On the occasion of 30 years of South African democracy, a travelling exhibition of the acclaimed Constitutional Court Art Collection (CCAC) is being exhibited around South Africa in 2024 to mark 30 years of democracy.

After being shown in Makhanda during the National Arts Festival, the exhibition will next be shown at the William Humphreys Art Gallery (WHAG) in Kimberley. The exhibition will be opened by Justice Albie Sachs on Thursday 1 August 2024, starting at 17:30 for 18:00. The South African premiere of the short documentary Where Art Meets Justice will also take place during the opening. Members of the public are encouraged to attend on RSVP basis by emailing zakiraah@whag.co.za or phoning 053 831 1724/5. The public invite is included below.

A public walkabout with the CCAC curators will be held on Saturday 3 August at 10:00 to 11:30 and RSVPs are encouraged. This exhibition at WHAG will be on show until Saturday 7 September 2024. WHAG is open from 08:00-16:45 on weekdays and 09:00-14:00 on Saturdays (Sundays closed). Entrance is free.

An education workshop for high school teachers (visual arts, history, social studies, life orientation, languages) will be held on Friday 2 August between 13:00 and 16:30 to enable them to lead their learners in engaging with the exhibition at WHAG and the CCAC in their classrooms. Educators are encouraged to email ccac@concourttrust.org.za for more information.

The exhibition is titled: “A LUTA CONTINUA: Reflecting on 30 years of democracy through the Constitutional Court Art Collection”.

The exhibition takes its title from the Thomas Mulcaire 2003 light artwork, now permanently installed in the Constitutional Court’s foyer. This CCAC exhibition explores the interconnectedness of art and justice, human rights and democracy, at this key moment in South Africa’s history and future.

The CCAC is a unique collection with an unusual history symbolised by what Justice Albie Sachs calls “an intense longing for human justice”. Arguably, there is no other art collection in post-apartheid South Africa that more evocatively captures the spirit of a nation moving from racist oppression to realising a progressive constitutional democracy. Like the Constitution of South Africa that was signed into law in 1996, the CCAC is, in many ways, emblematic of the country’s aspirations for human rights, liberty and dignity for all within a constitutional democracy.

Shortly after democracy came to South Africa and the Constitution came into effect thereafter, artists donated the artworks to celebrate the birth of a new era. They did so with overwhelming generosity, in the spirit of the Constitution. Under the spirited guidance of Justices Yvonne Mokgoro and Albie Sachs, the architects, and various artists working with them created the court building, now recognised as uniquely blending themes of justice with contemporary architecture, integrated art and adornment.

Today the Constitutional Court, a landmark building with heritage status, together with the publicly accessible art collection it both embodies and houses, provides a vivid symbol of the rule of law and social justice in South Africa. This travelling exhibition is the first comprehensive showing of the CCAC beyond its home at the Constitutional Court in Johannesburg.

The CCAC is owned and cared for by the Constitutional Court Trust (CCT). Curated by the current curatorial team of the CCT, the exhibition draws on the collective words, wisdom and creativity of the many who have contributed to the development of the CCAC.

This exhibition is intended to inform and stimulate discussion about the intersection between art, justice and democracy. No content is binding on the Constitutional Court or any member of the Court.

This travelling exhibition is made possible with funding from the Ford Foundation, the Mellon Foundation, the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, and the French Institute of South Africa. The Constitutional Court Trust thanks the William Humphreys Art Gallery for their support in the Kimberley leg of this exhibition.

The exhibition will also be shown at KZNSA Gallery in  Durban from 27 September to 10 November 2024. There are plans to exhibit this exhibition abroad in 2025 to mark 30 years of the CCAC, and in 2026 to mark 30 years of the South African Constitution.