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Johannesburg Art Gallery ‘can’t survive’ another season of ruin and rain, heritage experts warn mayor

Johannesburg Art Gallery ‘can’t survive’ another season of ruin and rain, heritage experts warn mayor
Visible surface damage to the 1634 painting by Old Dutch MasterPeter Danckerts de Rij. (Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_Danckerts_de_Rij)
Ferial Haffajee
By Ferial Haffajee
18 Nov 2024
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While heritage experts have underlined the urgency of repairs to the gallery, Johannesburg’s mayor says the budget will only be allocated next year. This is part one of a two-part special report on an ongoing investigation into the Johannesburg Art Gallery by Daily Maverick and Currency.

Read Part Two


New images taken inside the Johannesburg Art Gallery (JAG) reveal that the building’s ruin has accelerated. At the same time, irreplaceable art, including work by Irma Stern, is damaged and needs urgent repair. 

Johannesburg mayor Dada Morero met the Friends of JAG (FOJ)and the Johannesburg Heritage Foundation (JHF) after a lawyer’s letter was served on the City in September, but he told Daily Maverick/Currency that budgets to repair the gallery would only be allocated next year. Morero said that when he was in charge of city finances in 2023, Johannesburg had an operating deficit of R4-billion a month. While the City has since signed loans with a French development finance institution and the World Bank, the state of its finances have worsened, according to monthly municipal public accounts committee reports.  

Morero said: “We are on the verge of signing an agreement with Ditsong [a public museum in Tshwane] that will guide the relocation and storage of the works.” He did not give a date. He said the City would continue to take a lead “in matters about the restoration of the building”, but did not say what this would entail. However, it won’t happen anytime soon. “To give impetus to this, the City committed that there will be a budget made available for the first phase of restoration work in the 2025/26 financial year.”  That is at least a year away because of how the City’s budget process works. 

‘Perilous state’


Johannesburg Art Gallery JAG The Johannesburg Development Agency renovated the west wing of the original Lutyens building at JAG in 2015. In the process, a clay roof that heritage experts say could have lasted several centuries was replaced with an inferior roof that allowed water to seep into the building and destroy the interior. Black mould and leaking ceilings are visible evidence of the slow destruction.(Photo: Supplied)



Johannesburg Art Gallery, JAG The water-damaged west wing of the Lutyens building. (Photo: Supplied)



Johannesburg Art Gallery, JAG Black mould is visible in the west wing of the damaged Luyten building. (Photo: Supplied)



It might be too late for the art, as many pieces are damaged, as images with this article show. “Given the perilous state of the JAG building, the first priority is to get the collection to a place of safety as soon as possible to avoid further damage,” the Friends of JAG and the JHF told Daily Maverick/Currency. 

The two organisations are civil society stakeholders of the gallery. After inspecting the JAG in August and finding it in a parlous state, they sent a letter of demand to the City in September. Morero met representatives in September but has yet to commit to any action. 

The images shown here for the first time show what the FOJ calls the “slow destruction” of the art gallery. Because inferior roofing was used to replace the original clay roof, the summer rains caused leaks, which have caused dampness and mould. Exhibition halls have been turned into makeshift storage spaces. The City’s insurers have refused to pay for repairs because they say the space is no longer at museum standards for underwriting.  

Renovations


In 2021, the Johannesburg Property Company (JPC) “renovated” the award-winning Meyer-Pienaar gallery extension. Its copper roofs and vaulted ceilings were removed, and a rough concrete slab was thrown. The image shows what is left of the extension, as abandoned by the City’s contractors. The JHF says some exhibition halls have been declared unsafe, with building rubble clearly visible in the photographs. 

The images also reveal damaged work by Irma Stern, Edward Burne-Jones, Alfred Munnings and the Old Dutch Master Peter Donckers de Rij – paintings worth R32-million. Surfaces of paintings are cracked, paint runs in others while a signature piece is unsafely wedged next to photocopy paper. Contemporary artist Nandipha Mntambo’s work is suspended over a damaged floor.   

The award-winning Meyer-Pienaar gallery extension was ‘renovated’ under the watch of the Johannesburg Property Company in 2021. Copper roofs and vaulted ceilings were removed, and a concrete slab was thrown over the space. Structural engineers later found structural damage to the building, and the project to restore it was never completed. The exhibition halls were declared unsafe for use. Building rubble is still visible. (Photo: Supplied)



“As a gallery, the JAG building is simply not fit for purpose. The roof leaks in several places, entire wings are closed because of damp and mould. Exhibition halls are empty and show signs of major water damage. The storage rooms where the bulk of the collection is kept are also prone to leaks so each time it rains, there is a danger of further damage to the fragile artworks. We have heard of occasions where the gallery staff were called in the middle of the night to come and move paintings from one [room] to another because of water ingress. Clearly, we need to get the collection out of these unsafe conditions as soon as possible – especially since the rainy season is upon us,” the FOJ and the JHF said in written answers to questions.  

When told of the mayor’s timelines, the organisations’ representatives said: “The issues facing JAG have been well-known for many years. Previous attempts at repairs have been ineffective and/or mismanaged. We are now at a turning point. The collection simply cannot endure another year of damage from water and mould. The City’s plan would require extensive delays in order to allocate budget, issue tenders, select appropriate contractors, etc. We cannot wait another year or two before we see any action. The JAG and its important art collection need to be saved now!”

Damaged beyond repair


Johannesburg Art Gallery, JAG A rainstorm and resulting storeroom flood in 2018 caused water damage to several paintings, including this one by Philip Burne-Jones, and required the gallery staff to rescue the work in the middle of the night. (Photo: Supplied)



Johannesburg Art Gallery, JAG The painting by Philip Burne-Jones shows water damage and a big crack down the middle. (Photo: Supplied)



An inspection on 13 August revealed that 9,000 artworks are stored improperly, with only a tiny fraction on display. Visitor numbers have plummeted, and the continent’s most extensive and valuable collection of publicly owned art is in jeopardy. Asmita Thakor of Webber Wentzel said: “They are at severe risk of damage, and some have already been damaged beyond repair.” The FOJ and the JHF have threatened legal action against the city.

Thakor further noted: “Half of the storage rooms, where the remaining art is housed, are unsafe from water ingress, and the art collection must be routinely moved around to makeshift storage sites during heavy rains. There is an imminent threat to this art with the upcoming rainy season.”

The artworks, worth hundreds of millions of rand, are precariously stored in Hillbrow, a high-crime area where the JAG is located. In art terms, the storage conditions can be compared in health terms to an amputation. Thakor explained that the rooms “lack the climate control and strict lighting protocols required to protect them”. Moreover, they are damp, and some are hazardous. 

She emphasised that “if urgent and immediate steps are not taken to preserve the collection, irreparable harm will continue to be caused to the artworks due to the structural defects and the City of Johannesburg’s failure to discharge custodial responsibilities over them”.

What should happen now? “Once the collection is secure (in storage at Ditsong), we can undertake a thorough examination of the Lutyens building by qualified heritage professionals in order to draw up a comprehensive scope of work. Then it will be a matter of finding suitable funders, project managers, architects to do the work. In all, the process of properly repairing the JAG building is estimated to take three to five years. Once the building is repaired, the collection can return to Johannesburg,” the FOJ and the JHF said.  DM

Johannesburg Art Gallery, JAG Nandipha Mntambo’s contemporary artwork made of cowhide is exhibited suspended above the museum’s damaged floor. (Photo: Supplied)


Further reading — detailed conversations.


Conversation with the FOJ and the JHF

What are the key proposals from FOJ/JHF to store the collection pending the renovation and repair of the gallery?

The Friends of JAG and JHF proposed a multi-phase plan focusing on securing the art collection and planning for the gallery’s long-term restoration. Their key points include:

  • Immediate relocation of the collection: To prevent further damage, the collection must be moved to a safe and controlled environment. Resources, funding and logistical arrangements for the move and digitisation are ready, pending approval from the City of Johannesburg (COJ). The relocation would ensure the public can access digitised versions of the artworks during the restoration period;

  • Building assessment and restoration plan: Once the collection is safe, heritage professionals would conduct a thorough evaluation of the Lutyens-designed building to develop a detailed scope of work. This process will identify specific restoration needs, including structural repairs and environmental controls;

  • Revised governance structure: The governance model of JAG needs to become more independent and streamlined. Donors are reluctant to work directly with COJ due to its complex and inefficient bureaucracy. A reputable third party could oversee the gallery’s operations and projects, fostering trust and accountability; and

  • Timeline for repairs: The building restoration could take three to five years, depending on the complexity of the work and funding availability. After completion, the collection would return to Johannesburg.


When will it happen?

Relocation can begin immediately upon receiving city approval. Funding and resources are already secured, and the move can start within a few days. However, the gallery’s full restoration will take several years due to the scope of the necessary repairs.

Why is time of the essence?

The current state of the JAG building poses an imminent threat to the collection:

  • The roof leaks in multiple areas, and water damage is widespread across exhibition halls and storage rooms;

  • Entire wings are closed due to dampness and mould, making parts of the building inaccessible;

  • Storage rooms, where most artworks are housed, are vulnerable to water ingress, risking further degradation with every rainfall; and

  • Staff have had to relocate paintings urgently during storms to protect them from water damage. With the rainy season already underway, the collection faces increasing danger, making immediate relocation critical.


The mayor says the budget will be allocated in 2025/2026. Isn’t that too late?

Waiting until 2025/2026 for funding would be disastrous. The collection has already endured years of neglect and damage. Delays would result in irreparable losses due to ongoing water and mould exposure. The JAG requires immediate action to secure the collection and stabilise the building. The organisations urged the City to prioritise the gallery’s restoration to prevent further deterioration.

Johannesburg Art Gallery, JAG Visible surface damage to the 1634 painting by Old Dutch Master Peter Danckerts de Rij. (Source: Wikipedia)


Q&A with the mayor’s spokesperson, Chris Vondo


What is the mayor’s view of the situation at the Johannesburg Art Gallery and his response to the letter from the Friends of the Gallery and the Johannesburg Heritage Foundation?

The mayor acknowledges the seriousness of the issues at JAG. During a meeting with the Friends of JAG and the JHF, the following points were discussed:

  • Acknowledgment of the crisis: Both organisations expressed their concerns about the gallery’s deteriorating condition and the urgent need to relocate the collection. The mayor assured them that the City shares their concerns and is taking steps to address the situation;

  • Relocation plan: The City is finalising an agreement with Ditsong Museums to relocate the collection to a safe storage facility. This move aligns with the Friends of JAG and JHF’s recommendations; and

  • Resource mobilisation: The city detailed its efforts to secure funding for the gallery’s restoration, including engaging private donors and external organisations.


The meeting concluded with a commitment to ongoing collaboration and dialogue to resolve the gallery’s challenges effectively.

The two organisations have presented a plan for the safe and public storage of the artworks at the Ditsong facility in Tshwane. Does the mayor support this?

Yes, the city supports the proposal. The mayor acknowledged the alignment between the organisations’ plan and the City’s own relocation strategy. The City also views the proposal as a sign of constructive engagement between the stakeholders. Suggestions from the plan will be incorporated into the City’s implementation process where feasible.

The two organisations have also suggested a way forward for the required repairs to the gallery buildings. Do the mayor and the city support this?

The mayor reiterated the City’s leadership role in the gallery’s restoration. Key points include:

  • Budget commitment: The City has earmarked funds for the first phase of restoration work in the 2025/2026 financial year;

  • Engagement with private donors: Recognising the need for additional financial resources, the City is actively seeking partnerships with private donors and philanthropists to accelerate the restoration timeline; and

  • Phased approach: The City emphasised the importance of a structured, phased plan to ensure the restoration is comprehensive and sustainable.


The spokesperson said the City is committed to transparent communication and will provide updates once agreements with potential partners are finalised. While the City acknowledges the urgency, it maintains that careful planning is essential for the success of the restoration project. DM

The conversations were summarised for publication using Chat-GPT. They were checked before and after by an editor for accuracy. 

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