Botswana’s Ora Loapi will represent the nation in a landmark panAfrican contemporary art exhibition hosted by the Latitudes Centre for the Arts (LCA) during the G20 Summit period in South Africa. As the sole participating platform from Botswana, Ora Loapi will showcase new and recent works by acclaimed artists Pako Lesejane (photography) and Totang Motoloki (painting), underscoring Botswana’s growing cultural footprint on the global stage.
Hosted against the backdrop of the first G20 Summit to be held on African soil, the exhibition positions art as a decisive voice in global conversations about representation, power, and African agency. Curated by Boitumelo Makousu and Denzo Nyathi, the project resists expectations that any single country or institution can “speak” for Africa; instead, it uplifts a plurality of voices, practices, and lived realities.
“Our participation is not simply about being present; it is about asserting Botswana’s artistic sovereignty within a global conversation that too often homogenizes African voices,” said Nkululeko Sebakeng, Project Manager at Ora Loapi. “Pako Lesejane and Totang Motoloki draw from deeply rooted Botswana narratives, yet articulate them in ways that are radically contemporary, unbounded, and unapologetically individual. This exhibition gives them, and Botswana, the space to exist on their own terms, not as proxies for an entire continent.”
Lerato Motshwarakgole, Director of Ora Loapi, added: “This moment reflects our longterm commitment to building international pathways for Botswana’s artists. We’re proud to collaborate with Latitudes Centre for the Arts and peer institutions across the continent to platform the depth, rigor, and ambition shaping Botswana’s creative economy.”
Exhibition Focus
Rather than presenting Africa as a monolith, the exhibition foregrounds subjectivity, fragmentation, and multiplicity. Artists speak from personal vantage points, producing a transcontinental mosaic that is both historically grounded and forwardlooking. The result is an exhibition that is rigorously curated yet deliberately open in scope, inviting audiences to engage with the variety and vitality of contemporary African art on its own terms.
Participating Organisations
- Ora Loapi (Botswana)
- TewasArt and Patrons (Kenya)
- The Spaces Ethiopia (Ethiopia)
- The Project Room Namibia (Namibia)
- Picha x Still Art Residency (DRC / South Africa / USA)
- Modzi Gallery (Zambia)
- Rangi Gallery (Tanzania)
- 16/16 (Nigeria)
- First Floor Gallery (Zimbabwe)
- Logan Mokon (Cameroon)
Ora Loapi Artists Representing Botswana
- Pako Lesejane — Photography
- Totang Motoloki — Painting
About Ora Loapi
Ora Loapi is a Botswanabased curatorial and culturalstrategy platform dedicated to advancing African artistic agency, building archival futures, and expanding the visibility of Botswana’s creative economy through strategic partnerships, researchdriven exhibitionmaking, and global cultural diplomacy.
Press Contact
Ora Loapi Communications Office
Email: lerato@oraloapi.com
Phone: +26776053366
