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Nine South African families
26 October 2004
In photographs and artworks, film, original documents and household items, the lives of nine South African families over many generations are the focus of a major exhibition on display until early 2005 at the African Window National Cultural History Museum in Pretoria.
The families' fates and fortunes, shaped by events both political and personal, reflect the rich and complex history of the country in this multimedia show, South African Family Stories: A Group Portrait.
The exhibition was curated by the Royal Tropical Institute at the KIT Tropenmuseum in Amsterdam, drawing huge audiences during its year-long run in Holland last year.
The museum, at 149 Visagie Street in Pretoria, is open from Mondays through Sundays from 8am to 4pm. Entrance is R8.
- Also see the virtual "peep show" seeing /
being seen that tracked the nine families in parallel with the Amsterdam leg of the exhibition, as well as the book of the exhibition - check the box on the right.
Teams of writers/researchers, photographers, artists, designers and, in some cases, filmmakers researched and recorded each family. The photographers and artists form an interesting representation of the South African art world, including several renowned names, but also some young and promising artists.
The families range from the well-known – the descendants of author Sol Plaatje and "white Zulu chief" John Dunn, and the ancestors of entertainer Dolly Rathebe – to the obscure, and cover much of the country geographically.
The exhibition focuses on the following families:
The Mthethwa family. Zonkezizwe Mthethwa is a sangoma in Ngudwini, with several children, including a Durban bus driver. The family has been documented by photographer Paul Weinburg, artist Langa Magwa and writers Sibongiseni Mkhize and Robert Papini.
The Nunn family. The team documenting the family of John Dunn, 19th-century adviser to King Cetshwayo and later a controversial chief in his own right and landowner, is led by one of Dunn’s descendants, well-known photographer Cedric Nunn. Other members
of the team are writer Elsabe Brink and artists Wonderboy Thokozani Nxumalo and Petros Gumbi.
The Rathebe family. The life of singer Dolly Rathebe tracks the music and culture of the 1950s, including forced removals from Sophiatown. Her family history has been explored by photographer Motlhalefi Mahlabe, artists Sam Nhlengethwa and Robert Lungupi and writers Dumisane Ntshangase and Derrick Thema.
The Plaatje family. Photographer Ruth Motau, artist Penny Siopis and writer Steve Lebelo tell the story of the Plaatje family, beginning with author and intellectual Solomon Plaatje himself in Mafeking and Kimberley.
The Steyn family. Some of the descendants of Martinus Steyn, the last president of the Orange Free State, are still living on the family farm near Bloemfontein. The team for this exhibit are photographer David Goldblatt, artist Claudette Schreuders and writer Sonja Loots.
The Le Fleur family. A century ago, Andries Stockenstrom Le Fleur was leader of the Griquas, and his descendants, including magistrate Andrew Le Fleur, are active in the Griqua and Khoisan revival movements. This story is told by photographer Paul Grendon, writer Henry Bredekamp and artist Anton Kennemeyer.
The Manuel family. The family traces their roots back to an 18th-century Indonesian rebel leader. The exhibition concentrates on Simonstown seaman Ebrahiem Manuel. The storytelling team consists of photographer George Hallett, filmmaker Berni Searle and writer Rayda Jacobs.
The Juggernath family. This family arrived from India in the late 19th century to work on sugar cane plantations near Durban. Their story is documented by photographer Sean Laurenz, artist Andrew Verster and writer Shamim Meer.
The Galada family. Cynthia Galada, from the rural Eastern Cape, has built a family and a career in Cape Town. The exhibit reveals the details of an urban life with rural roots. The storytelling team was photographer Roger van Wyk, artist Willy Bester and writers Bongani Mjima and Carohn Cornell.
SouthAfrica.info reporter
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Taking their families into the future (Photo: KIT Tropenmuseum) |
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seeing / being seen
This extraordinary multilingual website or "virtual peep show", buzzing with cross-cultural graphics and features from a team of South African writers and artists, reported about the lives of the nine families for the duration of the year-long exhibition in Amsterdam. 
Group Portrait South Africa
Group Portrait South Africa: Nine Family
Histories, published by Cape Town-based Kwela Books and KIT in Amsterdam and available at major bookstores, includes additional photographs by David Goldblatt, as well as the stories, photographs and artwork on the exhibition. The book seeks both to preserve the exhibition - an important time-document, both for now and for later - and to make it accessible to more people.
Nelson Mandela said that Group Portrait South Africa "goes a long way towards 'writing' a different kind of history. It presents us with a handful of stories, of ordinary folk, their reconstructions of their own past and their memories ... What in the end emerges is not their cultural or religious background, their colour, language or position in society, but their humanity, how they related to others and coped with prosperity and adversity."
Educational material
The exhibition has many educational possibilities. Imbali has developed educational material for
secondary school children which relates to a number of subjects and issues, including the understanding of historical processes, the importance of family relations, issues of identity, living in a multi-cultural society, and the value of art and culture in coping with life. For more information, contact the education department of the African Window National Cultural History Museum at (012) 324-6082.
Educational workshops
A number of free workshops around the exhibition for learners and teachers will take place in April and May. Participants will learn how to use the exhibition as a resource, how to collect, record and display their own family history, and how to collect and care for photos, letters, diaries, stories and precious objects. Prior booking is required: telephone (012) 324-6082 or e-mail christor@nfi.co.za.
Holiday workshops
Holiday workshops around the
exhibition, in which parents are encouraged to attend with their children, friends and family members, will take place on weekdays from 28 June - 16 July, 27 September - 1 October, and 6 - 24 December (excluding 16 December). Prior bookings are essential, and the cost is R8 per person. Special arrangements can be made for weekends, or families can visit the exhibition on their own. Telephone (012) 324-6082 or e-mail christor@nfi.co.za.
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