David Goldblatt's 'Strange Instrument' Exhibition at Pace Gallery Examines Apartheid-Era South Africa

From February 26 to March 27, 2021, Pace Gallery in New York showcased 'Strange Instrument,' featuring 45 photographs by the South African artist David Goldblatt. Curated by Zanele Muholi, the exhibition included works spanning from 1962 to 1990, the year Nelson Mandela was freed. Born in Gauteng Province in 1930, Goldblatt chronicled the realities of apartheid South Africa while shunning the label of an activist. His photographs, divided into 22 themes, reflect scenes such as a 1975 moment in Hlobani and a 1972 portrait of George and Sarah Manyane. Muholi, who regarded Goldblatt as a mentor, emphasized his distinctive viewpoint as a white South African during a period of intense racial conflict.