August House

August House is an industrial building in Johannesburg which dates back to the Nineteen-Forties. In its design a great deal of attention was paid to style and eclectic details. Accordingly the building features flowing, curved stairways and massive, grooved columns in the art deco style.

Located at the eastern end of Johannesburg's inner city, on the fringe of the former Fashion District and close to the Ellis Park stadium complex where the World Cup will be staged in 2010, it is well away from the city's main traffic arteries.

August House is managed by the culture manager and artist Bié Venter together with Dorothee Kreuzberg, also an artist, and since August 2006 it has developed into a major cultural forum in the Doornfontein area. The tenants are sixteen artists and studios and form a lively community. August House is also home to a manufacturing company, as well as a residence for international artists operated by the Joubert Park Project, a local group of creative individuals, and a number of caretakers.

The Joubert Park Project is an attempt at artistic intervention in the most difficult district in Johannesburg. The area is home to many recently arrived migrants from countries to the north who, although they may not stay for very long, determine the character of the area. August House was developed in connection with the Joubert project with the aim of providing temporary accommodation for artists who wish to be artistically creative in these challenging surroundings.

In addition the lower floor of the house contains an art gallery. The «Seippel Gallery» was initially opened in Cologne in 1993 and has been active in South Africa since 1997. At August House the gallery has already curated non-commercial exhibitions while organising artistic and cultural seminars, artists-in-residence and exchange programmes for artists. Apart from southern African art, international contemporary artists are also exhibited.