Zeitz Exterior via Wianelle Briers for use by 360 Magazine

Zeitz MOCAA × Gucci Gala

Zeitz Museum of Contemporary Art Africa (Zeitz MOCAA) and longstanding partner Gucci are pleased to announce the museum’s first annual fundraiser event to be held on Saturday, November 29, 2022. Inspiration comes from When We See Us, the new exhibition opening on November 20. The gala, themed “Art & Opulence,” will see notable figures from the art, fashion, film and entertainment industries join Zeitz MOCAA to celebrate contemporary art from Africa and its diaspora.  

Gucci has long been a supporter of the arts and this partnership speaks to the House’s commitment to promoting culture and preserving heritage. The Zeitz MOCAA x Gucci Gala marks a return for the museum’s continuous fundraising efforts and is set to become an annual highlight on the social calendar of the African continent.  

“The Zeitz MOCAA Gala and its theme is a celebration of excellence, triumph and affirmation of the global Black experience, and is true to our relationship with the larger art and culture field,” says Koyo Kouoh, Executive Director and Chief Curator, Zeitz MOCAA. “We are thankful for our long-standing partnership with Gucci. At a time when many institutions across the globe are continuing to feel the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, this event provides Zeitz MOCAA with an opportunity to further its goals and continue to strive towards access for all and the education and celebration of art from Africa and its diaspora.”

A Celebration of Black Excellence

The When We See Us exhibition is a large-scale, global exploration of Black self-representation through figurative painting and portraiture spanning more than a century. In the lead-up to the exhibition opening, the museum will host various programs that speak about the global Black experience, including a series of webinars that began on March 29. These programs, as well as the gala theme, will address the exhibition’s key themes of perpetuation, essence and radicality of Black joy, celebrating the continent of Africa, Africans and African-ess in all its forms across the global African diaspora. Gucci’s partnership allows for the exhibition to travel to major museums across the United States and Europe. 

In addition to supporting When We See Us as a traveling exhibition, the funds raised from the Zeitz MOCAA Gala will go towards the institution’s mandate of a civic space that furthers the contemplation of and education about art from Africa and its diaspora as a crucial and unique catalyst for the analysis of our societies. 

“In its role as a site for public dialogue, exhibitions, research and collection, and storytelling that contemporary art enables, the institution promotes narratives that are important to the building of communities, and we see this gala as a significant milestone in working towards this vision,” concludes Kouoh.

“Zeitz MOCAA looks forward to welcoming its board of trustees, Global Council members as well as special guests to a night of Art & Opulence.”

About Zeitz MOCAA

Zeitz Museum of Contemporary Art Africa (Zeitz MOCAA) is a public non-profit institution that collects, preserves, researches and exhibits contemporary art from Africa and its diaspora; conceives and hosts international exhibitions; develops supporting educational, discursive and enrichment programs; encourages intercultural understanding; and strives towards access for all. The museum’s galleries feature rotating temporary exhibitions with a dedicated space for the permanent collection. The institution also includes the Centre for Art Education, the Centre for the Moving Image and The Atelier, a museum residency program for artists living and working in Cape Town. 

Zeitz MOCAA is situated at the Silo District, South Arm Road, V&A Waterfront in Cape Town, South Africa, and is open Tuesday through Sunday, 10 AM to 6 PM. 

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