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Phindu’ Phenduke exhibition on

News
The National Gallery of Zimbabwe (NGZ) in Bulawayo will tonight host a preview for the exhibition Phindu’ Phenduke.

The National Gallery of Zimbabwe (NGZ) in Bulawayo will tonight host a preview for the exhibition Phindu’ Phenduke.

By Tinashe Sibanda

Phindu’ Phenduke is an inaugural Zimbabwe annual independence celebration exhibition expected to run from May 1 to May 24. This exhibition will be of great significance as it will mark the reopening of the Anglo American Gallery to the public after five years of closure due to a court case over the Gukurahundi exhibition that has since been resolved.

“The Anglo American Gallery was closed because Owen Maseko’s exhibition Sibathontisele had a pending case in the courts and the exhibition was part of the court proceedings,” NGZ Bulawayo acting regional director and curator Cliford Zulu said.

“In 35 years of Zimbabwe’s Independence, the National Gallery in Bulawayo joins the nation in celebrating the annual event that ushered freedom to the people of Zimbabwe, through the exhibition Phindu’ Phenduke.”

The exhibition engages the nation to remember the liberation struggle and revive the spirit of ubuntu/hunhu, by celebrating cultural diversity and shared history, further enriching the nation’s cultural heritage and tangible visual culture.

The exhibition also seeks to make statements concerning social developments, environmental surroundings and cultural inheritance in response to what Zimbabwe Independence means to artists.

“At least 15 artists are expected to participate. They will auction their art works on a first-come, first-serve basis until April 30, with a base price of $20,” Zulu said.

He added that the exhibition was a celebration of Zimbabwe’s Independence.

Zulu said proceeds from sale of the art works would go towards painting of the gallery exterior.

“We have invited friends of the gallery and stakeholders in the arts sector in Bulawayo. The general public is invited as well,” he added. Phindu’ Phenduke is a commonly used term in Bulawayo that describes the country’s annual Independence celebrations that have been held since 1980.

The definition in this context implies a tradition, inheritance, legacy, culture and customs or one’s visual perspective of Zimbabwe’s Independence.

The gallery has for a long while been keeping artworks submitted for exhibitions, but were never collected. An auction of these works is being conducted to defray storage and handling expenses.

“An artwork is the pride of the creator and an institution such as the gallery embraces these works of art. It is through such platforms that consumers of these magnificent works interact with the artists,” Zulu said.

Phindu’ Phenduke features the work of resident artists and a selection from the permanent collection.