Stellenbosch Triennale 2025 (ST25) takes place from 19 February to 30 April, with exhibitions in the Stellenbosch University Museum, the Rupert Museum, and the Oude Libertas, according to the ST25 website. PHOTO: Kobus Erasmus
A two-month long Stellenbosch-based public art event recently kicked off its second instalment ever. This is according to Khanyisile Mbongwa, the chief curator for Stellenbosch Triennale 2025 (ST25), and the ST25 website.
The theme of this year’s event, which was launched on 19 February, is BA’ZINZILE: A Rehearsal for Breathing, exploring the fundamental importance of breath for human existence and survival, said Mbongwa in a press release provided to SMF News by ST25.
The event will last until 30 April.
The first Stellenbosch Triennale was held in 2020.
From the vault is a featured installation at the Stellenbosch Triennale 2025, and is exhibited in both the Stellenbosch University Museum and the Rupert Museum. PHOTO: Kobus Erasmus
“Through this Triennale, we aim to map out pathways for breathing,” said Mbongwa in a pamphlet distributed at the From the Vault installation, which can be seen at the Stellenbosch University (SU) Museum. “We invited artists to make artworks on site in Stellenbosch whilst attending to breath and breathlessness, thus entering a rehearsal as improvised people.”
“The theme made me think of the life of people on earth, evoking the breathing inside the rubber tubes that enable movement,” said artist Alexandre Kyungu Mwilambwe of his artwork Pumuzi ni kitumahi kwa mahisha ya kesho.
Mwilambwe told SMF News that he used rubber inner tires “filled with air to evoke vitality and hope, while the scarification symbols on [the tires] refer to cultural identities and historical scars”.
“Inner tubes, for their part, are everyday objects in Africa, often used by migrants on their journeys,” said Mwilambwe. “They symbolize travel, mobility, and survival, especially for those crossing dangerous bodies of water in search of safety.”
ST25 is a collaborative effort between the non-profit Stellenbosch Outdoor Sculpture Trust (SOST) and its supporter, the Outset Contemporary Art Fund, according to ST25’s press release.
Events are free to the public and will feature exhibitions in the SU Museum, the Rupert Museum, and the Oude Libertas, according to the ST25 website.
The From the Vault exhibition at the Rupert Museum forms part of Stellenbosch Triennale 2025 and features contemporary works by Kemang wa Lehulere, among others. PHOTO: Kobus Erasmus
Nandele Maguni, a beatmaker, DJ, and artist who is performing at ST25’s On the Cusp exhibition, said that his experimental musical performance ties into this year’s theme by highlighting the natural importance of breathing.
“The theme resonated deeply with me, as it speaks to breath as a symbol of resilience and survival,” said Maguni. “In Thin Line Between Life and Breath, I explored breath as a fragile yet powerful force, [as] something that exists on the boundary between presence and absence.”
Through the performance, he uses field recordings of breath, ambient drones, and analogue synthesizers playing through cassette players to explore the “act of breathing”, said Maguni.
“I hope the audience leaves with a deeper awareness of the simple, vital act of breathing,” said Maguni. “The installation is designed to be an intimate experience where each interaction with the cassette recorders changes the soundscape, just as each breath shapes our experience of life.”
Nandele Maguni, a beatmaker, DJ, and artist at Stellenbosch Triennale 2025, performing his piece Thin Line Between Life and Breath as part of the On the Cusp exhibition. PHOTO: Supplied/Jumpin’ the gun creative studio