Modjadji le Dikolobjana
The Modjadji le Dikolobjana project originated during the 2018 Artists-in-Labs residency at the Geneva Observatory. It conceptually bridges the mythology of Modjadji—the Balobedu Rain Queen of Limpopo—with indigenous astronomical and environmental practices. George Mahashe currently serves as the convenor of the Connect South Africa residency programme, a collaboration between CERN, SARAO, SAAO, and Pro Helvetia, which continues to extend these inquiries into the intersections of science and culture.
As the title suggests, Modjadji le Dikolobjana (Modjadji/Venus in conjunction with Dikolobjana/Orion’s Belt) functions as an "unstable constellation" of works. This framework acknowledges that constellations are inherently subjective; much like the way Orion is reimagined through different cultural lenses, the project’s featured works are assembled to visualise Khelobedu cosmology. Each work operates as a star within this larger, fluid configuration, remaining open to diverse interpretations.
The constellation currently comprises four completed works, which have been presented across three exhibitions: Lerumo la Mutwa, Makhalaka, Masjogojo, and Malekhalo. In addition, the project includes two ongoing or partially exhibited works, Kherofo and Ditaola/dithaku.
Makhalaka
Handle With Care borrows its title from a 1994 mixed-media work by Johannesburg-based artist Kagiso Pat Mautloa, centering "care" as a core institutional value for the Javett-UP. The exhibition reframes the art center as a public sanctuary and an active repository of collective knowledge, transitioning previously semi-private collections into accessible spaces of shared belonging. The exhibition is arranged into four themes—Rituals of Self-Preservation, Dreamscapes, Construction of South African Masculinities, and Abstraction—each mediated through contemporary lenses.
