Artist in residence, Stockholm, 1 March – 31 May 2024

Wezile Harmans is a visual artist based in Cape Town, South Africa. His interdisciplinary practice encompasses performance, installation, video, and mixed media. Confronting prejudices and advocating against social inequality, his work establishes a platform for critical self-reflection within unwelcoming spaces. Influenced by the origins of things and the motivations behind movements, reactions, and human behaviours, Wezile explores how these elements become symbols.

Wezile Harmans

During his time at IASPIS, Wezile will focus on his ongoing project, WhenWeTravel—a research endeavour on human displacement that highlights the everyday movements and narratives of subaltern individuals. The project includes abstracted maps on paper and fabric, as well as a short film, examining the traces left behind by individuals navigating unfamiliar surroundings in search of a position of familiarity and comfort.

Wezile’s works have been exhibited widely, including at LSE Firoz Lalji Centre for Africa (London), The Centre for the Less Good Idea (Johannesburg), Hub Artivism and University of York (CAHR) (UK). His pieces have been acquired by Nelson Mandela Metropolitan Art Museum and ArtbankSA, National Museum of South Africa in Bloemfontein. He was also honored with the 2022 Best Visual Art Award in Creative Collection by the National Institute for Humanities and Social Sciences.