The 30th Anniversary of South Africa Democracy: Artists’ Reflections on South Africa’s 1994 Bill of Rights

Details

Date: March 20, 2024 - August 31, 2024

Location

MSU Library

366 West Circle Drive
East Lansing, MI 48824

Graphic with a black background and three black and white prints at the bottom. A bright green line creates a text box for white text that reads "The 30th Anniversary of South Africa Democracy: Artists' Reflections on South Africa's 1994 Bill of Rights". The year 2024 marks the 30th anniversary of South Africa’s first democratic elections. This is an opportunity to learn from by the achievements of the country’s anti-apartheid movement and highlight the ongoing innovative efforts to advance democracy. Until the elections of 1994 the vast majority of South Africans had been excluded from participating in government and subjected to a wide variety of human rights violations.

The South African Bill of Rights was born out of the long struggle against apartheid and injustice. It enshrines the rights of South African citizens and affirms democratic values of human dignity, equality, and freedom.

To celebrate the adoption of this historic human rights document, the Durban-based Artists for Human Rights group commissioned 27 artists from across South Africa to each create an original print depicting one of the 27 clauses of the new Bill of Rights. Fifty portfolios of the sets of prints were produced. The Michigan State University Museum acquired one of the portfolios.

This remarkable artistic record of the globally praised South African Bill of Rights has timeless meaning and prompts reflections on the aspirations for and the progress of democracy not only in South Africa but also in nations around the world.

This exhibition, presented in two locations in the MSU Libraries, and related activities are a partnership project of the MSU Library, MSU Museum, MSU African Studies Center, and Michigan State University Outreach & Engagement.

Gallery

MSU students from Professor Eric Montgomery's Anthropology course and library staff stand in an open space at the MSU library, smiling at the camera

MSU students from Professor Eric Montgomery's Anthropology course and library staff stand in an open space at the MSU library.

MSU students from Professor Eric Montgomery's Anthropology course and library staff stand in an open space at the MSU library, exploring glass cases with prints from MSU Museum's collections.

An MSU student stands in front of a glass case holding one of the South African prints from MSU Museum's collections.

Two MSU students stand in front of a glass case holding one of the South African prints from MSU Museum's collections.