Spring is Rebellious: New Zeitz MOCAA Exhibition to honour Albie Sachs

The lives of South Africa's freedom fighters are woven into the fabric of our democracy, and the thread of Albie Sachs runs thick and bold. His legacy is etched in law, art, and the long struggle for justice. 

Opening 24 July at Zeitz MOCAA, Spring Is Rebellious: The Art & Life of Albie Sachs traces the life of this towering figure in South Africa’s democratic history - a freedom fighter, Constitutional Court judge, and cultural thinker whose life embodies the power of creativity as a form of resistance.

After defending political prisoners under apartheid, he went into exile, surviving a car bomb attack in Mozambique that left him severely injured. On his return, Sachs helped draft the post-apartheid Constitution and was appointed to the Constitutional Court by Nelson Mandela. Throughout it all, he has championed the arts as essential to justice, memory, and transformation.  

Curated by Dr Phokeng Setai, the exhibition explores how art served as a creative tool across the intertwined political histories of South Africa and Mozambique.

“For those of us who lived through the freedom struggles in Southern Africa, art was never a luxury, it was part of our survival,” says Sachs.

“A mural, a poem, a song, a sculpture, a dance — they carried our defiance, our memory, our dreams… Art helped us see freedom before it arrived. It still does. The struggle isn’t over — and neither is the dreaming.”

The show features a rich mix of archival material and key works from the Mayibuye Archives and the Constitutional Court Art Collection. It also reflects works that Sachs collected, commissioned, curated, or helped inspire.

Launched in honour of Sachs’ 90th birthday the year, the exhibition is both a tribute and a testament, connecting his story to the broader liberation movements shaped by figures like Ruth First, Oliver Tambo, and Moses Kotane. Together, it offers a deeply personal, politically urgent, and visually striking journey through the interplay of justice, creativity and collective memory.

Spring Is Rebellious runs until 23 August 2026 on Level 2 at Zeitz MOCAA.  

Zeitz MOCAA offers free entry to all South Africans every Wednesday from 10am to 1pm with valid ID, and locals under 18 can enjoy free admission year-round.