A person runs inside a dimly lit, textured cave with sandy ground and large rock formations. The atmosphere is adventurous and mysterious.

Roger Ballen Centre

Resume

Year

2026

Client

Inside Out Foundation

Project

Institution Building

Credits

Institution Roger Ballen Alan Hayward Garreth van Niekerk Joe van Rooyen Inside Out Centre Trust Wellington & Washington Nyanda Julie Sol Boris Eldagsen Thames & Hudson Jonathan Ball Publishers (local) Sharon Armstrong Aspasia Karras Dr Erica de Greef Ayabukwa Magocoba Binwe Adebayo Featured photographers Koto Bolofo Nontsikelelo Veleko Kristin-Lee Moolman Andile Buka Nadine Ijewere Aart Verrips Kevin Mackintosh and over 100 contributors Funders National Arts Council (NAC) Department of Sport, Arts and Culture (DSAC) Presidential Employment Stimulus Fund Institut Français South Africa Media partners Wanted Magazine Dead Radio

For the Roger Ballen Centre for Photography, we helped bring a brand-new cultural institution to life from the ground up. Our role included consulting on the centre’s positioning, brand identity, design approach, programming strategy and funding support, ensuring that the space had both a strong public voice and a clear cultural purpose. This work culminated in Fashion – The Image: African Photography in Focus, the centre’s first major public-facing exhibition programme, which activated the space through school visits, public talks, workshops, university engagements and opening events — helping establish the centre as a dynamic new platform for photography, education and contemporary African visual culture.

Input

Fashion – The Image: African Photography in Focus became the first major exhibition to fully activate the Roger Ballen Centre for Photography as a public cultural space. Built around a two-part format — a feature presentation of South African-born, Paris-based photographer Koto Bolofo, alongside a wider survey of South African fashion photography — the exhibition brought together designers, photographers, editors, students and cultural partners in a rich programme of public engagement. With support from partners including the NAC, IFAS, FNF and Wanted magazine, the project extended beyond the gallery through school and university visits, public lectures, walkabouts, workshops and a major opening event, positioning fashion photography as both a creative industry and an important lens through which to understand contemporary African visual culture.

Output

The project delivered a full public-facing exhibition campaign, from PR and communications strategy to the development of a clear visual and design language across social media, digital content and printed collateral. Key outputs included a major opening launch that brought together South Africa’s fashion, photography and cultural communities; a dedicated Wanted magazine supplement that extended the exhibition’s reach nationally; and a strong education programme made up of approximately 20 school and institutional tours, public talks, photography workshops and artist-led engagements. Together, these elements helped turn the exhibition into more than a gallery presentation — it became a live cultural platform that connected students, photographers, designers, editors, funders and the wider public around African fashion image-making.

Three people running in motion blur; one wears an orange jacket, others in blue. They convey speed and focus against a blurred forest background.

A person in a gray jacket zips up, standing confidently in a dense forest. Tall trees surround them, creating a serene and adventurous mood.

A person stands confidently on moss-covered rocks in a dimly lit cave, touching the rocky ceiling, conveying a sense of adventure and exploration.

"I founded the Roger Ballen Foundation almost 20 years ago to support local photographers, but the missing piece was always a venue. With this Centre, I hope to provide a platform for powerful photographic voices, both African and international, and to engage the public in a deeper reflection on image-making today."

Roger Ballen