In celebration of Women’s Month in South Africa, the group exhibition “Unbinding Histories” brings together the work of seven international women photographers in Cape Town’s “The Association of Virtual Arts (AVA)”, each offering a distinct lens on the complexities of the human experience.
The AVA is an institution with a rich history reflecting the social, political, and cultural shifts in South Africa, and “Unbinding Histories” continues this legacy of engagement with contemporary issues. Originally known as the South African Association of Arts, Western Cape until 1995, the AVA traces its roots back to the South African Fine Arts Society, the country’s first organized art body, established in Cape Town in 1850.
The exhibition’s curator, Cagla Demirbas, who is also one of the artists, emphasizes the significance of this show. “Working with the AVA team was absolutely amazing. I really can’t stress how happy we are to exhibit here and how welcomed we feel. This is our third time exhibiting as a collective. But I must say, it is very dear to my heart as some of us are exhibiting their new bodies of work for the first time – namely Alejandra Arévalo, Ronja Falkenbach, and Phuong Hoang. I think that our narratives have expanded quite a bit since our previous exhibitions too. We visited new territories with these new works, or revisited some of our existing work in an entirely new lens, as in the case of Francesca Hummler.”
“These new territories are not just because of their geographic location”, Demirbas continued. “Mehmet Ekinci, who wrote a wonderful review of our exhibition, quoted Jean-Luc Nancy and his idea of ‘singular plural’ about how individual experiences intertwine with the public. I believe that we were able to make the singular plural more pronounced than ever in this exhibition.”
The seven photographers, who first met during the Studio Vortex residency in Arles, France, in July 2022 under the guidance of Antoine d’Agata of Magnum Photos, have seen their work evolve dramatically over the past two years. “Unbinding Histories” captures this transformation, weaving stories that transcend borders, cultures, and even time.
Alejandra Arévalo’s “Blood under the Sundown Light” examines the Siddi community in India—descendants of East Africans who have developed a unique blend of African and Indian cultural practices. Through her documentary-style photography, Arévalo highlights the often-overlooked histories of African communities outside of a colonial context. Despite facing racial and religious segregation, the Siddi community continues to preserve its identity and traditions, illustrating how cultural intersectionality shapes new narratives and strengthens collective memory.
Francesca Hummler’s “Looking for Guerrero” examines the impact of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (D.A.C.A.) policy on the sense of identity. This U.S. policy, introduced in 2012, provides temporary relief from deportation for undocumented immigrants brought to the U.S. as children. The series reflects on Hummler’s former partner, Miguel Luna, who lived and worked in the U.S. for 23 years, contemplates returning to Mexico to find a sense of belonging. Hummler’s photography documents the change in Luna’s dreams and how he ultimately becomes like his father in the process.
Verónica Losantos’s “Archaia” is a photographic essay focusing on Mansilla de la Sierra, a Spanish village submerged by a reservoir in the 1960s. Her work captures the village’s ruins, visible when water levels recede, and reflects on the impact of this event on her family and community. Using an archaeological approach, Losantos compiles a fictitious archive of photographs and documents to preserve the memory of the village and address the effects of climate change on its remnants.
Ronja Falkenbach’s “Raver” is an ongoing portrait series that began in 2023 in Berlin, loosely resembling the photographer’s 2018 series “Cat on a Leash” from Seoul. The project captures the shift from her own experience of partying to sobriety by photographing people outside Berlin’s clubs on Sunday mornings. Using an analog Pentax 645 and expired color films, Falkenbach creates intimate portraits. Her subjects are depicted against simple backgrounds, highlighting their personal traits and emotional states, such as exhaustion and remnants of the night before.
Maike Bergold’s “High Hopes” explores the brave act of claiming personal space while addressing obsessive-compulsive disorders. The series playfully engages with the deep human need for safety and the lengths people will go to feel seen and secure. Bergold’s work encourages embracing and sitting with uncertainty, fostering self-trust and connection with others by acknowledging and letting go of chaotic emotions.
Cagla Demirbas’ “I Know You’re Capable of Beautiful Intimacies” explores the tension between closeness and distance in human relationships, conceptualizing intimacy through non-human elements. The series, inspired by a personal conversation, explores the nature of relationships and the comfort found in observing rather than participating. It reflects on the relationship between the photographer, the viewer, and the image, offering insight into contemporary understandings of intimacy and connection.
Phuong Hoang’s “Polyptych of Memory” rounds out the exhibition with an experimental yet tender exploration of dissected memories. Hoang’s work reveals how the human experience is shaped by the act of remembering, as well as by the memories themselves.
Curated by Cagla Demirbas, “Unbinding Histories” is a strong exploration of the intersection of personal and collective narratives, offering a fresh perspective on the world through the eyes of a new generation of female photographers.
The exhibition can be visited at AVA Gallery’s mezzanine Gallery floor until October 3.
