Lawrence Lemaoana’s body of work is rooted in a deep interest in the role of mass media in contemporary South Africa. Recognizing the inherent problems in the relationship between media and the public, he critiques existing systems of control, such as the state, the police, and other mechanisms of surveillance, interrogating who has the authority to speak and act for those in power. His work explores the media’s ability to function as both a didactic tool and a propagandist weapon, shaping collective consciousness and influencing social psyche. For the exhibition Global Fascisms, Lemaoana’s three flags, originally commissioned for HKW’s last exhibition Musafiri: Of Travellers and Guests, flutter once more on the Paulette Nardal Terrace, extending in this iteration into sixteen flags at the entrance of HKW. Lemaoana’s contemporary use of the aesthetic of kanga fabric for the composition of the flags draws upon this rich and complex history to portray forms of resistance undertaken by South Africans, particularly those of affected marginalized communities. The origin of the kanga garment as a symbol of resistance can be traced back to coastal East Africa in the mid-nineteenth century where it was banned by so-called ‘slave masters’, an act of dehumanization enacted to deny enslaved people their vivid communal wears. Composed by media layers, the flags also disseminate the historical slogan of resistance against displacement, WE WON'T MOVE in various languages. Originating in Sophiatown in 1955, this slogan expressed the resistance of a vibrant community that was eventually destroyed by the apartheid regime in South Africa. Through the flags, the slogan and kanga fabrics symbolize the strength of communities across times facing nationalistic and racist political oppression. For ‘Drapetomania’—The Voices and Idioms Against Modern Fascisms (2025), Lemaoana has summoned figures of past and present to speak out against fascism. The term ‘drapetomania’ was coined to describe an alleged mental illness of enslaved people fleeing captivity. The artist subverts this meaning using quotes and idioms by protagonists who consistently spoke out against oppression.

Commissioned by Haus der Kulturen der Welt (HKW), co-produced by Lawrence Lemaoana and HKW, 2024–25

WORKS IN THE EXHIBITION: Mosa, Anita, Kaiser (2025), polyester flags, each 450 × 700 cm; ‘Drapetomania’—The Voices and Idioms Against Modern Fascisms (2025), polyester flags, each 150 × 235 cm. Courtesy of the artist