VENUE: DEMOCRACY
Workshop | Date: 28 March 2026 | Time: 13h00 | Presented by: NUMXN
Open Calls, Artists and Creative Memory in African Digital Archives
Artists’ rights and agency in digital ecosystems
This workshop explores how African artists’ labour, rights and creative agency are negotiated within digital ecosystems, particularly open calls, online journals and archival platforms. Using case studies from African-led digital initiatives (including Numen of Story), the session examines how artists engage with opportunities, navigate institutional expectations and protect their intellectual and moral rights. without reinforcing extractive or exclusionary systems.
NUMXN is a youth-led non-profit addressing the inequitable access to arts education and creative opportunities. We drive innovation in South Africa’s creative industries, contributing to education, advocacy, and local economies through art-inspired initiatives. Our vision is to build a vibrant cultural ecosystem where South African art thrives globally, fostering collaboration and sustainability through education and community investment.
Bonolo Mokoena
Bonolo Mokoena is the co-founder and creative director of NUMXN and vice-editor of the Numen of Story online journal. Her work focuses on the intersection of creativity and strategy, shaping narratives that amplify voices in the arts, humanities, and beyond. She works to challenge conventional structures, foster critical discourse, and build platforms that empower future generations of creatives.
Gomolemo Tau
Gomolemo Tau is a Johannesburg-based intellectual property attorney who works closely with creatives, entrepreneurs, and growing brands. She helps artists protect their work, structure collaborations, and turn creativity into sustainable income, with expertise in copyright, trademarks, licensing, and commercial IP strategy. She is passionate about making intellectual property practical and accessible for creators.
Oratile Mosimanekgosi
Oratile Mosimanekgosi is a South African writer and visual artist based in Johannesburg. She holds an Honours degree in Visual Art from the University of Johannesburg, and her research focuses on institutional accountability and care within the art industry. She currently serves as Secretary of the board at VANSA, advocating for sustainability, accountability, and responsive cultural programming.
Ngaire Blankenberg
Ngaire Blankenberg is the founding director of Institute for Creative Repair and Creative Repair Studio, two cultural start-ups focused on redefining African heritage by transforming small museums across Africa into creative destinations for a new generation. She previously served as Director of the Smithsonian National Museum of African Art and has advised cultural projects across 35 cities on 5 continents. She is also co-editor of Cities, Museums and Soft Power and Manual of Digital Museum Planning.
Renee Eisen-Khonat
Renee Eisen-Khonat is the owner-director of ReCurate (Pty) Ltd., an art consultancy and independent curatorial practice. With more than 20 years of experience across Botswana’s creative industries, she has worked as an artist, gallerist, teacher, trainer, facilitator, arts advocate, and independent curator. Her work is rooted in supporting artists’ careers and strengthening Botswana’s art market more broadly.
