Javett-UP Appoints Storm Janse van Rensburg as Interim Curatorial Director

The Javett Art Centre at the University of Pretoria (Javett-UP) is pleased to announce the appointment of Storm Janse van Rensburg as Interim Curatorial Director. The announcement was made by Acting CEO Jackie Rens during the opening of the centre’s latest exhibition, One and the Many, on the evening of 24 July 2025.

Janse van Rensburg is no stranger to the Javett-UP, having joined the institution as a guest curator in November 2024. He has since played a central role in conceptualising and installing the new exhibition. In his new role, Storm will serve as a key member of the Javett-UP executive team at a pivotal and dynamic moment in the growth of this young and ambitious institution.

When announcing the appointment, Rens praised Janse van Rensburg’s steward expertise and leadership he has already shown at the Javett-UP:  “ His insight, generosity, and collaborative spirit made a lasting impression—not only through his curatorial excellence but also through his engagement with our wider UP community. We quickly realised that Storm brings exactly the kind of energy and vision the Centre needs at this moment, and we are delighted he is staying on in a formal leadership capacity. With Storm’s leadership, we look forward to a dynamic new chapter of curatorial innovation and cross-disciplinary collaboration at the Javett-UP. ” 

His role involves a combination of strategic planning, leadership, and artistic expertise to shape and implement the organisation’s vision and strategy, whilst directing the Art Centre’s exhibitions, educational and public programming, and caring for its collections. He is responsible for leading both the conceptual and operational implementation of the programmes developed by the curatorial department and approved by the board of trustees. This role will work cross-departmentally and across disciplines, often in collaboration with the University, to ensure that all curatorial activities and projects are appropriately managed.

“It is a profound honor to continue my service at Javett-UP in this new capacity. I am excited about the future of the organisation, and the tremendous work it is doing in Tswane and Gauteng. I am grateful to Javett-UP and University of Pretoria colleagues who have welcomed me into the fold - and we are ready to write the next chapter of the organisation with much excitement,” commented Janse van Rensburg.

Janse van Rensburg is an independent curator, writer and editor of contemporary art who has worked in South African and international contexts for the past 25 years. He started his career at the Market Theatre Galleries, Johannesburg (1995-1999) and served as curator of the Kwazulu Natal Society of the Arts in Durban (2000-2006). He was a founding member of the Visual Arts Network of South Africa (VANSA) and senior curator at Goodman Gallery Cape Town (2007-2012).

He recently served as Senior Curator and Head of Curatorial Affairs at Zeitz MOCAA between 2019-2024, where he led a re-installation of the Zeitz MOCAA permanent collection, co-curated with the 2023 cohort of the Zeitz MOCAA & UWC Museum Fellowship, titled 'Sala' (2023).

He lived and worked in Berlin, Germany (2012-2015) as an independent curator and researcher. He was a fellow of the Academy for Advanced African Studies, University of Bayreuth, Germany (2013-2015). He served as head curator of exhibitions at the Savannah College of Art and Design Museum of Art, Savannah, U.S.A. (2015-2019), where he oversaw a robust exhibitions program of international exhibitions and programming.