Apartheid ended just twenty or so years ago. However, the pictures throughout this time period are extremely powerful, conveying the difficulty, hatred, and struggle experiences by black people. The International Center of Photography (ICP) is currently holding its Rise and Fall of Apartheid: Photography and the Bureaucracy of Everyday Life exhibit. As one walks down the halls, it is noticeable that the exhibit flows chronologically, allowing the viewers to gaze upon policy, attitudinal, and technological changes. Emotions ranging from violence to depression to jubilation can be seen in any of these photographs. Famous photographers such as Cedric Nunn and Peter Magubane were featured in this masterfully powerful exhibit.
A photograph that stood out and caught a great amount of attention was one by Cedric Nunn. It featured a woman, sitting on a bed, alone. She is facing a wall in a small square room. The description under the photo explains that this mother is mourning the death of her son, who was supposedly a supporter of the UDC (United Democratic Front). The UDC was a powerful anti apartheid organization. This photograph displays the extent to which peoples’ beliefs could lead them to be persecuted. It can be assumed that her son was part of some demonstration that may have turned violent, causing his death. This photograph is extremely effective because it does not show the mother’s face. This shows how this violence did not affect specific people, but anyone who was involved. Then of course, the economic conditions can be determined, as the house looks plain and simple, with nothing elegant. Nunn displays the truth of sadness in this photograph, a very powerful message in this exhibit.
Another powerful image in this exhibit was one by Peter Magubane. Taken in 1976, this photograph shows a small group of black men holding makeshift weapons in their struggle to fight off an unseen enemy. One man can be seen holding a trash can lid while another is seen clutching some sort of a box. Violence was common as many people struggled to end the unfair practice of apartheid. Through this picture, it can be seen that one of these sides was at a huge disadvantage. The background of this black and white picture is a poor rural village, showing the economic struggles of the blacks. In fact, the photo is captioned “Fighting bullets with stones”. Violence was commonplace during the struggle to end apartheid, and it is often this one sided fighting affair that led to casualties and death.
Peter Magubane had another work in this fantastic exhibition that truly displayed the essence of the fight to end apartheid. This is the photograph of the Sharpeville funeral held in 1960. A crowd of well dressed black men can be seen lined to see what seems like an endless line of caskets. The Sharpeville Massacre was an incident in which 69 black protesters were killed by police after an altercation. Though there were many photographs of funerals in this exhibit, this one directly displays the effect of the anti apartheid struggle. It led to many deaths, but in the end was worth it, as equality was accepted. While each casket looks exactly the same, each one held a human being with a family, friends, and others left behind. Realizing this makes one truly appreciate the magnitude of this struggle, and how much people valued their principles over their very own lives.
While many photographs taken tried to focus on the negatives of the situation, one photgrapher, Cedric Nunn, was able to capture the transition of South Africa. Some of his photgraphs in the exhibit were a part of his “Then and Now” collection, in which he examined the change blacks went through during and after apartheid. In the “Then” portion, many of the photographs are displaying some sort of struggle, whether it be protests, poverty, or death. The one that stands out shows a group of black youth carrying a casket, with one leading and carrying a cross. However, he is also able to capture the positives after apartheid ended. His “Now” collection contains a photograph of a black man walking on a sidewalk in Johannesburg in 2000. There are white people in the background, and the fact that everyone is on the same side of the street, walking and barely noticing each other shows the positives changes that have taken place. While many photographers tried to focus on the “struggle” theme, Cedric Nunn successfully showed the transition in South Africa.
The International Center of Photography has done an excellent job in gathering the most powerful and informational photographs from the apartheid era. The “Rise and Fall of Apartheid” exhibit is something that shows the true struggle for equality that took place in South Africa, while displaying some positive rays of hope, leading to an eventual positive outcome. The curator Okwui Enwezor understood how to best present this delicate yet important issue, treating it with care. This exhibit is a must go for anyone interested in historical events or just good photography.
Credit: Peter Magubane
