The Art of Comics

Arts & CultureAwards & EventsNot-for-Profit

Jul 29

More than speech bubbles: The universal language of comics

The Art of Comics, a collaborative project between the Johannesburg Art Gallery (JAG) and the French Institute of South Africa, was the first exhibition of its kind at a major South African museum.

The brief

In South Africa, comics have grown by leaps and bounds in recent years, with events such as ComicCon Africa attracting more than 45 000 visitors over a single weekend.

The Art of Comics, a collaborative project between the Johannesburg Art Gallery (JAG) and the French Institute of South Africa, was the first exhibition of its kind at a major South African museum. Breinstorm Brand Architects was tasked with developing branding and collateral for the exhibition, which took place at the JAG in September and November 2019.

This iconic exhibition focused on South African comics as well as the world-renowned French “Bande dessinée” style – famous for its friendly and engaging style. The full show consisted of 89 framed works: 47 from France and francophone countries and 43 from South Africa. Artworks from the Johannesburg Art Gallery collection were also used to illustrate the history and development of art through comics.

The exhibition was designed to be accessible to a wide range of audiences of all ages and various levels of art knowledge, offering visitors the chance to discover the beauty and diversity of comics, Bandes dessinées, as well as their place in art history. One of the key objectives of the exhibition was to encourage new museum audiences and families, for whom comics are a familiar medium, to visit the show together.

The partnership between France and South Africa on this exhibition demonstrated that this art form is a universal language telling the human experience, one panel at a time.

The transformation

An immersive cultural experience

We also developed a rich educational supplement with an extensive glossary about comics as a teaching aid. Empty panels on the inside enabled attendees to make their own comics. They could also colour in the appended poster artwork created by rockstar visual artist, Loyiso Mkize.

Showcasing South African and French talent

The South African section, curated by Tara Weber and Ray Whitcher, explored new dialogues around the SA comics scene. The French section, curated by Thierry Groenstein, presented the seven main modules of contemporary Bandes dessinées.

Exploring virtual reality

The exhibition showcased visual artists linked to animation and innovative formats, such as virtual reality. JAG included a virtual reality experience of the short film Accused #2, based on sound archives from the famous Rivonia trial.