Investec Cape Town Art Fair Honours Barcelona Artist Agnes Essonti Luque

At this year’s Investec Cape Town Art Fair, Barcelona-based Cameroonian artist Agnes Essonti Luque was awarded the prestigious Tomorrows/Today Prize. Recognised as one of South Africa’s most esteemed visual art accolades for emerging and under-represented artists, this distinguished prize celebrates Essonti’s’ promising artistic journey. It honours the captivating nature of her current body of work and its potential to make a lasting impact in the future.

Essonti Luque, represented by The Over (Barcelona), was selected by an international jury, which included Wim Pijbes, Netherlands (Art Historian), Azu Nwagbogu, Nigeria (Curator) and Gabriel Virgilio Luciani, United States of America (Curator). 

Through photography, video, assemblage and performance, Essonti Luque delves into the domestic sphere, exploring the kitchen and the rituals surrounding the preparation and consumption of food. This work extends her contribution to the 2023 Venice Architecture Biennale.

“The 12 finalists were all incredibly strong, which made it a very difficult task for the jury to select the winning artist,” says Nwagbogu. “The jury felt the winning artist’s work embodied a sense of community, vernacular and experimental elements, as well as a diversity of form and media, which allowed us to envision it as a cohesive work. We believe that food is a significant part of our culture and art, yet it’s often not discussed enough. Agnes was able to manifest this concept in a beautiful and subliminal way.”

This is the third time that Spanish curator Dr Mariella Franzoni has curated the section, which is dedicated to the leading names of the future.  According to Dr Franzoni, Tomorrows/Today is a platform for amplifying the voices, ideas and themes already emerging among up-and-coming artists. “Looking at what emerging artists are doing today offers us a glimpse into the practices, themes and modes of working that will define the future art scene,” says Dr Franzoni.  

The twelve artists invited to exhibit in this year’s Tomorrows/Today section represented a diverse range of contemporary practices that reflected current global art trends rooted in identity, socio-political commentary and cultural exchange.   They are Joy Adeboye (Nigeria, 1998), Asma Ben Aissa (Tunisia, 1992), Soukaina Joual (Marocco, 1990), Mareli Lal (South Africa, 1985), Warren Maroon (South Africa, 1985) Georgina Maxim (Zimbabwe, 1980), Mulambo (Brazil, 1995), Anthony Ngoya (France, 1995), Thando Phenyane (South Africa, 1997), Mankebe Seakgoe (South Africa, 1998), Zhenlin Zhang (China, 1998) and Essonti Luque  (Spain, 1996).

An added highlight for the Tomorrows/Today winner is a cash prize of R80 000, sponsored by Fiera Milano Exhibitions Africa. Previous winners of the prize include Boemo Diale (2024, Kalashnikovv Gallery), Talia Ramkilawan (2023, BKhz) and Michaela Younge (2022, SMAC Gallery). 

Honouring Excellence: Two More Artist Awards Announced

Two additional prizes awarded at Investec Cape Town Art Fair 2025 were the RDC Acquisition Prize, which was awarded to Ibrahim Khatab, represented by Electric Contemporary (South Africa), and the inaugural Investec Emerging Artist Award, which was awarded to Ben Stanwix and Xhanti Zwelendaba.  

The RDC Art Collection Prize is awarded to an artist who aligns with the property group’s values and goals, offering them a platform to be exhibited in a prominent landmark building in their portfolio. 

The Investec Emerging Artist Award was presented to Stanwix and Zwelendaba for their collaborative piece titled Thaba Nchu, a 2m x 4m textile-based reinterpretation of archival images.  This award aims to support emerging artists on the global stage by honouring homegrown, world-class South African artists working in any medium who have yet to be affiliated with an institution, museum or collection.

The jury panel for the award included Cumesh Moddliar (Investec CEO), Itu Merafe (Head of Investec Private Bank) and James Cook (Investec ICIB and sculptor).

“At Investec Cape Town Art Fair, we are dedicated to fostering innovation and providing a platform for emerging artists to thrive,” says Laura Vincenti, Director of Investec Cape Town Art Fair. “These prizes are a significant recognition of artistic talent, and we are thrilled to see these artists’ work receive the attention they deserve. It’s an honour to support artists who are shaping the future of contemporary art.”

Investec Cape Town Art Fair remains the largest contemporary art fair on the African continent.  The 2025 edition of the fair featured 30 first-time exhibitors, the largest group of new galleries in the event’s history.