LOCAL ARTISTS STORM NEW ORLEANS

WILLIAM Kentridge, Gerard Sekoto, David Goldblatt, Dumile Feni, Sam Nhlengethwa and Sue Williamson are just a few South African artists one can name drop who are currently on show in this year’s “If You Can Look, Hard Enough, You Can See Our Future” exhibition that opened this past Friday at the Tulane University’s Newcomb Art Museum in New Orleans.

- UNATHI KONDILE

This travelling exhibition made its worldwide debut at the African American Museum, in Dallas in 2023. In 2024 it made its way to the African Diaspora Art Museum of Atlanta. This year it is in New Orleans, with 50 artworks on show.

The exhibition is curated by Laurie Ann Farrell from Nando’s 27 000+ art collection.

“It’s quite meaningful to be able to curate an exhibit from such an exemplary collection and bring an impressive range of talent from the African continent to New Orleans,” said Farrell.

“Our hope is that all who visit will experience universal themes of humanity, love, loss and hope for a better future as illustrated by the artworks.”

The collection of artworks was the brainchild of late philanthropist and businessman, Dick Enthoven, who got Nando’s collecting art in partnership with the space of trust from as early as 2004. Enthoven’s longtime friend Farrell was then appointed its curator ever since.