Nirox Foundation

Wordsmith extraordinaire Modise Sekgothe joins us as Master of Ceremonies for this year’s Spring Jazz.

Sunday 6 September
NIROX Spring Jazz 2026
‘Breathe’
presented by Standard Bank SA

“Music is the poetry of the air” - Jean Paul Richter

Breathe…
air as the foundation of music

Weaving a rich tapestry of jazz
with wind instruments and the human voice

Inspired by the sounds and scents of Africa,
shaping rhythm and emotion
in the ancient heart of the Cradle of Humankind

Music, nature and companionship with gourmet foods and beverages from the Epicurean Emporium and Bernie’s Bar

Performing artists:
• Umgidi Ensemble
• Nomfundo Xaluva
• Abathwebuli Trio
• Shane Cooper & The Spirit Whisper

Limited tickets available from link in bio.

Tickets:
Early-Bird Tickets: R550
General Admission: R650
Final Admission: R750
Children under 12: R80
Infant aged 2 and under enter the sculpture park free-of-charge

Standard Bank Private clients purchasing tickets with MasterCard Platinum, MasterCard Titanium & MasterCard World Credit Cards are entitled to a 15% discount on tickets.
Live wealthier with Standard Bank Private.

Gates open 10h00 on Sunday 6 September.
Music throughout the day, closing at sunset.

Spring Jazz 2026 is brought to you by Standard Bank Private.
702 is the official media partner of the NIROX 2026 concert series.

Works in progress by Wezile Harmans is an ongoing creative research project.

The artworks in progress are currently on display at the NIROX Covered Space. They offer a glimpse into Harmans’ practice, highlighting issues pertaining to social justice inequalities. Harmans’ practice stands witness to the act of creation, materialised through the observation of welcoming and unwelcoming spaces.

The artworks form part of Harmans' ongoing residency at NIROX and will be available to view during regular park hours until 12 September 2026.

This past weekend NIROX hosted ecological artist .affolderbach and her long time collaborator for a special performance opening the doors to NIROX Nature reserve for the first time.

In open Highveld terrain, Annegret unfolded '01.surrender', a sensuous durational 3-hour performance. In this first in a series, she intertwined ingredients gathered from the landscape — grass, rocks, earth, water, wind, sun, rhythms — with an emotionally tailored performance garment created by UNI FORM by Luke Radloff; a tender honouring of the Highveld, an endangered life-giving grasslands biome in The Cradle Of Humankind.

The beautiful 30m long textile Annegret created is now resting before a second performance will see its metamorphosis.

Supported by





Film & Photography

mrk

Join us at 11AM on Wednesday, 2 September, at NIROX for a discussion between Justice Albie Sachs, Dr. Phokeng Setai, Khanyi Mawhayi (Zeitz MOCAA), and Ithateng Mokgoro (Yvonne Mokgoro Foundation) on the subject of Ubuntu in law, art, and politics today.
Moderated by Sven Christian, this discussion draws parallels to Justice Albie Sachs’s “Preparing Ourselves for Freedom” (1989), in which he argued that, through “repeated incantation,” art as a “weapon of the struggle” had lost some of its elan and energy. This panel will focus on whether, over the past twenty years, Ubuntu’s overuse/oversimplification has created a similarly “shallow and forced relationship” between the term and its values.
At its heart is a desire to reinvigorate Ubuntu within the public imagination, drawing on its use by Justice Sachs and Justice Yvonne Mokgoro in applying South Africa’s Constitution; most notably in 1995, when Justice Mokgoro introduced the philosophy in the first case heard by the ConCourt.
Centred on capital punishment, Mokgoro’s introduction of this philosophy helped bring an end to the death penalty in South Africa, opening the way for the recognition of indigenous values as integral to constitutional law.
The discussion is conceived as a bridge between “Spring is Rebellious: The Art & Life of Albie Sachs” at Zeitz MOCAA (curated by Dr. Phokeng Setai) and the forthcoming “I AM, WE ARE: Ubuntu as a living heritage” (curated by Ithateng Mokgoro and Sven Christian). It marks the first public activation of “I AM, WE ARE” — an opportunity to preview artworks produced during a recent workshop, “Reimagining Democracy,” held in collaboration with Fine Acts and OWoN as part
of their SPRINTS program.
The workshop was held in partnership with KuMo&Co and the Kromdraai Impact Hub. It will culminate in an exhibition at NIROX from 19 September – 1 November 2026.

Participating artists include:
Johnny Allison
Apollo
Musonda Kabwe
Wes Leal
Naledi Tshegofatso Modupi
Rendani Nemakhavhani
Ndumiso Nyoni
Lisolomzi Pikoli
Huston Wilson

Entry to the park is free.
Lunch will be available at the Lawn Pavilion Cafe.
Space is limited.
RSVP to ensure a seat: [email protected]

GOOD NEIGHBOURS 2026
Culture through Music, Art, Fashion, Cuisine, Design & Lifestyle
Sunday 25 October 2026

GOOD NEIGHBOURS 2026 is a tribute to LOVE
connecting us across borders, continents, languages, customs and beliefs,
honouring those that came before us,
forging a path for those that follow.

A gathering of African creatives & venturers,
entertaining, inspiring, and reflecting on
sound, place and stories that shape our shared identity.

Produced & Curated by Tawanda Gwasera
with NIROX Foundation

Music, Retailers, Cuisine, Art, Culture & Dialogue Programme to be announced.

GOOD NEIGHBOURS is
a gathering of kindred spirits,
a celebration of creativity,
and most importantly:
a tribute to love.

Event Details:
Date: Sunday, 25 October 2026
Time: Gates open at 10:00 AM
Location: NIROX Sculpture Park, Cradle of Humankind, Gauteng

Tickets: Early Bird: R500
General Admission: R600
Final Admission: R750
Children aged 12 and under: R80

Tickets available at www.niroxarts.com

Limited to ensure NIROX’ intimate setting is maintained

Booking early is highly recommended.

All income is used to maintain the grounds, the artist residency programme, and artist support.

NIROX Foundation is dedicated to bringing exceptional cultural experiences to the world through commitment to quality programming and artistic innovation, aiming to enrich lives and foster a deeper appreciation for the arts in all its forms.

NIROX lies in the Kromdraai Valley, which is expanding for visitors’ enjoyment and local community development with diverse initiatives, including:
The Villa-Legodi Centre for Sculpture at NIROX and
The Kromdraai Impact Hub, creative residency for collaboration and social impact
For further information: www.villa-legodi.com, www.kromdraai hub.com, www.farmhouse58.com

This talk anticipates the launch of "Soil & Water: Kigali Crossing” (29 August). Co-hosted by Nyandungu Eco-Park, NIROX, and the Gihanga Institute of Contemporary Art, it features two of the most influential contemporary artists: Olu Oguibe and Ibrahim Mahama.

Oguibe is an artist, writer, and curator. His work helped pave the way for the recognition of contemporary African art as a key component in global artistic practice, on its own terms. His large-scale commissions and activist projects — such as ''Monument for Strangers and Refugees" (Kassel, Germany, 2017) and "S*x work is honest work" (2021) — often highlight the plight of neglected communities, helping social groups and individuals (re)claim their visibility through poetic, deeply affective ways.

Mahama has become one of the most recognisable contemporary artists in the world, not only for his artworks and installations — such as "Out of Bounds” (2015) in Venice, Italy — but for his ambassadorial role, where he champions the expanded role of community in contemporary art. Mahama is the founder of organisations that are active examples of what art can be if we take community seriously, including the Savannah Centre for Contemporary Art and Red Clay Studio in Ghana.

The talk will be moderated by co-curator Johan Thom. An artist and academic, Thom campaigns for artistic initiatives, community engagement, and practices that exceed the expectations of the market. Currently, he is Professor and Coordinator of Fine Art (University of Pretoria).

Developed by Prof. Thom, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Basak Senova, and the NIROX team, “Soil & Water” launched in 2025, with subsequent iterations in Kyrenia and Nicosia (Cyprus) and Vienna (Austria). Artists in Kigali include Paula Anta and Inma Herrera (supported by the Embassy of Spain, Tanzania), Herrana Addisu, Willem Boshoff, Wayne Binitie, Serge Attukwei Clottey, Benji Liebmann, Caroline le Mehauté and Eugénie Touzé (Fondation LAccolade), Ibrahim Mahama, Io Makandal, Diego Masera, Seretse Moletsane, Sethembile Msezane, Innocent Nkurunziza, Egle Oddo (Embassy of Italy), Olu Oguibe, Barbara Putz-Plecko, Alet Pretorius, and Johan Thom.

During their recent residency, Siemon Allen and Kendall Buster designed and built Calyces, a large-scale site-responsive sculpture inspired by botanical form. Resting on DearLand the work offers both a mysterious distant view from the open landscape and a close-up intimate experience through accessible interior chambers. The residency also included the production of scale models for display at Natura CoLab and a richly generative dialogue with the vibrant collaborative team DearRibane who produced three-dimensional fabric forms inspired by the work. These sculptural garments were activated through movement and choreography and captured in a magical video, beyond this world.

Allen and Buster have been in creative collaboration for over three decades. Though each is engaged in robust individual artistic practices, together they have produced large-scale commissioned sculptures merging object and architecture for numerous spaces including Frick Chemistry Lab at Princeton University, Gilman Hall at Johns Hopkins University, NIKE Headquarters, Cummins Diesel, The Indianapolis Museum of Art, Solari Bridge in Scottsdale, Arizona, and the US Embassy in Rabat, Morocco.

We would like to thank all of our partners, performers and guests for making Phenomenal Women a spectacular day in celebration of women's month and all of the phenomenal women in our lives.

Thank you to the artists Deniece Marz & Nelee on vinyl with Aus’Tebza on bass and spoken word by Noxolo Desire in tribute to Maya Angelou for setting the mood.

Thank you to Whispering Angel & Lapd Wines for all of your support.

UPCOMING ARTIST-IN-RESIDENCE

As part of NIROX’s ongoing partnership with pro Helvetia, we are pleased to announce Matheline Marmy’s upcoming residency, from 1 – 26 September 2026.

Marmy’s artistic practice is rooted in a material-based exploration, driven by investigations into environmental forms. The resulting works are grown from reactive materials such as water, chemicals, metallic compounds, salts, and organic elements, assembled or contained within metal structures, glass, or on porous surfaces such as textile.

Building on a research trip to Cape Town in 2022, Matheline’s residency project focuses on the unique mineral and fossil deposits in South Africa and their significance during the Earth’s development. During the residency, she is exploring networks and liminal spaces of artificial and natural compounds, engaging with the versatile qualities of materials and their entanglements and aggregations with(in) human processes, using sculpture as a tangible translation.

The resulting artworks form systems or environments where processes emerge from material-human relationships, manifesting as hybrid relational objects involving time and transformation. In dialogue with local geologists, scientists and artists at various sites and institutions, she delves into deep time to explore speculative scenarios.

Matheline Marmy currently lives and works in Geneva. She obtained a BA from ECAL and an MFA from the Piet Zwart Institute in Rotterdam.

Marmy’s residency is supported by Pro Helvetia.

Image credits (clockwise from top-left):
1. Portrait by ©HervéAnnen
2. Detail of “Excroissance”, 2026. Bronze cast, welded copper, sodium chloride, copper plate, dimensions variable
3. “Lifespan”, 2026. Copper, copper oxide, textile, 20 × 13 × 6 cm
4. “Reste”, 2026. Steel, textile, copper sulfate, iron, 60 × 60 × 80 cm

johannesburg , ,

Abathwebuli Trio has been established by some of South Africa’s most sought after musicians, embodying a potent energy, weaving a sonic tapestry of African rhythms and ancestral chants.

Sunday 6 September
NIROX Spring Jazz 2026
‘Breathe’
presented by Standard Bank SA

“Music is the poetry of the air” - Jean Paul Richter

Breathe…
air as the foundation of music

Weaving a rich tapestry of jazz
with wind instruments and the human voice

Inspired by the sounds and scents of Africa,
shaping rhythm and emotion
in the ancient heart of the Cradle of Humankind

Music, nature and companionship with gourmet foods and beverages from the Epicurean Emporium and Bernie’s Bar

Limited tickets available from link in bio.

Tickets:
Early-Bird Tickets: R550
General Admission: R650
Final Admission: R750
Children under 12: R80
Infant aged 2 and under enter the sculpture park free-of-charge

Standard Bank Private clients purchasing tickets with MasterCard Platinum, MasterCard Titanium & MasterCard World Credit Cards are entitled to a 15% discount on tickets.
Live wealthier with Standard Bank Private.

Gates open 10h00 on Sunday 6 September.
Music throughout the day, closing at sunset.

Spring Jazz 2026 is brought to you by Standard Bank Private.
702 is the official media partner of the NIROX 2026 concert series.