‘1994 (I) (Revisited)’ reflects on South Africa's past, present and future, examining the country's journey since the dawn of democracy in 1994 while acknowledging its ongoing complexities.

This installation, commissioned 20 years after the original, connects generations that have experienced transformative historical moments with those encountering these narratives for the first time.

Using a multi-media approach of video, sound and sculpture, Mama captures resilience and memory. The interplay of light, reflection, and sound transforms the space into a contemplative environment, inviting viewers to connect personally with the country's history and socio-political dynamics.

As South Africa commemorates 32 years of democracy, it's crucial to foster discussions that honour a shared past while envisioning future paths. This work invites engagement with our collective history to question, reflect, and connect on our shared journey toward understanding, healing, and forging a new narrative.

Thando Mama is a South African contemporary artist and a lecturer in fine arts at the University of Fort Hare in the Eastern Cape. His artistic practice explores memory through photography and video, focusing on significant memorial sites related to remembrance and commemoration.

Mama holds a Master’s Degree in Fine Arts degree from Rhodes University and is pursuing a PhD on the relationship between memory, memorialisation and visual culture.

His work has been featured in exhibitions locally and internationally, with notable pieces in collections such as the William Humphrey Art Gallery, the Iziko National Art Gallery, and the Johannesburg Art Gallery.

He employs multimodal digital visuals and installations to explore materials such as monuments and archives, reconceptualising them as critical sites of "rememory."

Throughout his career, he has received numerous accolades, including the Prix de la Communauté Francaise de Belgique at the Dakar Biennial in 2004 and the MTN New Contemporaries Award in 2003.