On Friday 20 September, a new season of exhibitions will open at Kunstinstituut Melly. This will be the first program by Gabi Ngcobo as director of Kunstinstituut Melly. The exhibitions are an introduction and set the tone for the next four years, focusing on improvisation as an ongoing conceptual framework.
During this new season, we will present five solo exhibitions framed under the title ‘First Double 1 & 2‘ by artists: Cihad Caner (Turkey) (based in Rotterdam), Jabu Arnell (St. Martin /Netherlands), Luana Vitra (Brazil), Nolan Oswald Dennis (South Africa), and Sara Sejin Chang (Sara van der Heide) (Netherlands/South Korea). Additionally, there will be a group exhibition titled ‘Pickup Notes‘ featuring works by Liz Johnson Artur (United Kingdom), Madiha Sikander (Pakistan/Canada), and Zara Julius (South Africa). These exhibitions will be on view across three floors at Kunstinstituut Melly until Sunday 27 April 2025.
September also initiates educational initiatives, and partnerships that build momentum towards future directions. Key themes include a focus on drawing in the extended field, sonic cultures, historical ties between South Africa and the Netherlands, and creating “contact zones” that foster connection, unexpected encounters and insights. Underlying the program is an approach that values process over destination, collective learning, collaboration, and a wish to address how we respond to geopolitical demands while suggesting that a different order is necessary.
