It’s just been announced—the Stellenbosch Triennale is coming back next year, transforming the streets of Stellenbosch into a vibrant, outdoor gallery from 19 February to 30 April 2025. It’s free and open to everyone. This year’s theme, BA’ZINZILE: A Rehearsal for Breathing, comes from sociologist, sangoma, and Chief Curator Khanyisile Mbongwa. Expect deep reflections on art, community, and life.
The first Triennale in 2020 set the bar high. It aimed to put Stellenbosch on the map as a top spot for art in Africa. Visitors experienced thought-provoking art and performances that pushed them to look at their world in new ways.
![Maleb Mmamoloi Joe Lleditions[1]](https://10and5.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/maleb_mmamoloi_Joe_LLEDITIONS1-1-1024x768.jpg)
Building on that foundation, the 2025 edition is set to push boundaries even further. As Chief Curator Mbongwa explains, “For this Triennale I want us to enter into a rehearsal space as a way of imagining how we can co-create in the real world, how exhibition making in itself is a rehearsal space for the things we want to do. And as such, I have invited artists to make their work on-site over a 10-day period that can be recycled or disintegrated back to land after the Triennale so as to minimise my carbon footprint by not transporting artworks back and forth. In this way, we get to enact a playfulness in the making and witnessing the work.”
This focus on sustainability and process is central to Mbongwa’s practice of Care & Cure. As a Stellenbosch University alumnus, she works across public spaces, interventions, and interdisciplinary practices. For this project, she’s been guided by her ancestors to reflect on themes of spirit, breath, and improvisation. “I am in the labour of my purpose. My work is always expansive and a deep-time conversation with amadlozi (ancestors), uNkulunkulu (God/Source), and Abahlali (the collective of beings); as I move through and in the world, I’m invited into different geographical locations and called into spiritual ancestral indigenous conversations,” she shares.
A Tradition of Artistic Innovation
The theme BA’ZINZILE: A Rehearsal for Breathing invites both artists and audiences to reflect on the act of breathing—not just as a basic physical function, but as a symbol of resilience and survival. “Breathing in states of duress, breathing through wounds,” reflects Mbongwa in her curatorial statement, “we persist, we insist, we improvise our existence in a world that often feels like it’s losing its breath.”
Inspired by the Nguni idea of UKU’ZINZA—which means being grounded and calm—the theme looks at stillness as a way to survive, imagine, and stay alive. At a time when feeling breathless is a shared global experience, the Triennale becomes a space for thinking, healing, and getting ready for a new kind of future.
A Dynamic and Interactive Experience
The Stellenbosch Triennale 2025 won’t be your typical art exhibition. It’s going to be a living, breathing experience that evolves over the two months. Visitors are invited to join a kind of rehearsal space where some works will be improvised, others will involve composition and intervention, while some will explore how we navigate our breath and, ultimately, our existence.
Assistant Curator Dr. Mike Mavura explains, “We wanted the artists to think of breath in multiple ways in relation to the human body and to start to think of breath in expanded ways; what happens when you breathe deeply? What happens when you are short of breath? And then, what happens when you can’t breathe?” This idea will be shown through different mediums—visual art, sculpture, sound, performance, and dance.
A Curated Selection of International Artists Across Multiple Venues in Stellenbosch
The 2025 Stellenbosch Triennale will bring together an impressive mix of artists from across Africa and the world. Artists featured in The Current include Alexandre Kyungu Mwilambwe (DRC), Aline Motta (Brazil), Aziz Hazara (Afghanistan), Lebohang Kganye (South Africa), Simphiwe Ndzube (South Africa), Torkwase Dyson (USA), Thierry Oussou (Benin), and William Miko (Zambia).
“We will be showcasing a truly diverse range of practices,” notes Mavura, “from sound, sculpture, and installations with plant life to paintings, photography, dance, and performance. The aim is to activate all the senses, providing a holistic experience that challenges and delights.”
The On the Cusp selection will feature artists like Astrid González (Colombia-Chile), Helen Zeru (Ethiopia), Kasangati Godelive Kabena (DRC), Manyaku Mashilo (South Africa), Nandele Muguni (Mozambique), Simphiwe Buthelezi (South Africa), Takunda Regis Billiat (Zimbabwe), and Tuli Mekodjo (Namibia).
![Aaron Untitled, 2019[1]](https://10and5.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/aaron_Untitled_20191-1024x772.jpg)
A Rehearsal for a New World
The Stellenbosch Triennale will take place at the Oude Libertas precinct and across various venues throughout the town, turning Stellenbosch into a public creative lab. With the support of the Stellenbosch Outdoor Sculpture Trust and local institutions, visitors will experience a rich, layered exploration of the region’s unique cultural and natural landscape, known for its vineyards and academic reputation.
This year’s Triennale is more than just an exhibition—it’s a call to action, a chance to rehearse new ways of breathing in a world filled with both challenges and possibilities. “Art becomes a structure for care and healing,” says Mbongwa. “If death is inevitable, how do we prepare to truly live?”
The Stellenbosch Triennale 2025 invites you to join the journey—breathe, reflect, imagine, play, and rehearse for the future we want to build.
The Stellenbosch Triennale runs from 19 February to 30 April 2025 at Oude Libertas, the Woodmill, Rupert Museum, and Stellenbosch University Museum. Entry is free.
* For more info, visit www.stellenboschtriennale.com.
