Global artists unite for Stellenbosch Triennale's Exploration

THE Stellenbosch Triennale returns from February 19 to April 30 with three exhibitions that embody the rich interplay of past, present and future in global art. From the Vault, In the Current and On the Cusp – under the curatorship of Khanyisile Mbongwa, Chief Curator of the Stellenbosch Triennale, with Assistant Curator Dr Mike Mavura – encourage audiences to engage in interrogating space, time and history.

The 2025 Stellenbosch Triennale, free to the public, invites artists and audiences to explore the evocative theme BA’ZINZILE: A Rehearsal for Breathing, which contemplates breathing as both a fundamental physical act and a metaphor for resilience and survival. Launched in 2020, the Stellenbosch Triennale 2025 thrives through the collaborative efforts of the non-profit Stellenbosch Outdoor Sculpture Trust (SOST) and its supporter, the Outset Contemporary Art Fund.

“I greatly respect this century’s generation of creatives, they advance the enormous struggle for a socially conscious artistic expression,” said Professor Rose Kirumira, SOST Trustee and current artist-in-residence at Stellenbosch University.

From the Vault, In the Current and On the Cusp are profound and immersive experiences designed to connect the past and present while sparking dialogue about the future of art, culture and society. Mbongwa said: “I’m more curious about what the artists will create or how they will engage with the space and the theme. Which path will they choose? Perhaps even one that I, as a curator, am unaware of, because, like anyone else, I have blind spots. There are things I don’t always see, and through the artist, something new is revealed.”

This year’s featured artists are world-renowned ceramicists and sculpture artists Andile Dyalvane and Sisonke Papu, both from South Africa, who demonstrate the enduring power of ceramics, clay - or udaka, in Nguni languages.

“Udaka reflects African heritage, serving as a historical and archaeological archive that stores knowledge of the land. Andile and Sisonke embody this lineage while reimagining it through their art. I’m engaging them as Abe’Mbo, people representing the broader Southern African community, instead of a singular South African tribe,” Mbongwa said.

In the Current explores urgent global narratives and contemporary artistic expressions. Participating artists include Alexandre Kyungu Mwilambwe (Democratic Republic of Congo), Aline Motta (Brazil), Aziz Hazara (Afghanistan), Lebohang Kganye (South Africa), Simphiwe Ndzube (South Africa), Thierry Oussou (Benin), Torkwase Dyson (United States) and William Miko (Zambia). Referencing one of the featured artists whose country has just gone through a major political turning point, Mbongwa said about the USA’s Torkwase Dyson’s work: “Her practice integrates abstraction, black geographies and architecture, creating a space for reflection on histories of identity, resilience and refusal. Torkwase’s work is a continuous reflection on historical, current and future ‘American’ realities and what that can mean for Black-Indigenous peoples. What intrigues me is how her perspective will shift when placed in Stellenbosch, a location with its own fraught history.”