Exposing the gender rules that need to be recast
In her new exhibition, Jenny Nijenhuis’ consistent wrestling to understand the origins of violence has led her to highlight the devastating damage of gendered messaging for children.
Stories by: Ufrieda Ho
Wits Art Museum focuses on a year of women
Representivity, inclusivity and accessibility can’t be tick-box exercises if the world of art and museums has any hope of actual transformation and sustained relevance.
The impact of Charlotte Maxeke’s delayed opening
Ten months after a fire caused significant damage to the Johannesburg hospital, the government has hit the reset button on repairs, leaving the staff and their patients at a loose end.
The human side of Joburg’s mosaic master
Andrew Lindsay was widely known for his mosaics and murals, but he’ll be best remembered for making art and heart matter in a city that can be as hard as stone.
Behind the cataract surgery backlog in Gauteng
Thousands of cataract patients in the province are waiting up to two years to receive the simple but life-changing surgery.
Chicago activists who never gave up on a free SA
A new documentary celebrates the efforts of anti-apartheid activists from Illinois with a message that it is never time to stop the fight against oppression everywhere.
Dancers defy Covid-19 by embracing film
Four short dance films are a testament to mentorship, creative collaboration and the refusal of artists to be defeated by Covid-19 and lockdown restrictions.
An intimate homage to Chinese migrant life in SA
A curated show at a former corner shop in Brixton, Johannesburg, offers a glimpse into the lives of a Chinese migrant couple who made apartheid South Africa home.
Afropolitan Comics tell of Africa, frame by frame
The comics genre in Africa takes centre stage at the Afropolitan Comics exhibition that is in the line-up of this year’s online-hosted National Arts Festival.
Vincent Mantsoe chronicles lockdown life in ‘Cut’
Unable to return to South Africa this winter, the dancer and choreographer created a dance piece for film, proving the power of creative expression and collaboration.
Joburg bylaws and apathy stifle trading initiatives
The city’s traders and enterprising entrepreneurs complain that red tape stops them earning a living as they try to create jobs and enhance the experience of public spaces.
Walter Sisulu resurrected
A VR film using Walter Sisulu’s Rivonia Trial testimony is a triumph of technology, creativity and collaboration – and a reminder of the precarious state of SA’s historical records and archives.
Museums’ monumental shift from past to present
Collected objects and artworks, and the museums in which they’re held, offer clues to history and heritage. But their meanings and values are shifting to tell the evolving stories of us.
Turning plastic pollutants into building bricks
It’s not the solution to our plastic crisis, but a movement to transform plastic bottles into building blocks could provide a short-term solution.
A valley grows hope against urban decay
In Joburg’s eastern suburbs, developers, residents and craftspeople are forging a new sense of neighbourliness and trying to do business in ways that do not exclude or marginalise people.
Women aren’t funny and other jokes
The comedy scene in South Africa is still an old boys’ club, but some women are hitting back with more than punchlines.
Radio enables democracy in far-flung places
For those living in remote Platfontein, the live broadcast of a debate between politicians and residents provided a chance to question and be heard ahead of elections.