A travelling exhibition, Messina/Musina opened at the National Arts Festival in Grahamstown in June 2007 before moving to major centres throughout South Africa.

Musina, the subject of these captivating images, is the northernmost town in South Africa, on the Zimbabwean border. Formerly known as Messina, its name was changed to correct a colonial misspelling of the name of the Musina people who previously lived there. Musina attracts a conglomeration of disparate peoples drawn to the town by the opportunities offered; be they the prospect of work in the mines or on the farms, policing the porous border, smuggling contraband and alien immigrants, or prostitution.

Hugo’s photographs of individuals, families, interiors and landscapes reflect on the wounds and scars of race, class and nationality that persist here. The circumstances of Musina can also be seen as broadly reflective of any community that is confronted by transition.

Hugo, who is self-taught, was born in 1976 and grew up in Cape Town. The recipient of numerous accolades, he has held solo exhibitions both locally and abroad.

The Gallery is open daily from 10:00-17:00 except Mondays. Enquiries: 021 467 4660.

Captions (in order of appearance):

• Pieter & Maryna Vermeulen with Timana Phosiwa. Musina 2006
• Thina Lucy Manebaneba with her son Samuel Mabolabola and her brother Enos Manebaneba in their living room after church. Musina. 2006.

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