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WHATIFTHEWORLD
Justin Rhodes and Ashleigh McLean
Images courtesy of Matt Slater and WHATIFTHEWORLD
Founded in 2012 by Gallery Director Justin Rhodes and Curatorial Director Ashleigh McLean, WHATIFTHEWORLD has grown into a vital force within Cape Town’s art ecosystem. Dedicated to championing artists from Southern Africa on the international stage, the gallery launched with a mission to cultivate emerging local talent and expand their reach to wider collector markets, both locally and globally. At a time when opportunities were scarce beyond established spaces such as Stevenson and Goodman Gallery, as well as smaller artist-led projects, WHATIFTHEWORLD has played a pivotal role in fostering a new generation of artists. By creating a space for visibility and engagement, the gallery became a key conduit for artistic growth and recognition.
WHATIFTHEWORLD, originally housed on Hope Street and later in Woodstock, now occupies its third and current location just off Bree Street. This former garage has been thoughtfully transformed by directors Rhodes and McLean to reimagine the gallery experience. The expansive front space, open and unbarred, serves as a bold stage for both solo and group exhibitions, while deeper within, a series of more intimate rooms provide quieter encounters with a rotating selection of works from the gallery’s diverse lineup. These smaller spaces offer emerging and less established artists the opportunity to showcase their work, offering risk-averse exposure while being still being part of an established gallery framework. This commitment to nurturing artistic growth is further exemplified by the gallery’s partnership with KRONE at the Twee Jonge Gezellen Estate in Tulbagh. Together, they share a gallery space and residency programme that encourages artists to create their most ambitious works, free from the constraints of commercial pressures.
The curatorial programming at WHATIFTHEWORLD is deeply focused on an exploration of material form. Each artists’ practice speaks to a plethora of culturally-relevant themes that are intertwined within the matieral substance of their work. Names include Athi-Patra Ruga, Lungisa Cqunta, Ben Orkin, Chris Soal, and Wezile Harmans, amongst others.
Founders and Directors: Justin Rhodes and Ashleigh McLean
ADDRESS
16 Buiten Street
Cape Town City Centre
Cape Town, 8000
RECENT ART FAIRS
Investec Cape Town Art Fair, 2025
Untitled Miami Beach, 2024
Art Cologne, 2024
Artissima, Turin, 2024
Art Basel Paris, 2024
The Armory Show, 2024
Art Brussels, 2024
MIART, 2024
ARTISTS
Mia Chaplin · Stephané Edith Conradie · Paul Edmunds · Pierre Fouché · Lungisa Gqunta · Dan Halter · Wezile Harmans · Tangeni Kambudu · Dale Lawrence · Strauss Louw · Sthenjwa Luthuli · Maja Marx · Michele Mathison · John Murray · Nabeeha Mohamed · Lakin Ogunbanwo · Cameron Platter · Lyndi Sales · Chris Soal ·Inga Somdyala · Rowan Smith · Ruby Swinney · Michael Taylor · Pierre Vermeulen