In a world eager to forget, Gallery F, an initiative of Gavin Furlonger, insists on remembering. Not remembering for nostalgia’s sake — but for reckoning, for clarity, for the kind of preservation that disturbs comfort and reanimates the breath of those flattened by history’s machinery. Through its stewardship of the works of photographers like Juhan Kuus, Gallery F isn’t simply displaying images. It’s curating testimonies. It’s keeping proof alive. Look at these photographs:
A soldier collapses into the dirt mud-ritual, the dust around him a visible trace of his humanity amidst uniformed precision. Behind him, a phalanx of men locked arm-in-arm, their raised legs forming a chorus of choreography and control. This is no casual gathering. It’s a disciplined, defiant claiming of space — a celebration under surveillance, a cultural code etched in movement and muscle. Then there’s the quiet, thunderous image of Nelson Mandela and Bill Clinton peeking through the bars of a Robben Island prison cell. The light falls on them as both men lean toward memory: one as a survivor of those walls, the other as a witness to their legacy. It’s not just a photograph; it’s a portrait of witnessing itself — the bars holding history hostage, even as the image breaks them open.
And then, a line of weary, blackened soldiers, their faces smeared in training paint or ash, their eyes sharp with an exhaustion that’s more than physical. Each helmet branded with a crude number, reducing personhood to inventory. Yet no image can entirely erase the individual. Look at the eyes. That’s what Juhan Kuus saw. That’s what Gallery F refuses to let fade.
What makes Gallery F’s work remarkable isn’t just the preservation of these photographs, but their insistence on context. Every image carries within it the politics of its making and its afterlife. The gallery’s archive is a battleground where official history is contested by visual evidence. The images aren’t passive artifacts — they are alive, challenging the present, confronting selective memory, and offering those erased from textbooks a voice through visual proof. In housing these images, Gallery F becomes more than a gallery. It becomes a keeper of contested memory, a caretaker for the marginalized gaze, a protector of human presence in spaces history tried to sterilize. In doing so, Gallery F honors not just the subjects of these images, but the impulse to remember defiantly — the impulse that says: We were here. We suffered. We danced. We fought. We dreamed. In this interview we had a long conversation with its founder, Gavin Furlonger, A specialist in photographic preservation and archival documentation, Gavin Furlonger founded The Photographic Archival And Preservation Association (PAPA-SA) and is a skilled and versatile photographer renowned for capturing stunning images that tell compelling stories.
Can you tell me how long Gallery F has been established, and what inspired its founding—what gap did it aim to fill in the South African photographic or broader artistic community at the time?
Gallery F was created as an opportunity to showcase the images that existed in a library of vintage prints that were part of the PAPA Collection. For some years I had been salvaging photographic work that had been abandoned or fast becoming endangered through neglect. Our first premises was at 222 Long Street in Cape Town and our launch Exhibition was Cloete Breytenbach’s ‘Spirit of District Six’ which gave great insight into a world that had disappeared forever.
Could you share your gallery’s mission statement and how it shapes the way you curate and represent photographic work—and where do you envision the gallery evolving in the next 2 to 5 years, especially in response to shifting artistic, technological, or cultural landscapes?
The foremost aim of Gallery F has always been to keep the awareness and importance of ANALOGUE Photography alive. To preserve socially relevant collections of photographers works that have made a significant contribution to SA history. However, we have recently included our focus towards the contemporary photo culture that is taking the world by storm. That, of course, is primarily digital work. We are also widening our scope to include the African Continent and hence our latest collaboration with Random Photo Journal led by Arinzechukwu Patrick. Ultimately we are aiming our sights on a Global Market and in particular the European scene.
In an age where both analogue and digital photographic works face distinct preservation challenges, how do you approach the long-term conservation of a photographer’s work—especially considering issues like digital obsolescence, archival standards, and the physical degradation of prints or negatives?
This is an almost impossible question to consider the right answer. Gallery F is, at this point, about keeping photography alive regardless of whether we talk about vintage analogue or digital, or even AI which is fast taking image making to an inconceivable level! Gallery F is a very small but increasingly powerful Archival Centre that takes each day a step at a time. You could call it a ‘labour of love’ that exist through an obsessive belief that the work of preserving our local Heritage through the eyes of the past is a must. It is our hope that in time we will gain much needed Corporate support to extend and modernise our facilities, but in the meantime we must push ahead and keep growing in our belief that what we do is of critical importance.
Is there a particular photographer or artist you represent whose work resonates deeply with you or the gallery’s vision—and what is it about their work or story that makes them especially meaningful to preserve and showcase?
We began with one very important collection of work that belonged to a local photographer named Ginger Odes. His career in Cape Town spanned over 50/60 years so as you can imagine the ex tent of his imagery was quite exceptional. That was nearly 20+ years ago and now we manage around as many as 20 photographer’s Collections of phenomenal works many of which can be seen on our site.
Are there any other galleries—past or present—that have influenced the curatorial philosophy or mission of Gallery F, and if so, which ones have been particularly inspiring or formative to your work?
The first Gallery in Cape Town to inspire me was Heidi Erdmann’s B/W in Radio House in Loop Street ( almost immediately over the road from where Gallery F is now ) and she is still very involved on the local photographic scene. In the mid eighties I moved back to London and became very aware of the Photographic Galleries there and in Paris! In particular Hamilton’s was an inspiration that never left me and they catered to such icon’s as Helmut Newton, David Bailey, Barry Lategan, Norman Parkinson and Cecil Beaton. It is that that inspired me to take up the quest to preserve our own National treasures.
What drew Gallery F to the West African photographic landscape, especially given its initial focus on South African work—was it a particular aesthetic, historical richness, or cultural narrative that shifted or expanded your curatorial direction?
The interest in West African photographer’s and photography was that over the years I had become aware of the work of such heroes as Seydou Keïta, Malick Sidibé, Rachidi Bissiriou, and Sanlé Sory and I sensed that this was only the tip of the iceberg. It was all very well knowing that there would be many more great photographers still undiscovered but it takes time and resources to pursue such ends. Only when meeting Rodney Patrick and learning about what he was doing through his Magazine, RPJ, did I see a real opportunity to research the possibilities of exploring unchartered waters.
After successfully introducing Random Photo Journal to Cape Town and making the strategic move to Amsterdam, what’s next for Gallery F—are there upcoming projects, collaborations, or expansions that you’re particularly excited about?
Having just got back from the London Photo Fair my enthusiasm fired up on overdrive there is so much happening here in Cape Town. Whilst in London I met with Jillian Edelstein who originated from Muizenberg and moved to London in the eighties and became absolutely prolific in her photographic work both professionally and in many of her own private projects. She has now joined us at Gallery which is a great honour. We also can announce that we were approached more recently by David Lurie & Jodi Beiber, both with exceptional profiles and achievements, who have now joined us…….we are also in conversation with our Gallerist in Amsterdam who are preparing for a Show in September with one of our photographers, Juhan Kuus. Also in September Heidi Erdman is launching a month long Photo Festival to honor our local Heritage and we will be preparing for an Exhibition to celebrate the occassion. We are also excited to be working with RPJ and promoting Rodney Patrick’s own brilliant photography and so we have much to look forward to.
