THE 2026 iteration of Contra.Joburg, which occurred by the theme, “Different is good”, offered attendees artistic experiences designed to expand the possibilities of visual art, at diverse venues across Johannesburg over the weekend of August 29 and 30th.
Studios located from the Joburg CBD, Braamfontein, Doornfontein to Rosebank, Waverley and Lorentzville remained open between the hours 10:00am–5:00pm – with festivalgoers moving betwixt the venues through usage of a hop-on-hop-off shuttle service which operated every 20 minutes from morning till afternoon on both days.
The festival was curated for visitors to enjoy at their own pace while they spent time in studios, met artists, bought artworks, indulged in eclectic food and drinks offerings and caught performances ranging from dance to live music.
The roster of venues to be visited was as diverse as it was appealing and included activities such as, inter alia, a performance of the Joburg Ballet Company at the historic Rand Club; a brewery tour and tasting, as well as a rugby viewing and live music experience at the Jozi Gold Brewing Company in Braamfontein; a student’s market at the Bus Factory in Newtown; and a gastronomic experience at Victoria Yards.
A visit to Usha Seejarim’s studio in Ophirton offered a rare opportunity to see an artist in their own creative environment as visitors got to engage with the Bethal-raised sculptor (whose 5 meter high sculpture of two giant angel wings constructed from the soleplates of repurposed household steam irons named The Mundane and the Magical is displayed outside the Radisson Red hotel in Rosebank) over coffee offered by event partner, the Johannesburg-established Motherland Coffee brand.
Seejarim was one of the featured artists along Senzeni Marasela, Joe Turpin and Candice Kramer, et al., who work from locations spread across Johannesburg such as August House and Ellis House – to mention but a few.
In the requisite art ecosystem, these artists’ participation in the event was complemented by that of enabling institutions such as Stephan Welz & Co, Candice Berman Gallery and Asisebenze Art Atelier, et cetera.
Among others, venues such as Creative Uprising Hub @Transwerke and Asisebenze Art Atelier provided Kids’ Area for children attending Contra.Joburg and offered art-making, face painting and free hands-on creative activities – with the services of child minders made available.
The once exclusive Rand Club hosted the Joburg Ballet’s presentation of a unique, site-specific performance in which – in response to the building’s architecture, history and atmosphere – dancers transformed the iconic landmark into a living stage, showcasing highlights from The Bacchae production and preview glimpses of the company’s upcoming works, viz., Carmen and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.
The ornate, pastel coloured ballroom in which the dancers performed had a St. Petersburg’s appearance about it – complementing the unique ballet experience in which historic architecture met contemporary performance!
On Saturday evening, the Jozi Gold Brewing Company in Braamfontein hosted a live performance of jazz bassist, Herbie Tsoaeli and his quintet which featured tenor saxophonist Mohammed Dawjee, alto saxophonist Themba Mhlongo, pianist Yonela Mnana and drummer Sphiwe Shiburi.
Some of the attendees savouring the moment were some of the Paradys telenovela cast who included lead actor Zane Meas.
Contra.Joburg 2026 was a pulsating experience which, among various things, also served as a platform for interactivities, discovery, networking, panel discussions, art collection and sheer culinary indulgence.
Said Contra.Joburg founder Sara Hallatt: “Different is good because Johannesburg itself is different. There is no single way to experience the city, and there shouldn’t be a single way to experience its art.
Contra.Joburg is about meeting artists where they work, while discovering parts of the city you might not otherwise encounter.”
Image Jacob MAWELA (Herbie Tsoaeli limned strumming his bass while performing with his quintet at the Jozi Gold Brewing Company in Braamfontein during Contra.Joburg 2026.)
