In Conversation with Lucy Macgarry

Independent curator and arts advisor Lucy Macgarry is the co-director of Latitudes Online: a new marketplace for contemporary art from Africa. She holds a Master of fine art from WITS, a Bachelor of Commerce honours in business management from UCT, and a Bachelor of Arts in visual studies from UCT.  In September 2019, MacGarry launched Latitudes Art Fair at Sandton City with partners Roberta Coci, Makgati Molebatsi, Nokwazi Zimu and Anthea Buys. Prior to this, she has held positions as – the curator of the South African Pavilion at the Venice Biennale; curator of the FNB Joburg Art Fair; curator of the Spier, Nando’s and Hollard Collections and gallery director of David Krut Projects.

With the ongoing Coronavirus pandemic causing scepticism in financial markets and consequently, buyer apathy, what informs the launching of Art Zuri as an online marketplace for contemporary art from Africa?

The challenges created by the pandemic, particularly its global impact on the creative sector has forced everyone to adapt, opening up new opportunities for engaging audiences with an emphasis on virtual spaces and collaborations. According to Imo Dara’s 2021 report on the state of the African art market, ‘collectors are purchasing art online more than ever before’. Art Zuri couldn’t have come at a more opportune time.

Our journey has been five years in the making with a lot of consideration given to the platform’s objectives. Our mission is to create a safe and intuitive environment where creators and collectors can meet conveniently, empowering talented African artists to promote themselves on a global scale, as well as profit from their work.

Art Zuri, which directly translates to ‘Beautiful Art’ in Swahili, will curate the most exciting and desirable works by emerging talent from all over our vast and diverse African continent, offering original art pieces to curators, collectors and art enthusiasts worldwide while encouraging conversations around them.

What strategies are you implementing to enable you stand out from pre-existing online art marketplaces while attracting and maintaining a steady flow of collectors?

When developing the platform, the approach was to centre the experience around the user. One of Art Zuri’s most exciting features is the inventory management system that makes it easy for artists to upload merchandise and track payments.

Art Zuri will also invite curators specialising in African art to be a part of our trusted pool of experts that assesses the quality of the artworks submitted, which are vetted and handpicked for the platform. We will continually seek partners interested in advancing the fresh wave of visual art talent in Africa.

We realise that there is still a considerable gap when it comes to information on the contemporary African art scene, even for those who live on the continent. Art Zuri’s primary motivator is to increase global access to contemporary African art, and this includes information on artists, curators, galleries, events and burgeoning trends. Art Zuri will contribute to closing this gap through “Zurizine”, an online blog, which will provide a space for talented young artists, curators and collectors to share their unique perspectives to foster global conversations that specifically touch on the emerging African art scene.

Who do you envisage your primary clientele will be and what collecting behaviour or habits do you hope to cater to? 

We cater to the curious-minded and the collectors within the context of contemporary African art. Because the focus is on emerging artists from across Africa, we hope to encourage and build a potential crop of young collectors, particularly on the African continent, that will further stimulate the art market to benefit our emerging and established artists. We want to open up the marketplace, widen perspectives and have people explore works beyond their region. Art Zuri is open to the world.

What is the potential for online sales in the near future?

Based on different reports, there is a lot of potential, with galleries experiencing an increase in new buyers due to the launch of online spaces during the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic. However, there are also a few pitfalls within the digital space; traditionally, art is viewed up close within the context of a gallery or museum, allowing the audience to experience and examine its materiality and form; this usually drives the decision to purchase an artwork. One critical but troubling fact is that as more sales happen online, the market for fakes also continues to grow and find its place in online sales.

While counterfeiting is not a new practice, transparency and building buyer confidence in the provenance of the artwork they find on our platform is our utmost priority.

How do you hope to contribute to conversations on inclusivity, equality and diversity of artists through your platform?

We welcome diversity in practice, education (formal and informal), media, ideologies, race, gender and disability amongst others. Every artist will be given the same opportunities, however, there will be a deliberate effort to amplify the representation of female artists, who still remain under-represented within the ecosystem. There is also an opportunity to question the current state of affairs, through discourse which we plan to leverage through Zurizine.

Most importantly, Art Zuri will focus on the professional development of the artists and curators that are showcased. We want to contribute to building a healthy and sustainable art ecosystem within Africa which will broaden the reach and impact of the various stakeholders to effect change.