Leake Street Gallery – until June 2019
Review by Heather Chalkley
4****
Be prepared for a profoundly moving experience that takes you on an experiential journey through Madiba’s life. This 100th anniversary world premiere exhibition was opened by Chief Nkosi Zwelivelile Mandela, Nelson Mandela’s grandson. He was unphased by the particularly noisy position he stood in the exhibition, powering through with a commanding voice that carried the softness and strength of his grandfather. He recollected visiting Madiba in prison, the shame he felt seeing a relative in such a place and then the informal education he underwent as a result to understand his grandfather’s story. I spoke to him briefly afterwards, commending him on dealing with the challenge of a noisy space. Chief Nkosi replied that he is used to speaking at rallies so this was easy for him.
Zelda La Grange, Manager of Nelson Mandela’s private office until his death, gave a heartfelt address, stating the importance of keeping history alive in the minds of the young. Generations will come and go and memories will fade, unless we properly honour them. Not just righting the stories, but the people who lived through that history, who made history, to record their words and experiences first hand, commit them to permanent record, for generations to come.
This is very much reflected in the exhibition. No words are wasted, all are worth reading, listening to and every exhibit is due your proper respect and attention. It is a submersive experience, surrounding you with a variety of interactive stations, images, artefacts, visual and audio soundtracks. I will say this did get distracting at points, where volumes from one area were louder than another – these could be better balanced going forward. I do want to go back to revisit the exhibit dedicated to the UK support of the ANC and the fight against Apartheid – it was not quite complete today. These are small trifles compared to the over all impact of the exhibition. The final section ‘A moment with Mandela’ I found overwhelmingly powerful, as if Madiba was talking directly to me.
I recommend you go, take your children and your grandchildren. It is an important lesson in history that shows how Nelson Mandela continues to influence peace movements and the development of new democracies across the globe.