The opening night of We've come to take you home #1

The exhibition We’ve come to take you home #1 opened at the Michaelis Galleries on 14 February (see invitation).

In her opening speech, UCT Deputy Vice-Chancellor for Transformation Loretta Feris, stressed the important role that art can play at the University of Cape Town (UCT) in furthering transformation. 

According to curator and WOAC Committee member, Amogelang Maledu “the exhibition highlights the notion of transformation as not a simple rectifying of numbers. The depth and quality of the works presented attest to global, contemporary art practices of re-looking at art and artists that have barely been visible through selection processes that have been skewed by race, class and gender prejudice. Closer to home, the exhibition underscores the urgency of UCT’s current cultural and artistic mandate, inspiring further crucial discussions of inclusive artistic practice in institutions of higher learning that have emerged from a legacy of colonialism and apartheid."

The works that the opening night crowd viewed as part of the exhibition were all acquired by WoAC for UCT in 2018/19, and include works by 22 artists from established and up-and-coming names. 

The exhibition will be followed by We’ve come to take you home #2, highlighting further new acquisitions, and more public engagements, hosted at the Irma Stern Museum later in 2020.

The exhibition is curated by WOAC Committee member and recent UCT graduate, Amogelang Maledu.