Meet the collectors | Louis Norval

In 2018, Louis Norval, a South African property investor and art collector, founded the Norval Foundation in Cape Town to address a lack of political and economic support for the arts in South Africa. The non-profit occupies a 20,000-square-foot plot that includes a private museum, a nature reserve, and a sculpture park with works by Yinka Shonibare CBE, William Kentridge, and Nandipha Mntambo, among others. ‘Art has given me another perspective, and it’s given me the opportunity to understand that life is not one-dimensional,’ he says in this new episode of ‘Meet the Collectors’. ‘Art is part of life. Every day around us. I think it’s important that art becomes part of your fiber.’

Recognizing this transformative power, Norval endeavors to make art more accessible, especially to children. ‘A number of years ago, we opened the Learning Centre, focused on exposing children to art in a really beautiful environment.’ Quickly rising as a pivotal institution in the cultural landscape, the Norval Foundation has become a cornerstone of South Africa’s cultural scene.

Currently showing at the Norval Foundation are the exhibitions Walter Oltmann ‘Metamorphosis’ through August 14, 2024, Cinga Samson ‘Ukhe Nje Wasondela, Ndakuphosa Kulo Mlambo’ through September 1, 2024, and Alexis Preller ‘Mythical Lexicon’ through November 25, 2024. The exhibition ‘Groot Gat’ by Lady Skollie will open at the foundation on May 22.

The 2024 Norval Sovereign African Art Prize was awarded to Moroccan artist Amina Agueznay.