Sabelo Mlangeni's Alexandra Photography and Michelle Monareng's Land Reclamation Project Explore South African Histories
Between 2011 and 2013, Sabelo Mlangeni developed his photographic collection titled No Problem in Alexandra, Johannesburg, a township established in 1912. This series juxtaposes visuals from Alexandra with those from the wealthy suburb of Sandton, representing Mlangeni's initial foray into color photography. Originally from Driefontein, Mpumalanga, he relocated to Johannesburg in 2001 and completed his studies at the Market Photo Workshop in 2004. His artwork has gained international recognition, earning him the Tollman Award for the Visual Arts in 2009. On December 14, 2013, artist Michelle Monareng and curator Gabi Ngcobo visited Rietspruit Farm, where Monareng's video Removal to Radium (2013) captures forced removals, as they experienced a thunderstorm and watched Mandela's funeral the following day.
Key facts
- Sabelo Mlangeni's No Problem series was created 2011-2013 in Alexandra, Johannesburg
- Alexandra township was founded in 1912, a year before the Native Land Act of 1913
- Mlangeni studied at Market Photo Workshop and graduated in 2004
- Michelle Monareng's video Removal to Radium documents 1965 forced removals to Radium
- The visit to Rietspruit Farm occurred December 14-15, 2013, after Mandela's death
- Sonnyboy Abram Shikwane compiled archives submitted to Land Claims Court in 1995
- The Center for Historical Reenactments staged The 2nd Coming event on December 13, 2013
- Monareng's research traces dispossession history back to 1837 with Rev Alexander Merensky
Entities
Artists
- Sabelo Mlangeni
- Michelle Monareng
- Mongane Wally Serote
- Zanele Muholi
- Apichatpong Weerasethakul
- Gabi Ngcobo
- Sonnyboy Abram Shikwane
- Alexander Merensky
- Chris Hani
- Margaret Thatcher
- Nelson Mandela
- Kenneth Kaunda
- Slavoj Žižek
Institutions
- Market Photo Workshop
- Center for Historical Reenactments (CHR)
- Wits School of Arts
- Lubumbashi Biennale
- Liverpool Biennial
- Yerba Buena Center for the Arts
- Land Claims Court
- Berlin Missionaries
- SA Communist Party
Locations
- Alexandra
- Johannesburg
- South Africa
- Sandton
- Driefontein
- Wakkerstroom
- Mpumalanga
- San Francisco
- United States
- Heidelberg
- Suikerbosrand River
- Rietspruit Farm
- Radium
- Qunu
- Eastern Cape
- Germany
- Liverpool
- Lubumbashi