Jozi Journeys
BMW Art Generation Vol. III Returns to NIROX: A Festival of Imagination and Legacy
A Festival of Possibility
On 30 August 2025, NIROX Sculpture Park will once again become the gathering ground for one of Africa’s most ambitious art and culture events. The BMW Art Generation Vol. III, presented by FNB Art Joburg in partnership with BMW Group South Africa, returns with a programme that places imagination at the heart of dialogue and creativity.
This year’s theme, “A Tropology Between Image and Imagination,” explores how symbolism, gesture, and form act as powerful tools for reclaiming history and shaping futures. It is not just an art festival but a cultural proposition: how can African voices define, disrupt, and reimagine the world on their own terms?
Talks That Challenge and Inspire
The day will feature a curated series of talks designed to deepen reflection:
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Image and Imagination: With acclaimed artists including Zanele Muholi, the discussion asks how image-making becomes resistance, self-authorship, and a roadmap for the future.
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Existing, Performance & Being: Featuring Nicholas Hlobo, among others, this conversation responds to curator Koyo Kouoh’s call for emancipatory depictions of Black experience and explores how art intersects with history, grief, and joy.
These talks are not side notes; they are central to the festival’s ethos of critical thought and cultural engagement.
Music, Gardens and Reflection
The intellectual programme is matched by an equally powerful artistic offering. Music legends Sipho “Hotstix” Mabuse and Msaki will headline performances in NIROX’s open-air amphitheatre, weaving heritage and contemporary sound into the festival’s rhythm.
In quieter moments, audiences can join Muneyi’s Garden Affirmations, a reflective session blending poetry, song, and mindfulness amid the park’s natural beauty. It is here that the poetics of possibility meet lived experience, giving the day its grounding balance.
Art for Community
Beyond the stages and installations, the BMW Centre for Art Education will host a community workshop for Kromdraai, led by Liesl Hartman of Zeitz MOCAA. Designed to encourage hands-on creativity, the workshop highlights intergenerational exchange and the belief that art should ripple beyond galleries into communities.
Legacy in Motion
Since its inception in 2020, the BMW Art Generation has become more than an annual event. Through initiatives like the BMW Young Collectors Co., it is cultivating new patrons of African art and creating spaces where investment, imagination, and collectorship intersect.
BMW’s South African brand lead, Taz Ramphisa, frames it as part of a commitment to “creativity and innovation in the art world.” FNB Art Joburg’s Mandla Sibeko describes art as “a language of meaning, memory, and transformation.” Both perspectives underscore the festival’s long-term vision: celebrating African creativity as a driver of discourse, legacy, and future-making.
What You Need to Know
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Date: Saturday, 30 August 2025
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Venue: NIROX Sculpture Park, R540 Kromdraai Road, Krugersdorp
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Tickets: R500 (includes access to talks, exhibitions, music and workshops)
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Bookings: tickets.tixsa.co.za
Also read: From the Ground Market: Muldersdrift’s Winter Finale You Can’t Miss
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Featured Image: BMW Group PressClub
