What is a Triennale?
Italian meaning every three years. Triennale or biennale is most commonly used within the artworld to describe large-scale contemporary art exhibitions from select countries. Named after the town which hosts them. Over 600 biennales + triennales in the world, but none in southern Africa. Unlike art fairs or festivals, triennales + biennales are not commercial or sales-driven.

Hosting the finest contemporary art from Africa and the Diaspora for the world.
The Stellenbosch Triennale is the brainchild of the Stellenbosch Outdoor Sculpture Trust and it’s years of experience in enacting public art exhibitions in Stellenbosch. The Triennale takes public art in Stellenbosch to new heights in terms of it’s international reach, the scope and variety of the art to be showcased as well as it’s intention to place creativity in critical dialogue with society. The Triennale marks an intentional and purposeful attempt to use creativity, imagination and public space as a meeting point in engaging with the collective and distinctive milieu of our past, present and future existence and all it’s complexities- a place where we imagine futures.
The Stellenbosch Triennale aims to make Stellenbosch the primary destination of multi-disciplinary art in Africa by tapping into the creative impetus that is reverberating across the continent. The Triennale turns Stellenbosch into a curated public laboratory for creative expressions and engagements in response to society’s question’s now, then and there; what kind of people do we want to be? What relations to nature do we cherish? What knowledges and technologies do we deem appropriate? What aesthetic values do we hold? The Stellenbosch Triennale holds great promise of interesting horizons of possibility and shifts for the town of Stellenbosch and beyond.
The Stellenbosch Triennale emerges within a creative cultural renaissance in South Africa that has seen new public and private art institutions take shape with the Zeitz-MOCAA and the Norval Foundation in Cape Town and the Javett Art Centre in Pretoria being welcome additions. The Stellenbosch Triennale pulls threads from this existing ecosystem as well as adding to it by offering a different location that seeks to use the Triennale as a vehicle to re-imagine Stellenbosch as a creative city. Stellenbosch is internationally renowned for its natural beauty, history, culture, wine and educational institutions which have made it one of South Africa’s premier destinations.
Curatorial Statement
BA’ZINZILE: A REHEARSAL FOR BREATHING
UKU’ZINZA: an invocation from the Nguni people that speaks to being grounded, being calm. Stillness as a mechanism for survival, as a strategy for imagination, as Aliveness and Insistence. In a world losing its breath, where breathlessness pervades, we witness the tremors in our bodies and the depths we must dive to sustain life. This exhibition explores Breath and Breathing through states of duress and ongoing extractions, using Rehearsal as a mode of Improvised philosophies.
Breath: Breathing is a fundamental act: taking air into the lungs and expelling it, exchanging oxygen for carbon dioxide. Breath manifests in various forms: puff, pant, gasp, wheeze, blow, sigh, impart, imbue, transfuse, murmur, whisper, utter. Breathing is about continuing, persisting, insisting, remaining, holding, being present, and having a place. How have our breath been disturbed, disrupted and dislocated? How have we sustained ourselves throughout these interruptions?
Breathing through States of Duress: We breathe through the duress of histories of colonialism, enslavement, apartheid, wars and ongoing genocides, wounded by its impacts and suffocating under its weight. Yet, we Insist, on finding ways to Improvise our breath, our Aliveness, and our existence.
Respiration: Breathing in states of duress and harm, ukuphefumla ngenxeba – to breathe through the wound. How our lungs enact somatic breathing by tracing the vascular systems of survival, cultural recovery, hope, courage, and strength in the quest to stay in the rhythm of our breath and thus life. Ukuphefumla – to breathe, umphefumlo – the spirit, attends to a place of altered and interrupted destiny. The compositions of how to breathe in breathlessness are embodied in toyi-toyi, the southern African dance used in political protests or in voguing movements used in queer culture - the life that pulses in exaltation below our feet, opening a portal to Aliveness. This practice of breathing in situ, being in ritual with oneself, is a profound expression of insistence.
Rehearsal: A rehearsal is a session of exercise, a drill, a dry run, or a practice in preparation for a ceremony. It involves repetition to align, figuring out interpretation, mapping pathways, and creating contingency plans. It is an attempt or experiment to reveal something about the world in the near future time.
Improvisation, Jazz and the Black Tradition: Improvisation serves as a compass—composing, arranging, and executing without preparation. It involves off-the-cuff creativity, imagination, and skill mastery. It’s about creating rhythms and frequencies, composing notes from the haikus of our existence. Jazz, as a Black tradition of improvisation, is birthed from ancient traditions of wailing. This reappears through horn instruments that require a deep breath, mimicking the throat as a vocal cord. Jazz embodies the mode of rehearsal as improvised philosophies, crafting compositions on how to breathe in breathlessness where even wailing is a form of breathing!
Exhibition making as a Rehearsal: positioning the Triennale as a rehearsal for the actions and changes we aspire to enact in the real world. This exhibition is a rehearsal for breathing — Breathing is holy. Art becomes an infrastructure of care, posing the question: if death is the given condition, how do we prepare to live?
Through this Triennale, we aim to map out pathways for Breathing by inviting artists to make works on-site in Stellenbosch that attend to breath and breathlessness thus entering a Rehearsal as Improvised people. BA’ZINZILE: A REHEARSAL FOR BREATHING invites you to explore these themes, engage in the practice of insistence and find stillness and sustained breath amidst chaos.
ST2025 Curators

Khanyisile Mbongwa
ST2020 + ST2025
Chief Curator
Khanyisile Mbongwa is a Cape Town-based curatorial theorist and sociologist who engages with her curatorial practice as Curing & Care, using the creative to instigate spaces for emancipatory practices, joy, play and Black Aliveness. Mbongwa is the founding Curator of the Stellenbosch Triennale, her other recent projects include: Inaugral curator of the Hazendal Festival 2024 Bele nje, Abathulanga; curator of Liverpool Biennial 2023 'uMoya: The Sacred Return of Lost Things'; Curator of History’s Footnote: On Love & Freedom at Marres, House for Contemporary Culture in Maastricht, Netherlands 2021. Mbongwa is a PhD candidate at the Institute for Creative Arts, University of Cape Town and is a Blak C.O.R.E (Care of Radical Energy) Fellow at the University of Melbourne 2024-2025.

Dr Mike Tigere Mavura
ST2020 + ST2025
Assistant Curator
Dr. Mike Mavura leads Pamurove Foundation, a land-based social practice in Domboshava, Zimbabwe, blending social sciences, indigenous knowledge, and popular culture to explore civics, spaces, and design. His work spans curatorial projects, ecological interventions, rural design, and university teaching. Mavura’s fellowships include Liverpool Biennial Curators’ Week (2023), TURN2 Residency at ZK/U Berlin (2021), and Lagos Biennale Residency (2019). He holds a PhD in Politics from Rhodes University and a certificate in Conservation Agriculture from the Foundations for Farming Institute. He serves on the Stellenbosch Outdoor Sculpture Trust and ZK/U Berlin’s Advisory Board.

Dr Paseka Blessing Chisale
ST2025
Curator of Learning
Dr. Paseka Blessing Chisale is a Stellenbosch University lecturer, artist, and research supervisor with over a decade of experience in creative arts education. His work is rooted in fostering creativity, critical thinking, and inclusivity in both teaching and research. Recent projects include the BAD ART exhibition at the 2024 SAERA conference and the Spaces and Place and Belonging initiative with his Creative Arts students. Chisale’s research explores creative arts teacher education, arts-based research, and self-study methodologies, emphasising innovative thinking and interdisciplinary approaches.

Frances Sakina Esterhuyse
ST2025 Assistant Curator of Healing and learning
Frances Sakina Esterhuyse holds an Honours degree in Psychology and has just completed an Honours in Art Therapy. She is a qualified specialist wellness counsellor and has volunteered as a counsellor at Lifeline Western Cape for several years. She has a passion for learning about different cultures and speaks five languages. She also has a background in youth development and deeply believes in the healing power of art.
ST2025 is brought to you by Outset Contemporary Art Fund and many more
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SOST Trustees

Stellenbosch Outdoor Sculpture Trust is a non-profit organisation supported by generous contributions from individuals, foundations, and corporations. It brings contemporary art to a broad audience in Stellenbosch by mounting free exhibitions of international scope that offer the public powerful experiences with art and the urban environment.
Monuments, memorials and civic statuary are the oldest forms of officially sanctioned public art. The term public art refers to works of art in any media that have been planned and executed with the intention of being cited or staged in the physical public domain. It is often out of doors and accessible to all. SOST has brought contemporary art to a broad audience of locals and visitors by mounting free, annual public art exhibitions in the town since 2012. These outdoor exhibitions offer the public powerful experiences with art and the urban environment, as well as numerous educational opportunities ranging from school tours to academic workshops. With the cooperation and support of the Stellenbosch Municipality, outdoor artworks are placed at approved locations in the historic tourist town, adding another reason for tourists to visit the town. To date, the Trust has brought over 250 works of fine art to the streets of Stellenbosch, by some of the most renowned artists in the world.

Andi Norton
Founding Trustee + Project Director
Andi Norton is a strategic management consultant specializing in education and art. A graduate of Stellenbosch University, she has worked with clients such as Vodacom, Deloitte, and the Rupert Museum. As the founder of KickstART, an educational outreach program for creative high school learners, Andi is committed to projects that promote sustainable, impactful change. She is also the Trust Facilitator for the Cape Wine Auction Trust, supporting education in the winelands. Passionate about democratising art, she believes in its power to foster creativity, critical thinking, and problem-solving skills.

France Beyers
Founding Trustee
France Beyers is the editor of Stellenbosch VISIO, a leading magazine showcasing the winelands to both local and international audiences. An artist and patron of the arts, she has a deep commitment to uplifting the creative community. With extensive experience in marketing as a retail executive, France manages the marketing and media portfolio for the Stellenbosch Outdoor Sculpture Trust projects, using her network to drive cultural engagement.

Dr Mike Tigere Mavura
Trustee
Dr Mike Mavura is an independent art curator, cultural strategist, and educator with a PhD in Political Science. His multidisciplinary work spans curatorial projects like the Stellenbosch Triennale and education roles at institutions such as Rhodes University and the University of Bergen. He is currently developing Pamurove, a learning site in Zimbabwe where art and design intersect with ecology and agrarian practices, reflecting his dedication to thoughtful civic engagement and cultural education.

Khulekani Ndzimande
Trustee
Khulekani Ndzimande works in Corporate Finance at Remgro and manages the Finance portfolio for the Stellenbosch Outdoor Sculpture Trust. He holds a Bachelor of Commerce (Honours) in Financial Analysis and Portfolio Management from the University of Cape Town. Khulekani is also part of the management team at Stellies Hive, a community organization that provides a platform for young professionals to network in a predominantly student town.

Elana Brundyn
Trustee
Elana Brundyn has over 20 years of experience in the art and cultural sector, including founding her own gallery and launching prominent museums such as Norval Foundation and Zeitz MOCAA. She is the founder of Brundyn Arts and Culture, an art consultancy that offers advisory services and hosts exhibitions, residencies, and cultural programs. Elana sits on several boards, including Aspire Art Auctions and the Stellenbosch Outdoor Sculpture Trust, and is passionate about purpose-driven travel and art experiences in South Africa and beyond.

Dr Rose Kirumira
Trustee
Dr Rose Kirumira is a Senior Lecturer at the School of Industrial and Fine Arts, Makerere University, and currently the artist-in-residence at Stellenbosch University. With a PhD in Fine Arts, her career has been marked by numerous artist workshops and residencies across Africa and globally, which have enriched her insight into contemporary visual art practices. Rose’s experience fosters her deep connection with artistic networks both within and outside Uganda.

Wynand Greeff
Trustee
Wynand Greeff, a chartered accountant, served as CFO of PSG Group for 17 years before becoming a non-executive director in 2023. Having lived in Stellenbosch for over two decades, Wynand is passionate about art, science, and wine. An avid lover of art, he values its ability to tell meaningful stories. In his free time, he enjoys diving and mountain biking, reconnecting with nature to rejuvenate his spirit.