Posters for the Picasso and Africa exhibition at the Standard Bank Art Gallery

RELATED LINKS: Pablo Picasso comes to town AFRICAN art had a profound influence on the 20th century master Pablo Picasso. A new exhibition explores this relationship, and brings works to Joburg never before seen in public. Read more Wrap of exhibitions at Joburg art galleries GALLERIES around the city have lined up an interesting variety of exhibitions, but the coup must be Picasso and Africa at the Standard Bank Gallery. Read more Art galleries COSMOPOLITAN Johannesburg has a thriving art scene with a number of its top artists making names for themselves at international biennial exhibitions. There are numerous galleries and dealers trading in extremely varied work, from cutting-edge contemporary to naïve "township art" and more traditional South African landscapes and wildlife paintings. Read more Joburgers to be treated to Picasso WITH the French embassy and the French Institute, the Standard Bank Gallery is holding a fascinating exhibition of the works of Picasso, exploring the influence African art had on the master. Read more Restored Drill Hall adds lustre to cultural heritage ANOTHER site has been added to Johannesburg's ever-growing list of heritage sites, with the official opening of the restored Drill Hall on 11 June. Read more A week in Joburg WHERE to start? Don't miss the Just So … dance at the Market Theatre, but there's tons of other great stuff too. Read more

Spend a night in Africa with Picasso Two dozen African artists respond to the Picasso and Africa exhibition, interpreting their own relationship to the 20th century artistic giant. Poets and graffiti artists are among their number. March 9, 2006 By Shamin Chibba THE Drill Hall in downtown Johannesburg, formerly an ammunition storage facility, will be transformed into an art gallery on Thursday, 9 March for An African Night with Picasso. The exhibition, which is presented by the French embassy, the French Institute of South Africa and Radio France Internationale, is the main peripheral event around the Picasso and Africa exhibition at the Standard Bank Art Gallery. According to Kitso Kgaboesele, the communications officer at the institute, the art on display will not feature any of Picasso's originals but will include artworks from 24 African artists. The artists will lend their imaginative ideas to the evening's display to commemorate the legacy of famed artist Pablo Picasso. They were asked to respond to the Picasso and Africa exhibition by producing their own work and relating it to the Spaniard, without replicating any of his paintings. "Artists from different backgrounds, such as poets and graffiti artists, will be there to exhibit their own work," Kgaboesele explains. The exhibition will be less formal and will break away from the normal art gallery atmosphere. The Drill Hall in downtown Johannesburg will be transformed into an art gallery "The aim of the exhibition is to take Picasso and Africa to a different part of town, to open it up to a different audience." The Drill Hall is "more accessible to people" who are not exposed to the Picasso and Africa display. Visitors must gather at the Drill Hall at 6.30pm, while the exhibition is scheduled to begin at 7pm. Entrance is at the corner of Plein and Mooi streets, and is free of charge. A bus from the parking lot of the French Institute of South Africa will provide transport, taking people to the Drill Hall and back to the institute from 6pm to midnight. Parking is also available at the Market Theatre, where a shuttle bus will provide transport to the Drill Hall. There will be no parking available in the Drill Hall parking area. The institute is at 56 Margaret Ncingana Street, Newtown. To confirm your attendance and book a place on the bus, contact Kitso Kgaboesele, Peggy or Camille on 011 836 0561. Permission to use web site material Publishers may use material from this site free of charge, as long as: Credit is given to either the "City of Johannesburg website (www.joburg.org.za)" or to "Johannesburg News Agency (www.joburg.org.za)"; If the article is used online, a link is provided to the original article on this website; The name of the article's author is acknowledged; The webmaster is informed of how and where the material is used (fill in this brief online form). Johannesburg News Agency is operated by BIG Media at 011-484-1400 Print this Page E-mail this article to a friend Help using Joburg.org.za