Launched in February 2019 with the debut pop up art show in Cape Town, ANON. is a pop up gallery concept. The name is inspired by the Virginia Woolf quote, “For most of history, Anonymous was a woman.”
The inaugural exhibition showcased art by a variety of artists, including prominent South African artists, photojournalists and emerging artists, across mediums – including painting, drawing, illustration, photography, ceramics, embroidery, poetry and live performance.
ANON. is about giving a voice to the voiceless, a name to the unnamed. It’s about expressing female identity in all its complexity, having a conversation around female artistic expression as well as how women are represented in art, encouraging creativity in women, and prompting dialogue around gender – whether it be gender identity or fluidity, breaking stereotypes or reinforcing gender roles. All opinions have their place.
ANON. is also about the power of art to create empathy and dialogue, with art activism as a powerful format for encouraging social change and shifting collective consciousness around important ideas.