Chimurenganyana: You Look Illegal by Paula Ihozo Akugizibwe (Feb 2022)

Simnikiwe Buhlungu is an artist from Johannesburg engaged in a research-based practice that involves film, sound, installations, and text. In brief, her works seem to ask important and long-overdue questions about the nature of knowledge production and dissemination, as well as the contexts and circumstances that surround these epistemological phenomena.


A way in which Buhlungu re-interprets the assimilation of knowledge is by exploring language and the relationships between messages – whether conveyed visually, linguistically, or sonically. She is more interested in posing questions than providing answers, which catalyses social discourse and participatory, co-curative knowledge-making.

Buhlungu has previously taken part in group shows at the Van Abbemuseum, Eindhoven (2022); Iziko South African National Gallery, Cape Town (2021); Stedelijk Museum, Amsterdam (2020, 2021); Grazer Kunstverein, Graz (2019); and the Bergen Assembly (2019). Her debut solo exhibition, dissonated underings [hic!], after-happenings and khuayarings (sithi “ahhhh!”), took place at the Kunsthalle Bern (2022).

This article and other work by Chimurenga are produced through the kind support of our readers. Please visit our donation page to support our work.

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