A Protea Is Not a Flower

Opening on 16 October 2025, A Protea Is Not a Flower at Zeitz MOCAA is a profound multigenerational dialogue exploring the complexities of the South African exilic experience. Curated by Khanyi Mawhayi, the exhibition features contemporary artists Lerato Shadi and Robin Rhode responding to the legacies of painter Gerard Sekoto and writers Bessie Head and Don Mattera. Through a mix of painting, film, and newly commissioned murals, the show uses the metaphor of the protea—a plant with deep roots capable of surviving harsh conditions—to examine themes of displacement, identity, and memory. By weaving together modernist history with contemporary installations, the exhibition questions what it means to belong and how art can transcend the physical and emotional borders of exile