South Seen
Art from the Global South – seen, celebrated, and collected.
SouthSeen is more than an exhibition – it is a cultural movement reimagining how art from the Global South enters and shifts the global stage. BBA developed the brand identity, strategic positioning, and communications infrastructure for this transcontinental initiative, launching simultaneous exhibitions in Brussels and Johannesburg that showcased over 30 South African artists to European collectors and diplomatic communities.
The brief
South African artists have historically operated without regular exposure to international platforms. The challenge was not simply logistics – it was fundamentally about changing how the world sees art from Africa. The brand needed to resist exoticising tropes and colonial paradigms while creating a credible, luxurious platform that could connect with European curators, collectors, and cultural institutions. Simultaneously, it needed to inspire South African artists to submit work and believe in the opportunity. This was about turning the gaze outward as an act of self-definition.
The timeline was ambitious: from brand strategy to live exhibition in Brussels within six weeks, with a second iteration in Johannesburg following immediately.
An aesthetic that belongs to no one else
A name that refuses to be overlooked
The name emerged from a strategic question: how do you position art from the Global South without diminishing it? 'SouthSeen' carries a deliberate double meaning: art from the South that is truly seen. Witnessed. Appreciated. Understood. Not discovered. Not validated. Seen on its own terms. The positioning statement: 'Art from the Global South — seen, celebrated, and collected', was crafted to speak two languages at once: to European collectors seeking authentic investment opportunities, and to South African artists seeking dignified international exposure.
Speaking to artists as equals
BBA developed the complete artist call-out campaign, submission guidelines, and two-phase adjudication process. The campaign targeted South African artists working across painting, sculpture, design, fashion, photography, and digital works. Artist communications struck a deliberate balance — professional standards without gatekeeping language, detailed submission requirements alongside transparent selection criteria, clear commercial terms that treated artists as partners rather than supplicants. The response was immediate and strong, from emerging voices to established names.
Two cities, one conversation
Two exhibitions launched in close succession: Brussels, Belgium (22 August 2025): Opening at Belfius Bank's historic headquarters, the exhibition drew collectors, cultural leaders, and diplomats including representatives from the South African Embassy. Works by over 30 artists met European audiences on equal footing. Johannesburg, South Africa (3 September – 30 October 2025): The Keyes Art Mile edition at The Atrium anchored the project at home, featuring 13 additional South African artists. Running concurrently with Brussels created a rhythm of exchange — local feeding into global, global amplifying the local.
