MTN x UJ New Contemporaries Exhibition at National Arts Festival 2026
The National Arts Festival in Makhanda will showcase the MTN x UJ New Contemporaries Award Exhibition, titled 'Holding sp(l)ace for the in__between', from 26 June to 5 July 2026. Curated by Amogelang Maledu, the 2025–2026 MTN x UJ New Contemporaries Curator Award winner, the exhibition features artists Simnikiwe Buhlungu, Zara Julius, Thato Makatu, and Unathi Mkonto. Through various mediums such as installation, sculpture, sound, and spatial interventions, the show delves into themes of collective survival, memory, home, land, and Black feminist thought. The UJ Art Gallery, in collaboration with the MTN SA Foundation and supported by Iziko Museums South Africa, will host the exhibition at the Gallery in the Round and New Gallery from 25 June to 5 July 2026.
Key facts
- Exhibition titled 'Holding sp(l)ace for the in__between'
- Part of MTN x UJ New Contemporaries Award Exhibition
- Curated by Amogelang Maledu
- Artists: Simnikiwe Buhlungu, Zara Julius, Thato Makatu, Unathi Mkonto
- Venues: Gallery in the Round and New Gallery, The Settlers Monument, Makhanda
- Dates: 25 June to 5 July 2026
- Presented by UJ Art Gallery and MTN SA Foundation
- Institutional support from Iziko Museums South Africa
Entities
Artists
- Simnikiwe Buhlungu
- Zara Julius
- Thato Makatu
- Unathi Mkonto
- Amogelang Maledu
Institutions
- National Arts Festival
- UJ Art Gallery
- MTN SA Foundation
- Iziko Museums South Africa
- The Settlers Monument
Locations
- Makhanda
- South Africa