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Heritage Month commemoration is upon us and the Benoni Museum is hosting the ‘Names in Uphill Letters’ to celebrate this month.
Names in Uphill Letters is about the historiography of newsmakers who walked on South Africa’s soil, and documented by freelance photojournalist and writer Jacob Mawela.
It is a visual historiography ranging from past and present role-players in the sciences, politics, academia, sports, economics, literature, law, and humanities. The aim is to dispense visual literacy as a driver of social cohesion.
This will also serve as a way of honouring great men and women who played a very significant role in the freedom attained in this country.
In an excerpt from his artist statement, Mawela states that the motivation for the project has been the dispensing of visual literacy amongst the country’s Millennials, who he feels have fallen into the trap of the polarisation of the pre-1994 past of their parents’ generation.
Names in Uphill Letters is a never before seen visual presentation made possible by funding from the National Arts Council.
A total of 108 newsmakers are on exhibit, such as first president of the democratic South Africa Nelson Mandela, Hellen Suzman, Professor Fatima Meer, Dr Mamphela Ramphele, Alf Kumalo, President Cyril Ramaphosa and Advocate George Bizos.
The exhibition opens on 24 September and will run for the next three months at the Benoni Museum. You can visit the exhibition weekdays from 10h00 – 17h00.