NWU GALLERY NARRATES, EDUCATES, AND INSPIRES

Francois Wiid

@wiid.francois 

‘A picture tells a thousand words’ was the inspiration for the North-West University (NWU) Gallery’s first exhibition of 2022. “Mike Mzileni: The Photographical Archival Journey”, curated by Nkululeko Khumalo, and “Inganekwane”, curated by Teboho Ralesai, both debuted at the NWU on 12 February. Human rights and matters of personal experience were the themes narrating South Africa’s recent history. 

The travelling exhibition of Mike Mzileni, established photojournalist, is currently being displayed in the NWU Botanical Garden Art Gallery. This exhibition consists of his work from the early 1970s up to 2000. His achievements in photographing historical moments have earned him a respectable reputation in South African art circles.

Mzileni’s work highlights the fight for democracy, including the joys and hardships of challenging circumstances. However, Khumalo explains that even though the art deals with the painful history of black people, it was not all bad. “We made the best of each situation we were placed in, and Mzileni portrays this in his photography,” she explains.

His daughter, Nande Mzileni, was overwhelmed by the exhibition. “This is a legacy that will carry on, not only to us but to our children,” she says. Her father was discharged from hospital the night before the exhibition and could not attend.

To Khumalo, this is also a personal project, due to her father’s friendship with Mzileni. She emphasises that these exhibitions are important because the youth’s education is a product of how these stories are told. However, it is just as important to Khumalo for people to acknowledge Mzileni’s true artistry. “Yes, you are influenced by where you come from, but we need to address the actual art itself,” she explains. 

“Inganekwane”, the group exhibition in the NWU Main Gallery, displayed vibrant photographs depicting the personal and community-driven memories of transitional violence on the well-known Khumalo street. Ralesai’s exhibition links these threatening themes to the tradition of “Inganekwane”, the Zulu word for fable. “In this exhibition, we tried to use orality as a way of archiving history,” shares Ralesai. 

This exhibition was part of the Of Soul and Joy Project, a project based in Thokoza, a township in Johannesburg, where experts develop photographic skills in children from gr. 8-12 to eventually give them exhibition opportunities. Ralesai was invited as a guest curator to compile this collection. “To me, it was important to create a collective narrative of our understanding to go beyond suppressing these memories.”

Both thought-provoking exhibitions will be open until 21 March in the NWU Main Gallery and Botanical Garden Art Gallery.