For media images and interview requests, please contact: Zikhona Jafta at mediaofficer@iziko.org.za
This Africa Day, on Tuesday, 25 May, explore selected Iziko Museums for *FREE! This includes the Iziko South African Museum, the Iziko South African National Gallery, the Iziko Slave Lodge, the Iziko Bo Kaap Museum and the Iziko Maritime Centre.
Discover uniquely African exhibitions currently on display at the Iziko South African Museum. Talking Heads and Heritage: in conversation with the Lydenburg Heads celebrates one of South Africa’s most treasured archaeological finds – the Lydenburg Heads – while exploring how diverse and changing cultures celebrate their rites of passage.
Also on exhibition at the Iziko South African Museum is JellyWorld: an ocean full of jellyfish in a world changed by people. Jellyfish blooms are becoming increasingly prevalent in the oceans of the world, and masses of jellyfish swarms are commonly observed in our own Benguela Large Marine Ecosystem – threatening our food security. This exhibition raises awareness and appreciation around the role that jellyfish play in marine ecosystems and why they are important to society!
At the Iziko South African National Gallery, explore a series of new exhibitions. Territories Between Us foregrounds embodied ways of knowing, delving into various subjectivities to the many ways our existences are territorialised by structures – both visible and invisible. In Dreams as R-Evolution, a multi-media installation, Durban-based artist Coral Bijoux playfully weaves plant-life and plastic into the conversation – provoking us to reconsider our (in)humaneness towards ourselves, each other and our environments.
Red in the Rainbow is up on exhibition at the Iziko Slave Lodge, and provides a vivid and compelling story of courage and perseverance over decades of apartheid. The Carnesons – a family of activists and whose story is told in Red in the Rainbow – survived banning, house arrests, arrests, torture, imprisonment, hardship, separation and exile, before reuniting and returning to South Africa. This showcase is a testimony to the endurance of the human spirit, and is proof that even in tough times it is possible to create a better life for all.
Also on Africa Day – Iziko Museums, together with the Pan South African Language Board (PanSALB), will be celebrating with a virtual conversation titled Silencing the Guns: creating conducive conditions for Africa’s development and intensifying the fight against the Covid-19 pandemic. This discussion features African scholars, youth activists and members of the public, and will reflect on the impact of Covid-19 on the continent’s population and contemplate Africa’s development initiatives that could bring about long-lasting peace. The programme will take place via Zoom on Tuesday, 25 May 2021 at 11h00.
Register here to participate: http://bit.ly/AfricaDay_VirtualDiscussion.
About Africa Day
Africa Day is intended to celebrate and acknowledge the successes of the Organization of African Unity (OAU now the AU) from its creation on 25 May, 1963 in the fight against colonialism and apartheid, as well as the progress that Africa has made, while reflecting upon the collective challenges that the African continent face in a universal environment.
Plan your visit
When visiting Iziko Museums, your health and safety, and that of our staff, is of utmost importance. Please note that there are Covid-19 protocols in place to ensure the safety of both staff and visitors; we thank you for all your efforts in maintaining social distancing to keep both yourself and us safe.
Throughout this uncertain period, Iziko has been online and working to showcase our unique work and collections on the website. Visit www.iziko.org.za to explore all that we have on offer, and keep up-to-date on Covid-19 safety protocols and opening hours. Make sure to also like, follow and share our social media pages on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and TikTok!
Read more about Iziko’s Covid-19 protocols here.
ENDS
Issued by: Ellen Agnew
Communications Coordinator: Iziko Museums of South Africa
Telephone: 021 481 3830 Email: eagnew@iziko.org.za
Website: www.iziko.org.za
Issued on behalf of the Office of the CEO, Iziko Museums of South Africa.
About Iziko Museums of South Africa (Iziko)
Iziko Museums operate 11 national museums, the Planetarium and Digital Dome, the Social History Centre and three collection‑specific libraries in Cape Town. The museums that make up Iziko Museums have their own history and character, presenting extensive art, social and natural history collections that reflect our diverse African heritage. Iziko Museums bring together these museums under a single governance and leadership structure, as a public entity and public benefit organisation. The organisation allows *free access to all individuals on commemorative days, (*excluding the Castle of Good Hope, Groot Constantia and Planetarium and Digital Dome). Visit our webpage at www.iziko.org.za, join our online community on Facebook (www.facebook.com/IzikoMuseums), Instagram (@izikomuseumssa) or follow us on Twitter (@Iziko_Museums) for regular updates on events, news and new exhibitions.
