An Update on the Life of Vumelani Sibeko

Vumelani now has his own studio in Johannesburg. He went to New York in 2012 where his work was exhibited by the Apexart Residency Program.

Vumelani, the activist: Together with Phumla Siyobi and Cutting Keith, Vumelani went on a dramatic procession, as a work of art and in chains, that had them marching to Alexandra (a township in Johannesburg) in order to make a statement against the issue of xenophobia, which has been a prominent cause of violence in this area – an exhibition that I believe he wants to take to the streets, globally. Besides imploring us to look at xenophobia, they are also showcasing that if we want to stand up for something in which we believe, we can do it in a way that is calm and gentle, yet more POWERFUL than when we raise our voices and give rise to senseless anger. 
A documentary has been made about this procession.

“We still are slaves. We believe that. We are mental slaves now. We are no more in chains. The chains are off our hands. But they are up here, in our minds. The mind is locked. That is why we have xenophobic attacks. C’mon, we should be over that by now. Now we are supposed to be going forward with our minds that are unlocked. We are supposed to be empowering the youth. We are supposed to be empowering the place we are living in.”
– Phumla Siyobi