Living sculptures that stand for history's truths
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Sethembile Msezane |
TEDGlobal 2017
• August 2017
In the century-old statues that occupy Cape Town, Sethembile Mzesane didn't see anything that looked like her own reality. So she became a living sculpture herself, standing for hours on end in public spaces dressed in symbolic costumes, to reclaim the city and its public spaces for her community. In this powerful, tour-de-force talk, she shares the stories and motivation behind her mesmerizing performance art.
Zimbabwe, South Africa and Germany share a common story about the soapstone birds that were taken from Great Zimbabwe in the late 1800s. After Zimbabwe gained its independence all the birds, except one, were returned to the monument. The remaining bird is still currently housed in Cecil John Rhodes Estate in Cape Town. Being a spiritual symbol there's a mythological belief that there will be unrest until it is returned. I'd like to petition a call for anyone who can assist in repatriating this iconic bird in restoring and preserving Zimbabwe's history.