North Gallery

The Glass Safari Exhibition 25 July to 15 August 2026

The Glass Safari 2026 exhibition exhibition brings together works that trace the breadth of contemporary glass art in Southern Africa and beyond: pieces by leading South African glass artists, works by the international artists who joined Glass Safari 2026, and new work created during the Biennale’s three project weeks in Pretoria and at Ngwenya in eSwatini.  A collective display of Graal works, a glass-jewellery showcase curated by Melanie Dawson and a presentation of student work completes the show.  

South Africa’s leading glass artists are all exhibiting.  A highlight of the exhibition is a collective display of Graal works created during Smelt Sessions with David Reade.  Graal is an intricate, multi-stage glassblowing technique and these collaborative pieces represent the hands of artists, makers and students working side-by-side.

This exhibition brings three generations of glass into one room — the past, in the work of David Reade, a pioneer of South African studio glass; the present in today’s practising artists and lecturers; and the future in student work shown publicly for the first time.

The exhibition is curated by Caitlin Greenberg, Lothar Böttcher, Martli Jansen van Rensburg and Melanie Dawson.