Art Matters: Francesca Gavin

Editor-in-chief of EPOCH Review, Gavin has written ten books on art and visual culture and curated exhibitions such as ‘Mushrooms’ at Somerset House and ‘The Dark Cube’ at Palais de Tokyo. She co-curated Manifesta11 and was the founding curator of the Soho House group (2009-16), putting together a collection of over 3000 works internationally. Gavin is a contributing editor at Twin and Beauty Papers and regularly writes for publications including the Financial Times HTSI, Cura, Marie Claire and Frieze. She has a monthly radio show, ‘Rough Version’, on NTS Radio on art and music which has been running for over 8 years.

Kendell Geers is a pivotal figure in contemporary African art, whose powerful works explore themes of identity, resistance, and the complex legacies of history. Born in apartheid-era South Africa, Geers' journey from a working-class family to an artist in exile has profoundly shaped his unique artistic language, defying simple categorization. Geers gained international recognition early in his career, with notable participation in the 1997 Johannesburg Biennale and Documenta 11 in 2002, curated by the esteemed Okwui Enwezor. In 2013, Enwezor further cemented Geers' significance by curating his retrospective at the prestigious Haus der Kunst in Munich. Now based in Brussels, Geers continues to push artistic boundaries, creating works that resonate globally while remaining firmly rooted in his African identity and experiences.