(ka) pheko ye–the dream to come, Museum of Contemporary Art Kiasma, Helsinki, Finland

While preparing the exhibition, Dineo Seshee Raisibe Bopape spent time on the Frantsila organic herb farm in Hämeenkyrö, Finland, learning about healing herbal plants, local traditions and nature. All of this had a significant impact on the exhibition. The installation turns the gallery into a built landscape.  

In her practice, Bopape often uses natural materials such as clay, soil, ash and plants, from which she creates site-specific installations. Although the materials are ordinary, they convey a rich sense of symbolism, often referring to history and actual geographic locations. Soil is a particularly central material in her work; according to southern African lore, the minerals found in rocks, for example, are repositories of memory and primordial knowledge. Alongside natural materials, the artist employs video, sound and neon lights in the exhibition in Kiasma.  

The female condition often plays an essential role in Bopape’s work as the source of life and renewal. Bopape’s work stems from personal experiences of her native South Africa and its history, which transcends national boundaries.