September 19, 2024 - May 31, 2025
Javett Art Centre at the University of Pretoria
We, The Purple centres itself within the city of Pretoria and the larger City of Tshwane Municipality, known for its lush Jacaranda trees, which lend the city its distinctive purple hue.
As the administrative capital of South Africa, Pretoria has borne witness to numerous protest marches, including the iconic Women’s March of August 9th, 1956. Over 20,000 women from across the country converged on Pretoria to protest against apartheid-era pass laws and advocate for equality and freedom. The colour purple, historically associated with the international women’s movement, symbolises independence and dignity, echoing the spirit of the march. This association reinforces the city’s connection to the fight for women’s rights and social justice.
In September 1989, the colour purple took on new significance during the Purple Rain Riot in Cape Town, where police used purple dye in water cannons to identify and arrest protesters. This event gave rise to the slogan “The Purple Shall Govern,” a rallying cry echoing the ideals of democracy and freedom.
We, The Purple will frame topical conversations marking 30 years since South Africa’s first democratic elections. Through multiple themes within the galleries, We, The Purple, seeks to explore the complex tapestry of South Africa’s history, celebrating its triumphs and acknowledging its ongoing struggles since 1994, while fostering a space for dialogue, reflection, and artistic expression.
The exhibition encompasses multiple thematic elements reflecting on the socio-political landscape of South Africa, particularly within the context of Pretoria and its surroundings. Each section of the exhibition offers a distinct perspective, contributing to a comprehensive exploration of the nation’s history, challenges, and aspirations.
Exhibition Themes
On Pretoria to Pretoria/ Tshwane Rea Tswana
As South Africa’s administrative capital, Pretoria has hosted numerous protest marches, marking its significance in the nation’s history. The act of marching on or to Pretoria has ingrained the Union Buildings into the annals of anti-apartheid struggle and, more recently, served as a stage for labour marches and decolonial protests such as #FeesMustFall. In this space, we delve into the rich tapestry of Pretoria’s past and present, exploring the myriad ways in which the city has been shaped in the South African imagination.
Through selected works from collections housed at Javett-UP and other loans from museums within the city, the exhibition reflects the evolution of Pretoria — its people, its protests, and its progress. In the context of We, the Purple, Pretoria resonates with the spirit of unity encapsulated in its alternate name, Tshwane, which echoes the sentiment of ‘Rea Tswana’ in Sipitori, the city’s lingua franca. This theme also offers valuable insights into various issues, including sexuality, gender identities, language, systematic violence, and joy.
Landing
The exhibition theme delves into contrasting perceptions of land, juxtaposing the familiar notion of land as a domestic haven with the stark reality of its vast expanses.
We examine how the country grapples with multifaceted issues such as land reform, labour, extraction, energy, and emerging technologies, viewing land not merely as a static entity but as an active process, a verb, embedded in the fabric of daily life.
Drawing inspiration from the late Santu Mofokeng’s notion of land as a verb, we conceptualise land not as a static entity, but as a dynamic process shaped by collective actions and practices. As we navigate the South African landscape, anxiety and fear loom large, rooted in a history of domination and exploitation. Yet, even within the confines of this turmoil, there is no reprieve from the horrors of our own creation. The exhibition serves as a poignant reminder that even amidst the benevolent embrace of art, the realities of our making cannot be escaped.
In exploring the concept of land, we challenge conventional narratives, inviting reflection on its political, social, and economic dimensions. From the right to roam and possess to the politics of land ownership and the spectre of forced removals, we confront the echoes of a repressive past, juxtaposed against visions of potential futures. Through this exploration, we confront the complexities of our relationship with land, seeking to unravel its layers of meaning and significance in the South African context.
Living School : Artist As..
Positioned as a Living School, Javett-UP is dedicated to creating spaces for unexpected learning in collaboration with the public. Consequently, this approach gives the exhibition its thematic focus. This space delves into the idea of pre- and post-democracy, using the Visual Arts Curriculum and Assessment Policy Statement (CAPS) as a foundation to explore artworks from art collections on loan to the Javett- UP that resonate with themes presented in the We, the Purple exhibition.
The Living School is organized around two main themes. The first, titled Towards Democracy: Artist as Social Commentator, examines the pivotal events leading up to South Africa’s democracy, from the 1991 National Peace Accord to the first
democratic elections in 1994. The space explores the role artists played as social commentators to their contemporary. The second theme addresses post-apartheid South Africa, focusing on Protest and Resistance Art. Here we reflect on the evolution of education and protest from 1976 to the present day.
The participatory aspect of the exhibition invites visitors to become ‘social commentators’ where they can engage with various questions posed within the space, and through zine-making programmes they are able to create zines reflecting on the notion of democracy. A reading space is available for all to engage with books reflective of themes running through the exhibition, the space also allows audiences to sit, rest and reflect.
