The 30th and 31st of August were marked by extreme cold, starkly contrasting to the preceding three months. Winter seemed to be making its final departure with one last kick. Arriving punctually at Umhlabathi Gallery on Sunday, September 1, it felt almost too early, but the anticipation of writing about the show justified the timing. Dressed warmly in a red and green jersey with a red beanie—still reeling from the previous day’s chill—I believed I had outsmarted the elements. With curator Kamogelo Walaza and photographer Sabelo Mlangeni putting the final touches on Mlangeni’s exhibition, Ngiyobona Phambili, there was an opportunity to explore the space alone, before people arrived.
As the event commenced, the gallery quickly filled to the brim with Black creatives and thinkers, transforming Umhlabathi into fertile ground for dialogue. Artists, intellectuals, and the so-called “layman” were present, and the gathering stood out for its focus on art rather than fashion or social media clout. Writer Edward Tsumele has observed a recurring phenomenon at art events where the work is overshadowed by egos and social standing; however, at Mlangeni’s show, there was a palpable sense of seriti (dignity). Lit.Culture Books was present with a pop-up stand I was running, using a concrete bench and a table borrowed from the Bus Factory as an altar of knowledge. Expecting a cold day, the sun unexpectedly emerged, proving everyone, including myself, overdressed. Like grief, the jerseys and jackets became burdens to carry.
The exhibition space nurtured a sense of community and nourishment. Attendees were served pap, beef, chicken, and chakalaka—uncommon at exhibition openings, making the event feel like umcimbi (celebration).
After a six-year hiatus from exhibiting in Johannesburg and four departures from previous galleries, Mlangeni presented 60 photographs from an ongoing series started in 2010. The works explore how photography reveals the “reality” of the land we inhabit, while simultaneously reminding us of what remains unseen. The exhibition predominantly features European landscapes captured during Mlangeni’s travels to Basel, Berlin, and Paris, evoking the eerie legacy of colonialism through architectural imagery.
Colonialism imposed Eurocentric ideals, shaping perceptions of Europe as a utopian realm—a place symbolizing human achievement and beauty. Through architecture, religion, and politics, settler colonialists created replicas of European structures on colonized lands, reinforcing the notion that these lands were theirs. Mlangeni’s photographs, stark and unembellished, challenge the Eurocentric view of these cities as earthly paradises, instead suggesting a familiar but dissonant narrative for those who have never left their native continent. The images serve as a cautionary reminder that “kuyafana”—it is the same everywhere.
Mlangeni’s work in Ngiyobona Phambili recalls Thabiso Sekgala’s “Paradise,” capturing the mundane and melancholic aspects of so-called “first world countries”. The photographs reveal the disparity between the idealized visions sold to colonized peoples and the often-harsh realities. As Simon Njami reflects in “Heaven Can Wait,” these works provoke questions about their intended audience: Are they a mirror for Western viewers, confronting them with the gap between perception and reality, or is Mlangeni addressing a different, perhaps local, audience? As the saying goes, go tsamaya ke go bona (to travel is to see).
Ngiyobona Phambili, is currently on display at Umhlabathi Gallery in Newtown at 3 Helen Joseph St, Newtown and runs until October 5th, 2024.
