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Unbound Cities: Norval Foundation Hosts - We, the People: 30 Years of Democracy in South Africa, Exhibition Curated by Liese van der Watt

Liese van der Watt

February 23, 2025
10:00 – 11:00 AM
Norval Foundation
Steenberg Road 4, 7945, Cape Town, South Africa

We, the People: 30 Years of Democracy in South Africa curated by Liese van der Watt and assisted by Carmen Joubert, is the only large-scale exhibition in the country focusing on South Africa’s democratic journey.

 

This exhibition started with the idea that democracy is a verb, not a possession. It’s not something we own, but something we actively do. In order to create a future that is both stable, democracy demands our constant participation. It calls us to step beyond the confines of our individual identities—whether defined by religion, culture, or ethnicity—and engage with one another. It challenges us to find shared values, build connections, take responsibility, and work together to shape a collective future.

 

In line with this belief that democracy requires action, the artworks in this exhibition have been selected for their dynamic engagement with our democratic journey. Each piece offers a unique perspective on the past three decades, shining a light on, questioning, challenging, or celebrating our ongoing experience of democracy, all ideas which will be expanded upon in this walkabout.

 

Drawing inspiration from visual theorist Nicholas Mirzoeff’s ideas on countervisuality, the exhibition also aims to confront the dominant, silencing visual narratives that were integral to the apartheid era.

 

In essence, the exhibition’s call to countervisuality promotes a gaze that disrupts, questions, and resists. It asserts the “right to look,” a concept explained by Mirzoeff as “not about seeing...[but] begins at a personal level with the look into someone else’s eyes to express friendship, solidarity, or love. That look must be mutual, each person inventing the other, or it fails.”

Carmen Joubert, Assistant Curator at Norval Foundation will be leading this walkabout and welcoming open discussions for all on 23 February.

 


 

Situated in the Tokai region of Cape Town, the Norval Foundation stands as a testament to the rich tapestry of modern and contemporary art from the African continent and its diaspora.

 

With galleries and an ever-evolving exhibition programme, this distinguished art museum serves as a vibrant nexus for showcasing a dynamic array of artworks, encompassing painting, photography, sculpture, and media art, both historical and contemporary.

 

The outdoor sculpture garden, nestled amongst the indigenous wetland’s flora and fauna, provides an enchanting environment for visitors to interact with monumental outdoor sculptures in the permanent collection.

Location

Norval Foundation

address
Steenberg Road 4, 7945, Cape Town, South Africa