The Nelson Mandela Bay creative scene is coming together to celebrate and reflect on the profound impact of late Eastern Cape artists in a powerful new exhibition titled a moment of silence.
Opening on today, 30 April 2025 at the Bird Street Art Gallery, this exhibition is a collaborative effort between the Department of Visual Art at Nelson Mandela University, EPSAC/ArtEC, and the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan Art Museum. It brings together a deeply personal collection of works that honour artists who have helped shape the Eastern Cape’s unique and vibrant visual arts identity.
a moment of silence is more than an art show — it’s a communal act of remembrance. ArtEC members were invited to contribute works that engage in a collective homage to the influential figures whose creative voices once echoed through local galleries, studios, and community spaces. These are the mentors, pioneers, and visionaries who shaped a regional legacy that still inspires today’s generation of artists.
A special feature of the exhibition includes selected pieces from the @nmmartmuseum collection, creating a powerful dialogue between past and present. Participating artists were encouraged to reflect not only on the legacy of those who came before but also on the quieter, introspective moments within their own creative journeys — those still spaces where memory, inspiration, and artistry converge.
The result is a poignant celebration of influence and continuity, acknowledging the silence left in the wake of these artists’ absence, while highlighting how their spirit lives on through brushstrokes, textures, and ideas carried forward.
(picture from previous exhibition
(picture from previous exhibition)
Exhibition Details
Opening Night
Bird Street Art Gallery, Nelson Mandela University
Wednesday, 30 April 2025
17:30 for 18:00
20 Bird Street, Central, Gqeberha
Exhibition Dates
5 May – 12 June 2025
Weekdays, 09:00 – 16:00
For more information
media@artec.org.za
gallery@mandela.ac.za
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