Art tackles race at Constitution Hill

The Demonstration at Constitution Hill, hosted by the National Museum of African Art (NMAfA), is a 10-day series of events that opened on September 15. As a part of the museum’s NMAFA+ series, The Demonstration includes an exhibition, public conversations, and artist-led city tours. Following the Moleskine Foundation’s and Simon Njami’s AtWork academy, and in the lead-up to the 10th Basha Uhuru festival, the events are focused on The Smithsonian-aligned theme of “Our Shared Future: Reckoning with Our Racial Past.”

The initiative aims to highlight systemic racism and racial inequity across the Smithsonian Institution, in America and globally, using art and creativity to spark conversations. The South African visual artist and cultural curator, Siwa Mgoboza will curate The Demonstration, which also includes the culmination of their and Njami’s AtWork programme, which empowered creative youth through leadership, personal development, and the pedagogy of Paulo Freire.

“Siwa Mgoboza has brought together some remarkable artists to challenge us to confront issues of racism that are so persistent and pervasive in both American and South African societies,” says NMAfA director Ngaire Blankenberg. “We are reimagining the museum to help create sustainable, regenerative art ecosystems throughout global Africa, and NMAfA+ experiences are just the first step in this experimentation.”

Featured artists, selected for their boundary-pushing and conversation-provoking work, include Blessing Ngobeni, Patrick Bongoy, Luke Radloff, Nelisiwe Xaba and Mocke Jansen van Veuren, and Ayana V. Jackson.

“Constitution Hill is built on the key pillars of art and justice,” says the living museum’s CEO Dawn Robertson. “This Smithsonian initiative for racial reckoning aligns completely with our efforts at Constitution Hill to inspire positive social change and build a more equitable future for all.

“It provides an opportunity for us to facilitate discussions around the complexities of racial and social justice while elevating and empowering the voices of young people through the public programmes we will facilitate aligned to the exhibitions and workshops.”

The Demonstration includes curator- and artist-led tours of the exhibition and Johannesburg alongside public conversations. Joburg Through the Eyes of Artists will be led by Haroon Gunn-Salie, Senzeni Marasela, Jodie Pather and Layziehound. The public conversations will be centre on discourse on race and migration, incarceration, media and representation, identity, and resistance.