Clinton Strydom brings to light the dark untold stories of the infamous Number 4 prison through a powerful photo exhibition
JOBURG – Only a few are aware of the punishment racks, food deprivation, naked prisoners, the dirt, the cold, the tiny cells and long tunnels that run beneath the streets of the City of Johannesburg.
Distinguished artist and art curator, Clinton Strydom, along with co-curator, Gaisang Sathekge will showcase a moving body of art comprising contemporary photographs of the Number 4 Prison Section. The exhibition is held in partnership with Constitutional Hill.
The project titled, ‘Hidden Shadows and Silent Voices of Prison Number 4’ aims to tell the harrowing story of this infamous prison. Back in the day, Number 4 was once home to struggle icons like Oliver Tambo, Mahatma Gandhi, Robert Sobukwe, Nelson Mandela and thousands of other male prisoners.
Only a few are aware of the punishment racks, food deprivation, naked prisoners, the dirt, the cold, the tiny cells and long tunnels that run beneath the streets of the City of Johannesburg.
“The Old Fort Prison is a powerful place of history storied with a complex painful narrative of South Africa’s brutal past. Strydom’s work, using the high res technology of a Hasselblad camera, captures the essence of the prison, portraying the shadows and recording the silent cries that once roared through the thick walls of incarceration. It’s a spirit-evoking body of photographs, accentuating the history of the prison,” said Sathekge.
The exhibition addresses the reality that even though the cells are now empty and prisoners are free, the silent voices hidden in the shadows remain as custodians of the memories making sure that we never forget, but most importantly, that we never go back.
Sathekge and Strydom both know that this precinct is now home to the Constitutional Court, a symbol of light and inspiration to all as the protector of the South African Constitution, one of the most progressive constitutions in existence today.
Strydom says the project “will help to give a voice to those shadows who have remained silent for so long. For this reason, I have agreed to donate several of the works to the Constitution Hill permanent collection.”
The exhibition launches at Constitution Hill on Thursday 18 May and will run until 27 August.
For more information contact craig@themelrosegallery.com or see www.themelrosegallery.com and www.clintstrydom.com and www.constitutionhill.org.za
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