Rubis Mécénat’s Of Soul and Joy project is currently presenting a group show of photographs at Croisière in Arles, France through September 6. The South African Rubis group endowment fund for committed artistic and social projects was invited by the Manuel Rivera-Ortiz Foundation.
Of Soul and Joy connects the artistry of photography with social awareness. It was initiated in 2012 in the hope of promoting diversity within the cultural community. The organization was first invited in 2017 to the Rencontres d’Arles festival and returns this summer with an exhibition of 30 photos by emerging and established South African artists.
Litha Kanda, “Remnants,” 2017, courtesy of the artist and Rubis Mécénat.
Artists Sibusiso Bheka, Jabulani Dhlamini, Thembinkosi Hlatshwayo, Litha Kanda, Vuyo Mabheka, Lunathi Mngxuma, Thobeka Nzwana, and Thandile Zwelibanzi explore issues around politics, social, educational, personal, cultural, and identity in their practice, revealing the reality and challenges of life in South African townships. Through different lenses, the audience is submerged in the existence and beauty of these environments and communities.
Thandile Zwelibanzi, “Nantsi’intoni,” 2014, courtesy of the artist and Rubis Mécénat.
