Team

Director: John Fleetwood
johnf@phototool.co.za

John Fleetwood (b. 1970, Johannesburg) is a photography curator and educator, and director of Photo:. Since Oct ‘21, he is the co-Head of BA Photography at the Royal Academy of Art, The Hague (KABK).

From 2002-2015 Fleetwood was the Director of the Market Photo Workshop, a school, gallery and project space in Johannesburg.

Fleetwood has curated numerous exhibitions including recently ‘Concurrent’, Aarhus, Denmark, 2021, ‘Five Photographers: A tribute to David Goldblatt’ (Johannesburg, Maputo, Durban, Bamako et al.; 2018-2019); ‘Of Traps and Tropes’ (Kerkennah, Tunisia; 2018); ‘A Return to Elsewhere’ (Johannesburg, Brighton Photo Biennale; 2014); ‘Transition’ (Johannesburg, Arles; 2012-2013). In 2017, he was guest editor for Aperture’s ‘Platform Africa’ edition.

As educator and strategist, through Photo:, he has facilitated, organised and supported a range of different education interventions, activities and organisations. He convenes the Ernest Cole Award, an award programme for South African photographers. Fleetwood works closely with the Centres of Learning for Photography in Africa and other institutions of education.

Fleetwood acts in various capacities in several projects including:

Hasselblad Award, Jury Chair ’24 ‘25

Foam Paul Huf Award, Jury Chair ‘24

CAP Prize, Contemporary African Photography, Jury Member since 2014

Pride Photo Award, 2016, Jury Chair 2018

Eugene Smith Fund, NYC, Board Member

 World Press Photo Foundation, Amsterdam, Chair of the International Advisory Board.

Coordinator: Nkhensani Mkhari
coordinator@phototool.co.za Nkhensani Mkhari (b.1994, Pretoria) is a curator, cultural producer, and researcher based in South Africa. Their practice spans across digital innovation, contemporary art, and cultural production, with a particular focus on photography, time-based and performance art mediums.

From 2019-2021, Mkhari served as curator and designer at BKhz Gallery in Johannesburg, where they led significant rebranding initiatives and developed engaging para-curatorial programmes. They later held positions as Special Projects Curator at Latitudes Online and Assistant Curator at A4 Arts in Cape Town.

Mkhari has curated numerous exhibitions including "RMB Latitudes Art Fair" (Johannesburg, 2023), "Model" (A4 Arts Foundation, Cape Town, 2022), "Misava" (Overkill Festival, Netherlands; Afropixel Festival, Senegal, 2021), and "Metamorphosis" (BKhz Gallery, Johannesburg, 2019).

Their academic background includes studies at The New Centre for Research and Practice in Art and Curatorial Practice, and Film Arts at Open Window Creative Institution.

Their work as a cultural consultant extends to major international institutions including Documenta (Kassel), Berlin Biennale, and SWATCH (Zürich).

Mkhari has received several recognitions including: Overkill Festival Curatorial Commission (Netherlands, 2021) A4 Curatorial Connective (South Africa, 2021) Fak'ugesi Festival Curatorial Commission (South Africa, 2020) Akademie Schloss Solitude Fellowship (Germany, 2020)