Available Works

About

Wezile Harmans is an Art Practitioner and Researcher who leverages the mediums of performance, video, installation and mixed media to highlight issues pertaining to social justice inequalities. Deeply rooted in the theories attached to defamiliarization, human behaviour, and symbolism. Harmans’ practice is a witness to the act of creation, materialized through observation of welcoming and unwelcoming spaces, prejudices, and critical self-reflexivity.

In 2023, Harmans held a solo exhibition When We Travel at WHATIFTHEWORLD Gallery, Cape Town, followed by Locating Spaces of Urgency: Endlovini. Chapter | (2024). Notable international projects include a video performance with LEAD Project and LSE Firoz Lalji Centre for Africa (London); M1/M2 highway billboard feature by The Centre for the Less Good Idea (Johannesburg); and a film by human rights defender Hub Artivism and University of York (CAHR) (UK), and Commission from Art Rights Truth (UK). His work has been acquired by Nelson Mandela Metropolitan Art Museum; and ArtbankSA, National Museum of South Africa in Bloemfontein and Brainlab Culture Program. Harmans’ project ‘Umdiyadiya’ received the 2022 Best Visual Art Award in Creative Collection by the National Institute for Humanities and Social Sciences. He was a finalist in the 2020 Arts & Culture Trust Awards and was the recipient of the 2019 David Koloane Award. Harmans was also a Prince Claus Fund Building Beyond 2022 Award recipient.

His performance work has been witnessed in South Africa at Iziko South African National Gallery, Norval Foundation, PIAD (Programme for Innovation in Art form Development) developed by the Vrystaat Arts Festival and the University of the Free State in partnership with Public Art Project, funded by the Andrew Mellon Foundation. Internationally, he has presented various performances at Hangar (Portugal) and participated in several residencies, including SIRA residency (Madagascar), OpenLab residency (Karoo/Bloemfontein), Griffin Art Projects ‘Virtual Worldings’ Residency Exchange (Canada/RSA), BODYLAND residency (Hogsback), PACT Zollverein (Germany), Krone × WHATIFTHEWORLD residency at Twee Jonge Gezellen in Tulbagh, Frankfurt Lab in Germany, IASPIS residency in Stockholm, Sweden, and BLACKROCK Senegal.

 

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PANEL TALKS AND CONFERENCES

• Department of Anthropology and Development Studies at the University of Johannesburg with Gauteng Anthropology in conversation with Dr Gcobani Ǫambela. TOPIC: There is love in this house: Displacement, Memory and Dignity.
• HRD Hub, Centre for Applied Human Rights, University of York. Panel discussion with Emile Flower. TOPIC: The Role of Art in Keeping Civic Space Open.
• Social Justice: A human Rights concept in the performing arts, symposium hosted by Free State University.
• Panelist – Can we violate our own body rights to make art? Hosted by University of KwaZulu Natal Centre for Creative Arts.

Selected Solo Exhibitions

2024	Locating Spaces of Urgency. Chapter I: Endlovini. - WHATIFTHEWORLD, Cape Town, South Africa
	Unrooted, Vilsmeier-Linhares collection, Munich, Germany
	Umdiyadiya: When we remember, Uppsala Art Museum, Sweden
2023	Do not trust the borders, UJ Art Gallery, Johannesburg
	When we travel, WHATIFTHEWORLD Gallery, Cape Town
2022	Do not trust the borders, Bag Factory Artists’ Studios, Johannesburg
	We regret to inform you, National Arts Festival, Makhanda. Performance
2021	Umdiyadiya, National Arts Festival, Makhanda

Selected Group Exhibitions

2024	Future Worldings, Griffin Art Projects, Vancouver, Canada
	In transit under another sky, Kemene Cultural Center, Nairobi, Kenya and Afropecene StudioLab, Kampala, Uganda
2022	The Phoenix Runway - WHATIFTHEWORLD x KRONE, Curated by Reservoir
	Home Strange Home - Reservoir and WHATIFTHEWORLD, Tulbagh
	WeAreCultutre, Standard Bank Gallery, Johannesburg. Curated by Dr Same Mdluli
	A site for contemplation, AVA Gallery, Cape Town and UJ Gallery, Johannesburg. Curated by Anelisa Mangcu
2021	Umdiyadiya, Spier light Art Festival, Stellenbosch
	We regret to inform you, Infecting the City Festival, Cape Town. Performance
	Umdiyadiya, Spier light Art Festival, Stellenbosch. Video work
2020	Home as a Parish, Hangar, Portugal. Curated by Azu Nwagbogu
	Wamkelekile, ICA Fellowship, University of Cape Town. Curated by Jay Pather
	When water breaks, Greatmore Studios, Cape Town. Curated by Gcotyelwa Mashiqa
2019	When they turn Home was no more, Infecting the City, Cape Town. Performance.
	Art(i), FNB Art Joburg, Johannesburg. Performance
2018	In These Streets: Collecting Bodies, ICA Live Art, South African National Gallery. Performance
	In These Streets: Collecting Bodies, My Body My Space Festival, South Africa
2017	In These Streets, PIKO/PIAD Art Project, Vrystaat Kunstefees. Performance.

Presentations

2023	When We Travel

Art Fairs

Cape Town Art Fair 2025

Cape Town Art Fair 2024

Awards

Permanent Collections

Filmography