Zanele Muholi has been making waves on the South African art scene since the early 2000s — and there's been no stopping them (Muholi prefers the pronouns they/them) since then.
This month, 260 photographs taken by the visual activist went on show at the Tate Modern in London in the first major UK showing of Muholi's work, which tells the stories of black LGBTQAI+ people in South Africa.
The works cover Muholi's career and include photographs from their first body of work, Only Half the Picture, to their ongoing series, Somnyama Ngonyama.
We spoke to the photographer about the selection of images for this exhibition, using art as activism and the span of their career so far:
How did you select works for this exhibition?
The curators did extensive research on my practice, so together we created a selection that combines well-known works with a critical footprint, and others that may be unfamiliar to the broader audience. The goal was to present an exhibition that's affirming and familiar but also dynamic enough to provide new things to see and new material to learn from.
Which of the works stand out for you?
I'm particularly excited to share all the contextual media in this show. There are video testimonies in which the participants from the Faces and Phases series share their life stories in their own words. With the help of organisations like GALA, we are also sharing material about the history of LGBTQIA+ rights in South Africa. And then, going into my personal archives, I also share material from moments that shaped my thinking as an activist.
How do you feel about exhibiting such a large body of your work at Tate Modern? Is this a defining point in your career?
I have a feeling of immense pride. It certainly is definitive, but what I'm most excited about is the way this will open doors for other black LGBTQIA+ people who've been excluded from spaces like these and the art historical canon they represent. I hope that it becomes commonplace instead of novel for people like us to occupy spaces like the Tate.
Going back to the beginning, why did you choose art as your vessel for activism?
Images are powerful, they are immediate — after all, the saying goes that a picture is worth a thousand words. With photography especially, when you capture a moment or somebody's face you make a new entry into the social archive. Because black LGBTQIA+ people have been so erased, it's political, redemptive and corrective to have our likenesses added to visual history. It's a way of practically addressing the physical and psychological violence of the past and making sure that we are counted.
What have been your career highlights?
Being invited to take part in the Venice Biennale in 2019 was a wonderful moment for me. A highlight is seeing my work in print in global publications alongside those closer to home. The publications for the various bodies of work have also been a source of pride. In the Faces and Phases and Somnyama Ngonyama books, I collaborate with participants, activists and writers from different walks of life and in that way write new herstories and queerstories that will live beyond us, together.
How has your work shifted and changed over the years?
In the early series I focused on relationships between romantic couples and friends, and photographed the black LGBTQIA+ people that I shared spaces with. Now, though I've always been a part of my work, I prefer to use my own face and body to address the ongoing racism that haunts my community. For the Somnyama Ngonyama project specifically, because it's so focused on unpacking and dealing with the trauma of prejudice and discrimination, I had to do it myself.
Will you engage with this series for a while longer?
The vision was to have 365 images in the series, but I'll continue to do the work against racism and discrimination in some form or other as long as the work needs to be done.
What can we look forward to from you next?
I've recently started painting — and there's more to explore.
• Zanele Muholi's work will be on show at the Tate Modern until March 7 2021.
