South African art scene confronts colonial legacies and institutional failures in April 2015

In April 2015, South Africa's art landscape grappled with political tensions and institutional shortcomings. The #Rhodesmustfall movement emerged after a University of Cape Town student defaced a statue of Cecil John Rhodes, sparking debates over historical memory and transformation at the university. This coincided with works by British novelist Kazuo Ishiguro and Zimbabwean artist Dan Halter that engaged with similar themes. The art collective Burning Museum, operating outside commercial galleries, used wheat paste and enlarged photocopies to challenge narratives that obscure past injustices. Meanwhile, Pierre Fouché presented lace-based works at Whatiftheworld in Cape Town, with Anna Stielau noting the technical and interpersonal complexities of his practice, which featured themes like 'fallen men' and 'His Foam White Arms'. South Africa's participation in the Venice Biennale faced ongoing issues, with the Department of Arts and Culture announcing a curator only three weeks before the event, following past controversies including corruption in 2011 and a rushed 2013 pavilion dubbed a 'curatorial fruit salad'. Xenophobic attacks on foreign nationals added to the troubling context, highlighting the young democracy's struggles. The online exclusive was published on 23 April 2015.