In this episode, Mark Read muses on a wide variety of subjects, from what palaeontology can teach us about art and humanity, to the role of galleries in a changing art ecosystem, and how the present is the most brilliant time to be alive in beautiful southern Africa.

Read, chairman of the Everard Read Group of Galleries, South Africa’s longest established dealers in fine art, has led a distinguished career in the art world, and uses his influence to support several philanthropic causes.

After a year at Christie’s Auctions & Private Sales in London, Read began his journey at the Everard Read Gallery in 1980, before becoming its director in 1994. Today he chairs the Everard Read Group of Galleries, which has offices in Johannesburg, Cape Town, Franschhoek and London. 

As well as heading this successful commercial venture, Read is deputy chairperson of WWF, a founding trustee of the Rhino and Elephant Foundation as well as the Paleontological Scientific Trust. He has also served as chair of the Ditsong Museums, which is the governing body of six major natural history and cultural museums in Gauteng, and is currently on the Board of the Turkana Basin Institute, which supports scientific research at Lake Turkana, Kenya.

Our country is evolving underneath our feet, and every morning when we get up, it's a subtly different country from the place that we went to sleep in. And this is why our artists have so much to say. Our country is a canvas that's endlessly changing and evolving. - Mark Read

Supplementary Reading Material

• Paleoanthropologist Lee Berger recently announced the discovery of what is being interpreted as graves or burials made by Homo naledi – a primitive species of human ancestry – deep in the underground chambers of the Rising Star cave system in South Africa.
• More on Mark Read
• More on Everard Read Gallery

A gallery is only as good as the artists who choose to associate with it. - Mark Read

About the Latitudes Podcast

About Refiloe Mpakanyane

Refiloe Mpakanyane is a broadcast journalist, with a penchant for the arts. Known for her love and support of local African literature, art and artists, Mpakanyane has an Honours Degree from the Wits School of Journalism and majored in International Relations, Media Studies and English Literature for her undergrad. Her firm grounding in the critical, analytical and creative thinking of the humanities discipline has underpinned her passion for broadcasting, leading her to delve into working not only behind the scenes in radio and television production, but in front of the camera and hosting her own radio shows as well.

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