solange and constitution hill: a tradition of transforming pain to joy

By Lwando Xaso, AFROPUNK contributor

Zwelidumile Feni, fondly known as Dumile, was a South African artist who used his art to protest the Apartheid government. One of the most re-told stories about Dumile is that one day during the dark days of apartheid, he was a passenger in a car that drove past a line of Black men who were all handcuffed for not having passes. The driver of the car asked Dumile, ‘Why don’t you ever draw things like that?” As Dumile was thinking of how to respond, a funeral procession for a child went past in front of the handcuffed men and despite their dire circumstances those with hats took off their hats as a traditional sign of respect. Dumile said to the driver, ‘that’s what I want to draw’.

“Pour ashes where they claimed my name”

Dumile was very clear that his subjects are Africans, as he said in his own words “they are his people”, but his message, the idea that he sought to bring across in his work, had nothing to do with racialism but everything to do with enduring humanity. Dumile died a tragic and lonely death whilst in exile in New York shortly before he was scheduled to return home to witness South Africa’s transition from apartheid to democracy, a democracy which would have enabled him to create his work freely right here at home. It is therefore an honour for Constitution Hill to serve as a gallery for Dumile’s iconic work. Although could not return home, his work did. There is no better exhibition site in the world than Constitution Hill to display Dumile’s work which captures the perseverance of humanity even under hostile conditions. His work displayed at Constitution Hill challenges visitors to reflect on South Africa’s tortured past and all that was sacrificed for our liberation.

“This shit is for us”

Constitution Hill as a space is an example on how to truly decolonize a space and to creatively transform pain into courage. Constitution Hill is a site of a very dark history of oppression and brutality. It was once a fort and a military defence post during the South African War (1899-1902) and a place that was notorious for its harsh treatment of prisoners. The site housed three notorious prisons: the Fort, where white inmates were kept; Section 4 and Section 5, the “natives’ jail”, built in 1902, and the women’s jail, added in 1909. Many struggle heroes passed through the doors of the Old Fort. The prison is also the only one in the world to have imprisoned two Nobel Peace Prize laureates – Nelson Mandela and Albert Luthuli.

Constitution Hill

It was a place of degradation. Prisoners were compelled to take part in the “tauza dance”, a humiliating ritual that the black prisoners had to undergo when they were returning from a court appearance or a work programme to ensure that they had nothing hidden in their rectums. The prison was closed in 1983, “leaving a scar on Joburg’s metropolis – a bleak reminder of our painful past”. But now this site has been creatively transformed into a human rights precinct and is the home of the Constitutional Court of South Africa. We have now reclaimed this space as we have reclaimed our country. It is unusual for a court to be built on a site of a prison, yet this epitomizes the South African story- not an erasure of the past but a future creatively built upon an honest acceptance of the past no matter how painful.

We are not proud of the history of the site but we are proud of what we have done with it. We are even more pleased that this site with so much history of degradation will now host the inaugural Afropunk, a festival that shares the same ideals as Constitutional Hill- no sexism, no racism, no ableism, no ageism, no homophobia, no fatphobia, no transphobia, and no hatefulness. We are also excited that one of the artists that will be performing at Constitution Hill is Solange, an artist who is the embodiments of what Constitution Hill and Afropunk stand for.

“For Us, By Us”

Solange’s latest album gives voice to Black frustration, pain and aspirations. A Seat at the Table symbolises what every activist yearns for – to be heard, to be seen and to participate in every sphere of society as a right carrying citizen. Solange will bring her transformative music and energy to our site where art, justice and activism intersect. Her music and Constitution Hill will make for a magical combination.

The heritage at Constitution Hill strongly bears resemblance to Solange’s own. The presence of Solange’s art on Constitution Hill will foster a collective sense of belonging for all those from different parts of the world who are fortunate enough to witness this historic moment which is especially important in a world that seems intent on exploiting what divides us.

“Do you belong? I do”

Solange has said that although she wanted her album, A Seat at the Table, to have moments of grief, anger and rage, and trying to figure out how to cope in those moments, she also wanted it to make people feel empowered with a message that in the midst of all of this we can still dream, and uplift. Similarly that is how we describe the Constitution Hill experience and Solange’s her music and the site share so many parallels which will light up Johannesburg this December.

“Im going to look for my glory”

Visually and musically Solange chronicles a Black American experience, that obviously has roots in Africa. Solange was asked how much she was thinking about Blackness outside of an American context when she was making her revolutionary album and she responded by saying that whilst growing up she was always shown by her parents where they were from. Her mother surrounded her with African art and positive African imagery, they also celebrated the diaspora and connecting those dots and she has visited Africa a number of times. We appreciate Solange’s relationship with the continent because it is not one of charity but of heritage. It is a privilege for Constitution Hill to connect those dots of heritage deeply with her and all the artists who will be performing at Afropunk on 30 and 31 December 2017.

“Fall in your ways so you can wake up and rise”

Dumile found his subject matter in the life and events he observed around him, but he had the ability and vision to transform the particular into the universal. His works reflect his deep love of music, particularly jazz. In many of his drawings, even the disposition of the figures on the page is invested, despite their pain, with a musical rhythm. Similarly Solange’s music, despite our pain, draws us into lightness and joy. We therefore look forward to witnessing Solange leave her artistic imprint on this significant site.

Constitution Hill