TO MARK the 40 year anniversary of the June 16 student uprisings, the Centre for African Studies Gallery at UCT is hosting an exhibition titled 1976/360 on June 15.
The year 1976 is deeply etched in many South African minds. It is a moment when Soweto students resisted not only Afrikaans being taught as a form of tuition, but courageously defied ‘Bantu Education’ and the Apartheid system itself. June 16, 1976 sparked protests throughout the country for the next few months. Official statistics suggest that 595 people died during the uprisings.
How do we reflect on this cataclysmic moment in our history today? What is its importance in the present climate?
How do we understand 1976 in relation to our national popular memory? 1976/360 intersects with the iconic imagery of the time with the work of photographers such as Sam Nzima and Peter Magubane, as well as with lesser known archives - in particular from the Independent archive in Cape Town. Besides photographs there will also be installations that will reflect a range of voices, as well and those engaged in dialogue about reconciliation and healing.
The exhibition will also show art work from the UCT Works of Art Collection that directly speaks to this iconic moment.
Curated by Nkululeko Mbandla and Paul Weinberg, 1976/360 engages with celebration, memory and struggle, contextualized in the present. It is part of a broad theme of the CAS this year, focusing on student activism, not only from a local perspective, but globally as well. A seminar programme will take place for the duration of the exhibition.
Peter Magubane’s most recent book will also be launched.
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