Strauss & co - 9 December 2021, Cape Town

Foreword When I first embarked on the project that became Norval Foundation, more than a decade ago, I never imagined it would grow into something on the scale or ambition that it has. Instead, my initial intention was to build an intimate museum. Yet as I prepared for this project, visiting leading museums internationally, such as the Louisiana Museum of Modern Art in Denmark and the Beyeler Foundation in Switzerland, it struck me that South Africa deserved a world class museum that enriches our society. Visiting Louisiana and the Beyeler, as they’re colloquially known, demonstrated to Mareli and I the potential to add another layer to our society that would ultimately benefit the art community and the African public at large. A layer that could make art available to all people. Since opening in 1997, the Beyeler has become Switzerland’s leading museum in a context that doesn’t lack for museums, and Louisiana has followed a similar trajectory. And so, our intention changed quite substantially, from an intimate museum housing the Homestead Collection to the creation of a world class African museum with its primary focus on education and making art available to people of all ages. Since the Museum’s opening in April 2018 we have undertaken 23 exhibitions and two atrium commissions highlighted by successful exhibitions featuring William Kentridge, Zanele Muholi and, currently, Irma Stern. The role of the museum was again confirmed when I recently spoke with the contemporary painter Cinga Samson in his studio in Cape Town. Norval Foundation was established to assist artists like him in his ambition to create globally significant work that can hold its own in any museum or gallery. We wanted to create a space where Cinga’s work and the work of his many peers, both past and present, could be shared with the public in a way that is globally respected and relevant. We’re certainly not lacking for talent, as one now sees artists from across the continent not only succeeding but leading on the global stage, but they also deserve this recognition closer to home – and the private sector can make a valuable contribution to this vision. It’s important to say that Norval Foundation is not about showing the Homestead Collection. The museum’s team is free to make artistic decisions that they believe are relevant and I only advise them on management and fiscal issues. We are overseen by an independent board of trustees. Mareli and I have sought to create a museum that can flourish and grow, guided by professionals, and which contributes to this country and the African continent. I’m particularly proud of our work in arts education and the way that the institution is being shaped for the future, welcoming families and scholars alike. We’ve weathered a global pandemic that saw many arts organisations close, and we’re intent on emerging stronger from this experience. It’s in this context that I ask that you to join me in continuing to build Norval Foundation by showing your support and bidding generously on the lots that are on offer in the 2021 Norval Foundation Benefit Auction. Thank you to all of the artists, galleries, patrons and businesses that have made this possible as well as to Stonehage Fleming and Strauss & Co for the ongoing support, including as sponsors of this auction. Louis Norval Founder and Chairman Norval Foundation 9