Conference of the International Journal of Arts & Sciences, CD-ROM. ISSN: 1943-6114 :: 11(03):167–182 (2018) FRAMING THE GALLERY: CROSSING THE THRESHOLD IN THE SOUTH AFRICAN URBAN CONTEXT Wanda Verster University of the Free State, South Africa In the South African context, both the public art museum and commercial art gallery have retained a level of framed separation from the urban context. By drawing comparisons between international and local examples, and a direct comparison between two commercial galleries, Circa on Jellicoe in Johannesburg and Gallery on Leviseur in Bloemfontein, I argue for the value of the re-framing of the art gallery as a place within the city. I explore the concept of threshold between depiction and reality, interior and exterior, and exhibition space and city. Case study art galleries are read through the lens provided by depictions of urban settings and public sculptures. Edward Casey’s definition of boundary as pliable and porous, distinct from the restrictive edge of a border, further establishes the foundation. Both these definitions require consideration when viewing urban thresholds as it relates to museum interventions. This paper aims to address the porous border between an art institution and the environment in which it is placed, and the relevance of architecture in this regard. Keywords: Gallery, Threshold, framing, South Africa, Architecture. Art Museum and Gallery Spaces in South Africa The act of framing an image or work of art can be read in various ways. An image or work of art, can gain added significance due to its physical frame. However, in other instances, such as being framed by institutions, ideologies or narratives it can also gain different meanings. Works of art can also challenge their frames, in all the various forms. If we extend the metaphor, our art museums and galleries are not only a means of framing artworks, but also the image of the public art museum or private gallery as institutions. This image, in turn, is framed by its context. The context, on the other hand, is also then in turn framed and re-framed by the object, or in this case, the building, placed within it. This paper focuses on the building, or the architectural work, similar to an artwork, associated specifically with private commercial art galleries in South Africa. The border between the building, institution and its environment, is porous and linked to the design. This paper explores this relationship by referencing public art museums, but also through the comparison of two specific case studies. The Circa gallery in Johannesburg is compared and analysed in contrast to Gallery on Leviseur in Bloemfontein (fig 1). This is done through the lens of Edward Casey’s (2008) definitions of border and boundary, but also in reference to Bernard Cache (1995) and the concept of the frame. Casey (2004:146) clarifies why the understanding of edges is necessary when artworks and their settings are analysed: “Understanding edges in their inherent bivalency allows us to appreciate more fully certain features of artworks. One of these features is the frame that acts as an edge for every work of art. 167