ABSTRACT
In this chapter, the author argues that our reluctance constitutes an all-too-common mode of self-censorship that resulted in an environment of suspicion, miscommunication and misunderstanding within the context of the contested domain of feminist and intersectional curatorial practice in South Africa. This self-censorship ultimately led to the unraveling of the exhibition, including the removal of works and the dissolving of the partnership between Iziko South African National Gallery and The New Church Museum. Freedom of expression is enshrined in South Africa’s constitution, which includes freedom of the press, sharing and receiving information or ideas, academic freedom, and freedom of artistic creativity. As an exhibition, Our Lady was failed by its multiple stakeholders: by co-curators and who failed to share the ethical deliberations and decision-making behind the project. In contemporary art curating, silence – and its opposite, speech – is a constant negotiation with artists, artworks, museum directors, publics, collectors, funders and colleagues.
