Controversial SA artist gets a Fine Prize

Established as far back as 1896, the Carnegie International is the oldest North American exhibition of contemporary art from around the world, with its Fine Prize awarded in recognition of emerging artists.

A self-professed “visual activist”, Muholi’s art involves large portraits of lesbians from South Africa and brings visibility to homosexuality within the black community.

Her work has unsurprisingly provoked its fair share of controversy, with SA Minister of Arts and Culture, Lulu Xingwana, in 2009 walking out of an exhibition featuring her photography and later labelling it immoral, offensive, and arguing that it flies in the face of nation-building.

She also suffered a major blow in 2012, when a laptop and many hard drives containing five years worth of photographs and video footage was stolen from her Cape Town flat. In light of the fact that nothing else was taken, the incident was shrouded in the strong suspicion that it was a direct target at her recordings of Black lesbian life.

– TeamTalk