 20 years ago. Has that attention changed the opportunities for South African artists?
The focus on African art has always existed, but historically the interest was always more in ancient artefacts. What's happened over the last 20 years is a focus on contemporary African art, and that's where the excitement is. What is the pulse in South Africa right now, what is the pulse on the continent, that's what the world has an appetite for. It's a great opportunity for artists telling compelling stories to be listened to.
What do you think has allowed Gallery MOMO to endure while other established spaces have had to close or reinvent themselves?
I've worked with MOMO for 11 years and what I've noticed is that a lot of self-sacrifice goes into staying afloat. It was never for the awards or the popularity, it was about doing the work and that's something we'll keep reminding ourselves. It's been a lot of overcoming, and learning not to compete with other spaces but to determine our own course and follow it.
Any plans for the future, whether in the next few months or the next ten years?
More exhibitions, in the near term. We've got FNB Art Joburg coming up and we're going to Atlanta in October to debut the artists we're showing there. We're also reimagining the gallery's function, breathing new life into the space through new artists and different ways of staging exhibitions, because the traditional gallery model is being challenged by social media. Hopefully we'll still be here in ten years, engaging with the community and the artists on the issues that affect them.