Come one, come all to apartheid exhibition

Members of political parties and trade unions have been encouraged to visit a mega-exhibition at Museum Africa.

The Rise and Fall of Apartheid: Photography and the Bureaucracy of Everyday Life has attracted a record number of visitors to the museum – more than double last year’s numbers.

“Record attendance is not enough. This is a public museum and [is hosting] a very important exhibition about the people,” said publicist Lesley Perkes.

She added that, despite the record numbers, the exhibition organisers were determined to boost visitor numbers even further until the show closes at the end of June.

A campaign to share information about the exhibition with working-class people was launched, with pamphlets inviting commuters in high traffic zones like taxi ranks to visit the museum.

To support the campaign, the organisers began a direct email drive to encourage political parties and trade unions to invite their members to see the exhibition in numbers and to use its content as a starting point for debates and events.

Department of Arts and Culture director-general, Monica Newtown, said that one of apartheid’s saddest legacies was that many people, especially working-class people, do not know that they are welcome inside public museums.

“Many of [the museums] have high walls, imposing entrances, and receptions guarded by security staff [who] are used to keeping the poor out – a direct result of how things worked, or didn’t work, under apartheid,” she said.

“Bearing in mind that the exhibition itself focuses on the people’s experience of apartheid, we concur that it is vital to spread word into as many communities as possible, so that all South Africans are encouraged to see this show.”

Museum curator Zola Mtshiza encouraged corporations with working-class employees to organise groups and send their staff to the exhibition.

Organised by New York’s International Centre of Photography, the exhibition features the work of over 70 South African photographers and artists, and includes more than 800 images, 27 films and a book.

The exhibition is at Museum Africa, 121 Bree Street, Newtown, until 29 June.

Details: 011 833 5624; www.riseandfallofapartheid.org

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