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Bongani Ndlovu, Showbiz Correspondent
After eight months of being shut down due to Covid-19, the National Gallery in Bulawayo will reopen its doors next Monday with three exhibitions.

The exhibitions Dreams and Realities, Retrospective Revelations and PowerPlay will run until year-end and into the first quarter of 2021.

In March, as a precaution to curb the spread of Covid-19, the galleries in Bulawayo, Harare and Mutare were closed.
National Gallery in Bulawayo’s director Butholezwe Kgosi Nyathi said while Covid-19 is still a threat they would ensure the safety of stakeholders during the reopening.

“The National Gallery in Bulawayo wishes to advise the visual arts community and members of the public that we will be re-opening on the 30th of November 2020 following an eight-month long Covid-19 induced shutdown.

“Since 30 March 2020, the Gallery has been closed as a precautionary measure against the spread of Covid-19. While the coronavirus continues to linger in our community, we have instituted a range of measures to protect our staff, artistes and all valued stakeholders,” said Nyathi.

National Gallery in Bulawayo’s director Butholezwe Kgosi Nyathi

On the exhibitions Nyathi said: “Dreams and Realities is a group exhibition that interrogates the contemporary meanings of Zimbabwe’s independence. The mostly young artistes in the exhibition give divergent interpretations of what 40 years of independence means to them.

“The second exhibition, Retrospective Revelations, will showcase artworks from the Gallery’s permanent collection.

These are a range of works whose original meaning still finds resonance in contemporary society. The exhibition reflects on modern society through a historical lens.

“The third exhibition to be launched is PowerPlay, a group exhibition featuring artists working within digital media, moving image and technology. Co-commissioned by London-based arebyte Gallery and the National Gallery in Bulawayo, PowerPlay foregrounds the digital art scene in Africa and presents work by digital artists who are from or based in Nigeria, South Africa, Zimbabwe and the United Kingdom.”

Nyathi said during the lockdown the gallery had not been idle as they had looked into the future and gone digital.

“While closed to the public, the Gallery migrated to digital platforms to continue fulfilling its mandate of holding exhibitions of works of art and also encouraging interest in art. Of note is that we produced a virtual tour of two exhibitions that were running at the time the Gallery shut down. Our regular Bulawayo Conversations were also conducted online,” said Nyathi.

With the help of funds from the embassies of Australia and Switzerland there has been massive renovations at the gallery during the lockdown.

“As we re-open, we are delighted to present an extensively revamped space. We now operate on a solar power system and have installed a disability ramp. The interior and exterior of the Gallery have been repainted, with new roofing and ceiling sheets mounted in sections of the Gallery. Our prime exhibition spaces have new floors and lighting system,” said Nyathi.

In a quest to support the performing arts, a stage has been erected in the car park area.- Follow on Twitter @bonganinkunzi