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Cape to Tehran. GalleryMOMO
06April
News

Cape to Tehran. GalleryMOMO

You're invited to join us on Saturday, 7 April at 11:00 in Johannesburg for the opening of Cape to Tehran: Re-imaging and re-imagining personal history in post-Apartheid South Africa and post-revolutionary Iran.

Curated by Sepideh Mehraban, this group exhibition features a diverse selection of artists  who grapple with the complex histories and traumatic legacies of South Africa and Iran. Personal experiences of conflict and change are channeled through their work, presenting a multifaceted discussion about areas of commonality and divergence between post-Apartheid South Africa and post-revolutionary Iran.

The exhibition’s title, Cape to Tehran, references Cecil John Rhodes’ uncompleted Cape to Cairo Railway that was embarked upon during western colonial rule in South Africa at the end of the 19th century. The railway was an attempt to connect African colonies of the British Empire from South Africa to Egypt, and to enable trade and military movement. While the railway personified insidious colonial aspirations for conquest and exploitation of the continent, the shifting towards a connection between Cape Town and Tehran here is intended to highlight a conversation through art that reflects upon shared personal experiences of socio-political turmoil.

Rather than presenting a singular narrative, Cape to Tehran is instead a conversation between artists from different generations and geographies. The exhibition serves to contrast these artists’ personal encounters of socio-political turmoil in their homelands, creating art as a means of reflecting, as opposed to simply representing, their experiences of conflict and change.

Coffee and tea will be served with light snacks.

Kamran Adl | Shagha Ariannia | Patrick Bongoy | Stephané E. Conradie | Rory Emmett | Thulile Gamedze | Black Hand | Svea Josephy | Francois Knoetze | Wonder Marthinus | Sepideh Mehraban | Emmanuel de Montbron | Sethembile Msezane | Neda Razavipour | Kathy Robins | Roderick Sauls | Berni Searle | Rowan Smith | Jo Voysey