For the first time in its 14th edition, Investec Cape Town Art Fair expands its educational mission and opens its platform to academic institutions through Hands-on.

With a curated presentation situated within the Connect section of the fair, the project creates a dedicated framework for students and research-driven artistic practices to engage directly with professional contemporary art networks.

Central to the initiative is a curatorial methodology that emphasises the visibility of the research, conceptual development, and working processes that inform artistic practice. In doing so, the project cultivates deeper engagement with artistic inquiry, fostering more informed approaches to the collecting of contemporary art and affirming the role of academic institutions as pioneers in fostering a new dialogue between academic research and the contemporary art industry.