s far as farmhouses go,
there surely can’t be
many that boast two
art galleries among
their basic amenities.
But in the Limpopo home of Jaco Roux and
Menno Venter – an artist and a gallerist
- these spaces are, quite simply, essential.
Practically, the pair have amassed one of the
country’s largest collections of contemporary
African art, and their house has gradually
evolved to display more and more of these
works. But more indulgently, Jaco says, ‘When
you have the space, and no kids, why not build
an art gallery just for the two of you?’
Located at the end of a dirt road winding
through 500 hectares of banana plantations on
one side, and macadamia and pecan trees on the
other, the unassuming homestead welcomes you
to its door with one of Deborah Bell’s towering
bronze sentinels. The extraordinary work from
the artist’s most recent exhibition at Everard
Read Gallery in Johannesburg looks out over
a sculpture garden of other familiar pieces.