South Africa

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The Exhibitions That Transformed African Photography

In 2004, the exhibition “Africa Remix” opened in Europe just as interest in contemporary African art was spreading worldwide. Twenty years later, does the show—and others of the era—still hold up?

A Young Photographer Makes a Family Tree about South Africa

Through his vivid landscapes and portraits, Lindokuhle Sobekwa portrays the harsh poetry of rural life in the country’s Eastern Cape.
Black and white photograph of a South African woman in a domestic space

The Defiance of South African Women Photographers during Apartheid

The curator Marie Meyerding speaks about a group exhibition of photographers who exposed the effects of race, gender, and class on everyday life.

Two South African Artists Reflect on the Memories of Apartheid

In a dual exhibition, Lebohang Kganye and Sue Williamson consider trauma, healing, and the potential for transformation.

A Photographer Considers the Vulnerability and Visibility of South Africa’s Shebeens

Thembinkosi Hlatshwayo’s experimental, multilayered images invoke the chance gestures and social life of taverns in Johannesburg.

Santu Mofokeng’s Pensive Visions of Land and Ritual

In a new series of photobooks, the revered photographer conjures the mysteries of faith in South Africa.

The Photographer Giving New Life to Ocean Plastic

Along the coast of South Africa, Thirza Schaap collects discarded bottles and shopping bags to create fanciful sculptures.

Zanele Muholi On Resistance

In an interview, the visual activist speaks about courage, rethinking history, and the politics of exclusion.

The Land and the Landscape

Throughout his long career, David Goldblatt has used the camera to reflect the social realities of South Africa.

David Goldblatt and the Legacy of Apartheid

For more than fifty years, the South African photographer has documented the structures of a divided society.

Across a Racial Divide, Images of Daily Life under Apartheid

An innovative book juxtaposes images from the archives of two South African families—one black, and one white.

In Cape Town, A New Destination for African Art

Asserting black identity, photographers take center stage at a bold new museum.

The Humanist Visions of Santu Mofokeng

In a series of photobooks from the revered South African photographer, stories of grace, beauty, and dignity.

The Unsung Hero of South African Photography

In searing and poetic images, Andrew Tshabangu chronicles Johannesburg in the age of democracy.

A Readymade World in the Heart of the Country

In a studio outside of Cape Town, photographer Nico Krijno refashions sculpture and performance.

A Short History of the African Photobook

For Bronwyn Law-Viljoen, publisher of Fourthwall Books, the photobook is a space for political and social history.

Screen Legends

South Africa’s new media artists are transforming the digital world.

Mikhael Subotzky, Boat 2, 2008

A History of White Men in South Africa

In a new film, photographer Mikhael Subotzky takes on two hundred years of white masculinity.
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Aperture No. 257

Aperture presents “Image Worlds to Come: Photography & AI,” a timely and urgent issue that explores how artificial intelligence is quickly transforming the field of photography and our broader culture of images.

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