Zanele Muholi self-identifies as a visual activist and has been documenting the life of Black LGBTQIA+ communities since the early 2000s in intimate and powerful photographs across South Africa and beyond. From 26 November 2021 to 13 March 2022, the Gropius Bau will host Muholi’s first major survey in Germany.
Alongside their earlier, lesser-known series, the show will feature recent works to display the full range of Muholi’s photographic practice, which addresses sexual politics, racial violence, communal resistance and self-assertion. Muholi’s photography is not only a gesture of empowerment, but consistently challenges the heteronormative gaze while building a network of affinity and new pictorial histories. Series such as Faces and Phases and Brave Beauties have contributed to a growing visual archive that celebrates Black queer and trans selfhood, acting as a testimony of those who risk their lives to live authentically in the face of repression and discrimination.
Zanele Muholi (born July 19, 1972 in Umlazi, South Africa) is a South African photographer who is an active advocate for the rights of the LGBTQ+ community. Muholi is non-binary and uses the pronouns they/them.
From 26 November 2021 to 13 March 2022, the Gropius Bau in Berlin will host Muholi’s first major survey in Germany. . More informations can be found here.
The Gropius Bau is one of Europe’s most important exhibition venues. With its acclaimed contemporary and archaeological exhibitions, the Gropius Bau has consistently opened up new realms of experience and established its international reputation.
© Zanele Muholi, purchased with funds provided by the Africa Acquisitions Committee 2017
