Redefining African Heritage
creativity + heritage
A42 is a new pan-African brand founded by the not-for-profit Institute for Creative Repair. We work with young artists, designers, makers, storytellers, filmmakers, technologists and more, to transform small museums, heritage sites, cultural villages and artist-run-centres into regenerative creative destinations.
stay for the culture
Our micro-heritage resarts are a unique way to experience the heritage, culture and ecology of some of the most unforgettable spots in Africa. Each A42 resart consists of an immersive heritage experience, themed accommodation, African wellness centre, workshops, events and more.
an open member’s club
Members of A42 invest in the conservation of our African heritages, our creative communities and our vision for the future. As a member, you gain points and benefits, redeemable at any of our resarts across Africa.
sustain African heritage places and practices
Our commercial activities help to support our work in heritage documentation, conservation, programs and exhibitions.
founder’s story
Ngaire Blankenberg is a South African curator, writer, and cultural leader. Named by the Observer as one of the most influential people in the art world in 2023, she is the founding director of the Institute for Creative Repair and the A42 Group.
Blankenberg is widely recognised for her work in reimagining museums as sites of social engagement, emotional repair, and living heritage. Her work consistently challenges extractive and exclusionary models of heritage, advocating instead for relevant, collaborative, and generative cultural institutions.
As an internationally recognised ‘museum doctor’, Blankenberg has advised more than 58 cultural projects in 35 cities on 5 continents on all aspects of museological practice. She is co-editor, with Gail Lord, of Cities, Museums and Soft Power (AAM Press 2015) and of the Manual of Digital Museum Planning, (Rowman and Littlefield 2017, with Ali Hossaini). In 2022 she was appointed the director of the Smithsonian National Museum of African Art, where she led the Smithsonian’s efforts to return the ‘Benin Bronzes’ in its collections back to Nigeria.
Contact us
hello@cre8tiverepair.com
Johannesburg, South Africa, 2193