After twelve years of pushing boundaries and shaping conversations in the South African art scene, Kalashnikovv Gallery is officially closing its doors.
Founded in 2013 by M.J. Turpin and Matthew Dean Dowdle, the gallery established itself as a force in Johannesburg’s evolving art scene. It opened with a clear mission: support boundary-pushing artists and create a platform for voices that often go unheard in traditional gallery spaces.
From the start, Kalashnikovv focused on showcasing work that dealt with politics, personal identity, memory, and resistance. The gallery held exhibitions that pulled in a younger, more diverse audience, helping to shape a new kind of art community in the city.
In May 2024, the gallery expanded to Cape Town, launching a second space on Loop Street. The opening exhibition, Refuse the Given World, featured artists like Boemo Diale, Senzeni Marasela, and Conrad Botes. These artists brought fresh conversations into the room both on gender, African spirituality, colonial history, as well as the language of protest.
Kalashnikovv also built strong partnerships. Its collaboration with Pablo House earlier this year created Boundless, a multi-venue exhibition of ten women artists across hotel rooms, lounges, and garden courtyards. The format encouraged visitors to move through different kinds of spaces and interact with work in intimate settings.
In recent months, Kalashnikovv participated in international fairs, including Investec Cape Town Art Fair and Art Rotterdam, continuing its role in promoting South African artists on global platforms.
The gallery’s closure follows a full calendar of exhibitions and activities throughout 2024 and 2025. While no formal reasons have been provided, the decision comes during a time of rising costs and shifting infrastructure in the arts sector.
Kalashnikovv’s legacy stands on the work it championed and the artists it helped propel forward. For over a decade, it remained committed to supporting voices that challenged, informed, and also shaped culture. That legacy continues in the work of the artists it supported, the audiences it inspired, and the space it carved out in South African art history.
The gallery ends its journey with a series of powerful final acts that highlight its impact over the years. It begins with End of an Era, a group exhibition featuring their earliest collaborators at Play Braamfontein. Then comes New Monuments, a site-specific installation at Villa House for BMW Collectors Co. Finally, they return for one last showing at FNB Art Joburg, closing it all out with a farewell after-party—a full-circle goodbye.
