Kalashnikovv Gallery

Johannesburg’s Bold Contemporary Art Hub

Kalashnikovv Gallery, founded in 2013 by curators MJ Turpin and Matthew Dean Dowdle, stands out as a hybrid arts space—blending commercial exhibitions, artist-run project initiatives, and socio-political engagement—intentionally breaking from the traditional white-cube model . The gallery champions both emerging and established South African artists, fostering creativity that challenges norms. Discover bold, unconventional art from South Africa’s new generation.

Opening Hours:

Tue–Fri 10 AM–4 PM | Sat 10 AM–3 PM (closed Sundays & Mondays unless there's an exhibition event)

Getting there

Easily accessible via Gautrain—short drive from Rosebank station .

What You’ll Find
Cutting-edge exhibitions spanning painting, sculpture, digital art, street art, and graffiti, often with a socially or politically provocative edge
Featuring emerging talents like Boemo Diale, Yolanda Mazwana, Alfred Thoba, and Ayanda Mabulu—the last famous (or infamous) for hosting a ritual lamb slaughter at an opening.

X – 10 Years of Kalashnikovv Gallery (Sept 2023): a decade-long retrospective featuring featured artists like Conrad Botes, Yolanda Mazwana, Alfred Thoba, Boemo Diale, Ayanda Mabulu, and more .

True Love: Alfred Thoba retrospective, in collaboration with Strauss & Co at Johannesburg (Feb–Mar 2024), showcased his politically charged modernist works and reconstructed studio space, emphasizing educational outreach .
Emerging artists like Boemo Diale gained recognition (Tomorrow’s/Today Prize, Cape Town 2025) through gallery support .

Experience a layered arts ecosystem—gallery shows, youth festivals, queer nightlife events, bars, and live sessions—all in one place.

Artist-run initiatives & events, such as:

The Wreck Room – monthly immersive projects with emerging artists
Le Grand Ball – a queer arts nightlife series celebrating LGBTQIA+ culture
The Black Cube Sessions – showcasing local visual creatives, musicians, DJs
Basha Uhuru Freedom Festival – a youth-focused multidisciplinary festival at Constitution Hill (2013–2016)
New Testament bar & lounge – melding art, food, curated exhibitions and experimental events
Mission & Ethos
Kalashnikovv rejects elitism, instead prioritizing accessibility, experimentation, and decolonial, outsider perspectives in contemporary art . The gallery acts as a platform for creativity beyond traditional validation, pushing the role of art in society .

Broader Impact

Regularly participates in major art fairs including Investec Cape Town Art Fair, 1‑54 London, Art Rotterdam, Untitled Miami, RMB Latitudes, and more. Expanded to Cape Town in 2024, extending its edgy, Johannesburg-inspired ethos to the Mother City .

Location 
Address: 70 Juta Street (near Braamfontein), Johannesburg, 2000