Paintings by Sung Hwa Kim
After stops in Dallas in 2023 and Atlanta in 2024, the highly anticipated exhibition “If You Can Look Hard Enough, You Can See Our Future” opens at the Newcomb Art Museum – Tulane University in New Orleans on Friday the 21st of March, it concludes on the 20th if June 2025.
Included in the 50 art works showcased in New Orleans are pieces by Zanele Muholi, Athi Patra Ruga, William Kentridge, Mbongeni Buthelezi, David Goldblatt, Steven Hobbs, Portia Zvavahera, Sam Nhlengethwa, Vivien Kohler and Anastasia Pather.
An exhibition curated from the Nando’s art collection (of more than 27 000 works), one of the largest, and most in-depth of Southern African contemporary masterworks, the highly-anticipated exhibition made its worldwide debut at the African American Museum, Dallas (AAMD) in the city’s historic Fair Park in 2023.
Curator Laurie Ann Farrell was named curator of the year by D Magazine (2023) for the quality and scope of the exhibition.
From September until November 2024 the exhibition featured at the African Diaspora Art Museum of Atlanta (ADAMA).
About the Nando’s Art Collection
Through the vision of the late South African businessman Dick Enthoven, Nando’s started collecting art in partnership with arts consultancy Spier Arts Trust in 2004 and has since become owner of one of the world’s largest collections of Southern African contemporary art and design. The collection is uniquely displayed in Nando’s restaurants globally, creating bespoke settings, providing access to millions of people, many of whom will never visit an art gallery, or museum. Visitors to Nando’s custom-designed restaurants also can see firsthand permanent artwork from the 27,000+ piece collection that is featured prominently at each location.
Residents and visitors to New Orleans during this U.S spring won’t want to miss the chance to visit an exhibition curated from the Nando’s art collection, one of the largest, and most in-depth of Southern African contemporary masterworks.
Curated by Laurie Ann Farrell, and in partnership with the Newcomb Art Museum of Tulane, “If You Look Hard Enough, You Can See Our Future” has received strong critical acclaim.
Located in the Woldenberg Art Center on Tulane University campus, the Newcomb has been historically known for its significant collection of Newcomb Pottery and other crafts produced at Newcomb College, as well as administering the art collections of the university.
The institution presents inspiring exhibitions and programs that engage communities both on and off campus, fostering the creative exchange of ideas and cross-disciplinary collaborations around innovative art and design.
From March 10th, the exhibition has been open to the public at no cost and runs through Friday, June 20th. Admission to the Newcomb Art Museum is always free.
Due to Carnival Season, the opening reception will be held on March 21st, where visitors may celebrate the new exhibit and enjoy a jazz concert led by Courtney Bryan, renowned musician, composer, and MacArthur Fellow; accompanied by Alfred Jordan on drums and Max Moran on bass.
“Securing a world-class collection of contemporary South African art is supporting the mission of the Newcomb Art Museum to present original exhibitions that explore socially engaged art, civic dialogue, and community transformation,” said Maurita N. Poole, PhD, Executive Director of Newcomb Art Museum.
“This exhibition from the Nando’s collection supports our academic vision in utilizing the critical frameworks of diverse disciplines in conceptualizing and interpreting art and design.”
Says Mirna Wessels CEO of The Spier Arts Trust "This traveling museum show of masterworks from the Nando’s collection is an incredible opportunity for the artists in our collection to be presented, some for the first time, in the U.S. - it offers younger artists exposure to a new and significant market, while at the same time provides rich cultural exchange, introducing South African contemporary society to people from America. We believe residents of New Orleans will be thoroughly engaging with the diverse forms, mediums and themes that are being shown."
Programming includes a Newcomb Art Museum panel on Contemporary African Art, considering the production, curation, and interpretation of African art and material culture. This event is in partnership with New Orleans Book Fest at Lavin-Bernick Center at Tulane University on Saturday, March 29th.
The selection of work is drawn from the collection’s strengths in portraiture, landscape, cityscapes and abstraction.
Several of the featured artists have received recent accolades.
• Zanele Muholi is a ground-breaking Black queer photographer with a current survey on display at the Tate Modern in London.
• Represented by the Stevenson Gallery in South Africa and David Zwirner in New York City and London, Portia Zvavahera is a rising star that was recently featured at the 59th Venice Biennale.
• Known for transforming drawings into sculpture, film and operas, William Kentridge has work in the exhibition.
• Profiled by CNN, Mbongeni Buthelezi known for his innovative work created from melted plastic is an artist activist who collects and repurposes litter into breathtaking portraits.
Curating an exhibition from a collection built over two decades was an idea that came to life from the late philanthropist and businessman, Dick Enthoven, who tapped his longtime friend Farrell to be the curator. One of the most important curators working to offer visibility to artists from Africa and the African Diaspora to the United States for more than 20 years; Farrell served as a curator of contemporary art at The Africa Center (formerly known as The Museum of African Art) in New York City, an executive director at Savannah College of Art & Design (SCAD), and curator and head of modern and contemporary art at the Detroit Institute of Art. Farrell was also the lead curator on the Mercedes-Benz Stadium art collection while at SCAD.
“It's quite meaningful to be able to curate an exhibit from such an exemplary collection and bring an impressive range of talent from the African continent to New Orleans,” said Farrell, “Our hope is that all who visit will experience the universal themes of humanity, love, loss and hope for a better future as illustrated by the artworks.”
In 2023 the highly-anticipated exhibition, If You Look Hard Enough, You Can See Our Future, made its worldwide debut at the African American Museum, Dallas (AAMD) in the city’s historic Fair Park.
Farrell was named curator of the year by D Magazine (2023) for the quality and scope of the exhibition in Dallas.
From September until November 2024 the exhibition featured at the African Diaspora Art Museum of Atlanta (ADAMA).
Home to the legendary South-African flamed-grilled PERi-PERi chicken and PERi-PERi sauces, Nando’s recently opened restaurants in the U.S. states of Texas and Georgia.
“At Nando's, we're proud to see African creativity shining on the global stage. Celebrating original talent from our home in South Africa is at the heart of our values—fuelling our belief in creativity as a force for change and a force for good” says Jessica Wheeler - Marketing Director: Nando’s South Africa
The artists exhibiting are:
Portraiture
Jane Alexander, Arlene Amaler-Raviv,
Willie Bester, Tamlin Blake, Mbongeni Buthelezi, Robert Hodgins, William Kentridge, Vivien Kohler, David Koloane, Lutanda Zemba Luzamba, Mário Macilau, Patrick Makumbe, Maurice Mbikayi, Zanele Muholi, Claudette Schreuders, Nontsikelelo ‘Lolo’ Veleko, Diane Victor.
Place
Sanell Aggenbach, Arlene Amaler-Raviv,
Philip Barlow, Kudzanai Chiurai, Paul Emmanuel, Abrie Fourie, David Goldblatt, Stephen Hobbs, Diana Hyslop, Kagiso Patrick Mautloa, Hermann Niebuhr, Catherine Ocholla, Sam Nhlengethwa, Deborah Poynton, Jo Ractliffe, Athi-Patra Ruga, Jürgen Schadeberg, Berni Searle, Gerard Sekoto, Sue Williamson.
Abstraction
Igshaan Adams, Patrick Bongoy, Christo Coetzee, Abrie Fourie, Trasi Henen, Stephen Hobbs, Patrick Kagiso Mautloa, Samson Mnisi, John Murray, Anastasia Pather, Clive van den Berg, Portia Zvavahera.
If You Look Hard Enough, You Can See Our Future
Runs through June 20, 2025.
Newcomb Art Museum of Tulane
located in the Woldenberg Art Center on the Tulane campus
6823 St Charles Ave, New Orleans, LA 70118, USA
Monday - Friday: 10 a.m. – 5 p.m., Saturday 11 a.m. – 4 p.m.
About the Nando’s Art Collection
Through the vision of the late South African businessman Dick Enthoven, Nando’s started collecting art in partnership with arts consultancy Spier Arts Trust in 2004 and has since become owner of one of the world’s largest collections of Southern African contemporary art and design. The collection is uniquely displayed in Nando’s restaurants globally, creating bespoke settings, providing access to millions of people, many of whom will never visit an art gallery, or museum. Visitors to Nando’s custom-designed restaurants also can see firsthand permanent artwork from the 27,000+ piece collection that is featured prominently at each location.
About Newcomb Art Museum of Tulane
Created in 1996, Newcomb Art Museum (NAM) of Tulane University builds on the9 Newcomb College (1886-2006) legacy of education, social enterprise, and artistic experience. NAM develops exhibitions and programs that feature artists and collections that speak to the most recent developments in national and global contemporary art. With additional support from faculty in various departments across Tulane University, NAM’s interdisciplinary programs and exhibitions explore critical issues in contemporary art, craft, and design as well as matters of sociocultural and civic import.
About Nando’s PERi-PERi
After making its 1987 debut in Johannesburg, South Africa, Nando’s has spread its flame to legions of fans in 24 countries on five continents who can’t resist the allure of succulent PERi-PERi chicken that’s been marinated for 24 hours, flame-grilled to perfection, and basted to their preferred flavor and spice. The restaurant is equally renowned for its spicy PERi-PERi – the Bird’s Eye Chili Pepper that indigenous Africans introduced to the Portuguese centuries ago.
Nando’s PERi-PERi entered the US market in 2008 with the opening of its first location in Washington, D.C., and now operates nearly 50 restaurants in and around Virginia, Maryland, Washington, Chicago, Texas and now Atlanta.
For more information, visit www.nandosperiperi.com.
