All Shall Be Afforded Dignity! investigates 30 years of democracy in South Africa at The Portico

A new exhibition at The Portico will celebrate and examine 30 years of democracy in South Africa.

All Shall Be Afforded Dignity! — which is co-produced by The Anti-Apartheid Legacy Centre, Action for South Africa and The Anti-Apartheid Movement Archives — invites visitors to the library to reflect on the enduring question of ‘dignity for all’ in South Africa and beyond.

The exhibition will explore and re-engage with the spirit and values of the liberation struggle 30 years on, reflecting on themes of solidarity, justice, human rights and active collaboration against racism.

It is inspired by the work of the same name that artist Norman Kaplan made in 1996 in response to a call for art to respond to the ‘home’ of the Constitution of newly democratic South Africa. His lino-cut, All Shall Be Afforded Dignity, was awarded the first prize honour to be engraved and permanently displayed in the South African Constitutional Court.

Kaplan’s pre and post- apartheid prints serve as potent reflections of ‘Batho Pele’ (Putting People First) and the principles of ‘Ubuntu’, accentuating the shared collective humanity foundational to a democratic South Africa.

These prints are displayed alongside three books from the nineteenth and early twentieth century on Southern Africa in the Portico Library’s collection. Visitors to the exhibition are asked to consider the legacy of imperialism, conquest and romanticised visions of Africa, as depicted in Olive Schreiner’s Life on an African Farm.

Supporting this touring exhibition is part of The Portico’s Reunited programme of experimental events and pilot activities that explore potential exhibition themes while renovating and reimagining all parts of the building to create one of the UK’s most accessible, sustainable and dynamic historic libraries.

All Shall Be Afforded Dignity! has already been met with positive feedback during its stints at venues in London, Norwich and Newcastle, and The Portico says it is honoured to have been chosen as a host for Manchester.

Carol Ann Whitehead, Chair of the Portico Library Public Programme Committee, welcomed the exhibition and said: “In 2023 the Portico was part of an Ubuntu-themed series of events that took place in Stockport and Manchester. I’m delighted that we are hosting this profound exhibition that draws us together to celebrate and protect our shared dignity and human rights.

“Using our collection and that of the archives of the Working Class Movement Library allows us to recognise the profound interest Manchester had in Southern Africa, from imperialism to protest against the racist system of apartheid. It brings home the global reach of this city.”

All Shall Be Afforded Dignity! will be on display at The Portico until Thu 24 Apr. You can find more information about the exhibition here.