Johannesburg’s art scene is entering a new era with the launch of the Roger Ballen Centre for Photography, opening its doors on 3 September 2025 in Forest Town.
The Centre, founded by internationally renowned photographer Roger Ballen and designed by award-winning architect Joe van Rooyen, is one of the first spaces on the continent dedicated solely to photography.
The debut exhibition, PSYCHOPOMP!, sets the tone for the Centre’s vision: thought-provoking, boundary-pushing, and globally connected.
Curated by Berlin-based artist and theorist Boris Eldagsen, the show brings together over 20 international and South African artists exploring AI as a tool for psychological and creative inquiry.
PSYCHOPOMP! – Confronting the Future of the Image
Eldagsen is known worldwide for sparking debate when he declined the 2023 Sony World Photography Award for his AI-generated image. He curates a show that positions AI not as a gimmick, but as a mirror into the subconscious. Drawing on Jungian psychology, the exhibition confronts “the shadow”: those hidden aspects of the self that are often denied or repressed.
Featured artists include Arminda da Silva (South Africa), Ian Haig (Australia), Rosemberg (Spain), Infrarouge (France), and Crudguts (Brazil). Together, their works blur the line between photography, AI, and surrealist dreamscapes — opening up unsettling but vital conversations about creativity, ethics, and identity.
“The artists in PSYCHOPOMP! don’t ask AI for answers. They use it to interrogate fears, shame, and psychic leftovers. What you see is what the machine sees in them and, maybe, in you too.” – Boris Eldagsen, Curator
Ballen himself underscores the urgency of starting with this theme:
“AI is transforming photography and many other fields, raising urgent creative and ethical questions. That’s why we’re launching with this show, to confront these issues head-on and set a tone of relevance and reflection from the start.”
Beyond the Exhibition: A New Centre for a Changing Medium
The Roger Ballen Centre is part of the Inside Out Foundation, a non-profit dedicated to cultural and educational projects in South Africa. With three galleries and a dedicated photographic bookstore, the Centre creates space for exhibitions, critical discourse, and public engagement around image-making, from archives to the avant-garde.
It stands alongside the Foundation’s sister institution, the Inside Out Centre for the Arts, extending the mission to grow new audiences for the visual arts and to place Johannesburg firmly on the global photography map.
“Art is not just expression, it’s a mirror to the times. This Centre exists to ask questions, raise standards, and spark deeper reflection on photography in South Africa and beyond.” – Roger Ballen
Opening Week Programme
The Centre opens to the public on Wednesday, 3 September 2025 with a full programme of lectures and talks by curator Boris Eldagsen, including discussions on AI, creativity, and ethics in art. A public artist walkabout takes place on Saturday, 6 September, with free admission that day.
Public Opening Hours:
- Monday–Friday: 10:00–16:00
- Saturday: 09:00–12:00
Admission: R50 general entry | R150 combined ticket with Inside Out Centre for the Arts
Coming Next: October 2025
The Centre’s second exhibition opens on 20 October 2025, coinciding with the International Association of Genocide Scholars Conference. It will spotlight global photographic responses to genocide and historical trauma, featuring artists Marcelo Brodsky, Linda Paganelli, and Amy Fagin, alongside the debut of Roger Ballen’s latest colour work from his new monograph Spirits and Spaces, curated by Marguerite Rossouw.
Where do I find it?
Roger Ballen Centre for Photography
📍 2 Duncombe Road, Forest Town, Johannesburg
🌐 insideoutfoundation.co.za | @rogerballencentre
