VhaVenda exhibition at the Alliance Francaise
We love the soft flow of the Venda language – imagining that their art is as fascinating as their dialect, this is a must see exhibition.
The VhaVenda Culture Exhibition tour is coming to the Alliance Francaise in Johannesburg.
Open until 30 Sept ’05
17 Lower Park Drive, Parkview
Tel +27 – (0)11 646 1169
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The Vhavenda live in the northern part of Limpopo Province of South Africa; in the mountain range of the Soutpansberg, surrounded by Botswana on the west, Zimbabwe on the north and Mozambique and Kruger National Park on the east.
The story of their origins is not clear and the Venda people themselves only were united when the white settlers arrived in Soutpansberg. Anyway it is believed they originally came from the Congo area (today there is still a tribe speaking a language similar to tshivenda in the Congo valley) moved to present day Zimbabwe, and there a split occurred with the original group (vhaKaranga/VaKalanga) and a part of the group followed the mythic chief Thohoyandou and crossed the Limpopo river in the 17th century.
They settled in the Soutpansberg range and mixed with the people that inhabited the region before them: the vhaNgona. The mix of VhaKaranga and VhaNgona groups led to the creation of many small groups/clans with similarities but also differences (in the language for instance) which are gathered under the name VhaVenda.
Venda people (like the Lovedu people of queen Modjadji) are surrounded by myth, legends, stories of witchcraft and all sorts of terrorizing stories which probably helped this minor group to stay on the map and survive surrounded by huge groups such as the Shona, the Tswana, the north Sotho, the Nguni (mostly the Swazi, and the Matabele of Mzilikazi), and the Tsonga (shanguan).
Some legends explain how the VhaVenda managed to keep their enemies away from their land (the magical powers of sovereigns or sacred drums) whether it is true or not they are still here today…
This exhibition features works from the following artists:
CHURCHILL MADZIVHANDILA
AZWIMPHELELE MAGORO
OWEN NDOU
MISHACK MATAMELA RAPHALALANI
HENDRICK THSIVHAGWANO NEKHOFE
AVHAPFANI RONALD RAPHALALANI
RENDANI MUDAU
SELINA MPHEDZISENI MULOVHEDZI
JOHANNES RADZILANI
PHINEAS MASUVHELELE
ANDRIES DAGWA
MUKONDENI POTTERY VILLAGE
SIAGA LOWANI EVINETH
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