For Those Who Live In It – Photos by Zanele Muholi

Photo by Zanele Muholi: Katiego Mashiloane and Nosipho Lavuta, Ext. 2, Lakeside, Johannesburg 2007

The Rencontres de Bamako, African photography biennial, in Mali 2009 featured a rising generation of South African photographers and video artists. Queer photographer Zanele Muholi was one of them. Now her photographs can be seen at a group exhibition in Holland. The show is titled:

‘…for those who live in it. Popculture politics and strong voices’
It runs through August 1, 2010 at MU, Emmasingel 20, 5611 AZ Eindhoven, Holland.

In the Bamako news-sheet queer photographer Zanele Muholi says:

‘As a visual artist, one is always confronted with the politics of representation. I have the choice to portray my community in a manner that will turn us once again into a commodity to be consumed by the outside world, or to create a body of meaning that is welcomed by us as a community of queer black women. I choose the latter path, because it is through capturing the visual pleasures and erotica of my community that our being comes into focus, into community and national consciousness. And it is through seeing ourselves as we find love, laughter, joy that we can sustain our strength and regain our sanity as we move into a future that is sadly still filled with the threat of insecurities – HIV/AIDS, hate crimes, violence against women, poverty, unemployment.’