WeeklySA_AdminSHOWCASE: Johannesburg-born artist Simnikiwe Buhlungu has been named the 2025/26 MTN x UJ New Contemporaries Award winner, earning a R100 000 prize for her thought-provoking installation exploring Black memory, listening and the politics of knowledge…
By WSAM Reporters
Johannesburg-born artist Simnikiwe Buhlungu has been named the winner of the prestigious 2025/26 MTN x UJ New Contemporaries Award, receiving a R100 000 cash prize in recognition of her innovative and research-driven contemporary art practice.
The announcement was made today during the opening of the exhibition *Holding sp(l)ace for the in__between* at the Monument Building as part of the National Arts Festival in Makhanda.
Presented by the University of Johannesburg Art Gallery in partnership with the MTN SA Foundation and supported by Iziko Museums South Africa, the exhibition showcases the work of four emerging artists—Buhlungu, Zara Julius, thato makatu and Unathi Mkonto—and is curated by Amogelang Maledu.
An independent panel comprising acclaimed artists and curators Christine Dixie, Shalom Mushwana and Rucera Seethal selected Buhlungu as this year’s winner.
Now based in Amsterdam, Buhlungu’s multidisciplinary practice spans sound, text, installation and publishing.
Her work examines how knowledge is created, who has access to it and the ways it circulates across societies, often drawing on histories, memory and everyday experiences.
Her award-winning installation, rooted in gospel traditions and diasporic memory, explores Black mobility, collective listening and the unseen connections between sound, space and history.
Judge Rucera Seethal described the installation as “impactful on entering”, saying it creates space for layered engagement and sustained reflection.
Fellow adjudicator Shalom Mushwana praised Buhlungu’s ability to balance complexity with accessibility.
“Simnikiwe distils ideas in ways that exist on the edge of accessibility, while inviting viewers to participate in acts of listening, climbing and viewing from a variety of perspectives,” Mushwana said.
Accepting the award, Buhlungu expressed gratitude to the institutions, collaborators, friends and family who supported the project.
“My gratitude extends to the teams at UJ, the MTN Foundation, the National Arts Festival and Iziko, to friends and family, and to sound, space, time and all forms of knowledge and artistic practice,” she said.
UJ Art Gallery curator Dr Dineke Orton congratulated all four finalists, describing Buhlungu as a deserving winner whose work demonstrates remarkable creative conviction.
“We eagerly anticipate watching her continue to build on an already compelling career with the same fearlessness and artistic vision that distinguishes her work in this exhibition,” Orton said.
She also praised curator Amogelang Maledu for bringing together four distinctive artistic voices while creating a cohesive exhibition that reflects the diversity and vitality of contemporary South African art.
According to Orton, the exhibition stands as a testament to Maledu’s curatorial sensitivity, allowing each artist’s individual practice to engage meaningfully with the others while maintaining its unique identity.
Running until July 5, *Holding sp(l)ace for the in__between* resists conventional exhibition themes, instead positioning contemporaneity itself as its central subject. Through works engaging sound, land, home and breath, the exhibition explores ideas of collective survival, Black feminist thought, refusal and socially engaged artistic practice.
Orton also acknowledged the longstanding partnership between the University of Johannesburg Art Gallery, the MTN SA Foundation, the National Arts Festival and Iziko Museums South Africa, saying their continued support has helped establish the New Contemporaries Award as one of South Africa’s leading platforms for emerging contemporary artists.
The exhibition is on show at the Gallery in the Round and New Gallery at the Monument Building during the National Arts Festival in Makhanda.
