“Timelines”
Live now: August – November 2026.
Faces of memory. Voices of today. Visions of tomorrow.
Timelines brings together six contemporary African artists whose practices span generations, disciplines, and lived experiences. Together, their works explore how memory, identity, resilience, and imagination shape both individual lives and collective histories.
Rather than viewing time as a linear progression, Timelines considers it a living continuum where the past informs the present and the future is continually imagined. Portraits return our gaze with African stories carried across generations. Figures embody moments of transformation and perseverance. Sculptural forms inspired by roots, fungi, and organic systems remind us that beneath every visible life exists an intricate network of connection, renewal, and regeneration.
Many of the artists represented have developed their practices over decades, while others are emerging voices whose work is helping redefine contemporary African art on the international stage. Together they demonstrate that artistic practice is less a destination than an enduring journey — one built through curiosity, discipline, and continual evolution.
Presented as the annual collaboration between Martin Art Projects and ROAM Gallery, Timelines celebrates artistic dialogue across continents while introducing audiences to some of the most compelling voices shaping African contemporary art today.
Curated by Igsaan Martin
Igsaan Martin is a Cape Town–based curator, art advisor, and specialist in contemporary African art with nearly two decades of experience working with artists, galleries, institutions, collectors, and artist estates across Africa and internationally.
Formerly Director of Gallery MOMO and Associate Director of Brundyn+ in Cape Town, Martin has worked with acclaimed artists including Mary Sibande, Ayana V. Jackson, and Mohau Modisakeng, as well as the estates of important twentieth-century South African artists including George Pemba, George Hallett, and Durant Sihlali. His work has helped advance artists such as Salah Elmur, Maurice Mbikayi, and Stephané Conradie into significant museum and private collections.
His international experience includes presenting and curating at major art fairs and platforms in Basel, London, Milan, New York, Chicago, Lisbon, Miami, Cape Town, and Johannesburg. He has also served on the board of Greatmore Studios and contributed to mentorship initiatives supporting emerging artists in Cape Town.
Through Martin Projects, his independent curatorial platform, Martin develops exhibitions, residencies, art fair presentations, and collaborations that expand opportunities and international visibility for artists from Africa.
Martin works closely with ROAM Gallery and founder Xtina Parks to develop exhibitions and curatorial initiatives that bring contemporary African artists into dialogue with new audiences in the United States. Their collaboration reflects a shared commitment to presenting African art through the distinct voices, experiences, and evolving practices of the artists themselves.
For Timelines, Martin brings together artists at different stages of their careers, exploring how artistic practices move between memory, lived experience, and what lies ahead.
