South African visual activist and renowned photographer Zanele Muholi is taking their message of Black LGBTQIA+ visibility to the global stage, marking a major milestone in their 20-year career. Following the conclusion of their Cape Town exhibition Kanye Nawe – Alongside You on 10 September 2026, Muholi opens a major new solo exhibition titled Hlanganani – Unite at Galerie Ron Mandos in Amsterdam on Saturday, 12 September 2026.
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Presented alongside the Muholi Art Institute (MAI), the Amsterdam show celebrates 20 years of Faces and Phases, widely recognized as one of the most significant living visual archives of Black LGBTQIA+ life in the world. While the physical doors close in Cape Town, the dialogue surrounding Kanye Nawe remains active through an ongoing series of international online talks hosted by Muholi, bridging local South African audiences with the global art community.
20 Years of Visual Activism and Archives
Started in 2006 — the year South Africa made history as the first African nation to legalise same-sex marriage — Faces and Phases began as a vital effort to document Black queer lives. Two decades later, the project spans hundreds of portraits taken across five continents.
“Faces and Phases was never only about the photograph. It was about making sure our people are seen, remembered and respected,” said Muholi. “Twenty years later the work continues because the need continues. Art is how we insist on our existence. It is how we protect each other.”
The Hlanganani – Unite showcase brings together brand-new self-portraits from Muholi’s famed Somnyama Ngonyama (“Hail the Dark Lioness”) series, new paintings, and fresh portraits capturing Amsterdam’s Black queer community.
A Deep-Rooted Connection to Amsterdam
The new works in Europe build on a long-standing history between the artist and the Dutch capital. Muholi first completed a residency at Amsterdam’s Thami Mnyele Foundation in 2009 — which inspired their early Being (T)here series — followed by a landmark solo museum exhibition at the Stedelijk Museum in 2017.
By inviting Amsterdam’s Black queer community back in front of the lens for Hlanganani, Muholi expands the archive back into the city where they first collaborated with local participants 17 years ago.
“Hlanganani means Unite. It is a call to stand together, across race, gender, borders and histories,” Muholi shared. “From Cape Town’s Kanye Nawe – Alongside You, we move into a wider circle. We are saying that our communities, wherever we are, belong to each other. No one should stand alone.”
Exhibition Details
- Title: Hlanganani – Unite
- Artist: Zanele Muholi
- Venue: Galerie Ron Mandos, Prinsengracht 282, Amsterdam
- Dates: 12 September – 1 November 2026
- Opening: Saturday, 12 September 2026
- Presented Alongside: Muholi Art Institute (MAI)
