The mobilities of visual artists: the case of South Africa

Creative industries and talent have traditionally clustered in a handful of global cities. Yet, recent developments, including digital technologies and the COVID-19 pandemic are reshaping these spatial dynamics. Drawing on 30 interviews, this paper considers the mobilities of visual artists in South Africa and whether they need to locate in the established centres to realise their ambitions. It explores how these entrepreneurs choose a ‘home base’ for their operations and how they mobilise three forms of mobility: 1) temporary mobility, which entails physically attending exhibitions and residencies, 2) mediated mobility, which involves working with intermediaries to create a presence in key markets remotely, and 3) virtual mobility, which harnesses the internet and social media to promote and sell products in local, national and global markets. The paper argues that although surviving in the marketplace is difficult, being permanently located in big cities, like Cape Town or Johannesburg, is not essential. It contributes to existing conceptualisations of mobilities by considering how they are practised and negotiated by individuals, with different circumstances, who operate within specific and challenging contexts. The paper demonstrates that there is no single approach for visual artists who instead flexibly adjust three key dimensions of mobility (time, space and modes of interaction) to overcome barriers and accommodate their needs and preferences. It also advances our understanding of creative labour, including the locational choices of creative workers and the strategies they use to overcome the challenges associated with global competition and the do-it-yourself (D.I.Y.) model.