The exhibition land/lines at Nelson Mandela University’s Bird Street Gallery, curated by Jonathan Van der Walt and Uthando Baduza, explores the colonial histories of Makhanda and Gqeberha during the National Arts Festival.
Highlighting the Eastern Cape’s historical, geographical, cultural, and spiritual significance, it features 42 artworks from 26 artists across Bird Street Gallery in Gqeberha and Atherstone Gallery in Makhanda. Art forms include painting, photography, textile art, video, and sculpture, each accompanied by QR codes for additional insights.
Van der Walt and Baduza aimed to create a dialogue between the two colonial sites, emphasizing the region’s cultural conflict and history of dispossession and resistance. The exhibition also commemorates the anniversaries of Rhodes University’s 120th, the National Arts Festival’s 50th, and South Africa’s 30 years of democracy.
Notable contributions include Cedric Nunn’s photographs of historical sites and a collective piece by Nomalanga Mkhize, Nii Botchway, Raquel Adriaan, Melathisi Ncityana, and Palesa Moss. Other featured artists include Christine Dixie, Sikhumbuzo Makandula, Andrieta Wentzel, Philiswa Lila, Tim Hopwood, and Bretten-Anne Moolman.
Van der Walt and Baduza hope land/lines will extend beyond the National Arts Festival and be shown in other South African spaces. The exhibition runs until June 30, with curator walkabouts on June 29 in both Gqeberha and Makhanda.
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Further information, and tickets for the walkabouts, from: https://tickets.nationalartsfestival.co.za/en/events/342/landlines#
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