Wezile Harmans' DO NOT TRUST THE BORDERS solo exhibition at UJ Art Gallery explores the dehumanizing impact of migration and challenges the gatekeepers that perpetuate othering.

Using various mediums, he advocates against social inequality and investigates displacement and dispossession. Harmans will lead a walkabout on 31 March 2023.

South African interdisciplinary artist Wezile Harmans has opened his solo exhibition DO NOT TRUST THE BORDERS at the UJ Art Gallery, which explores the dehumanizing impact of migration and challenges the gatekeepers or boundaries that perpetuate invisible othering. 

Harmans employs a range of mediums, from installation to video and mixed media works, to interrogate migration policies and advocate against social inequality. He confronts prejudices and creates a platform for critical self-reflexivity within unwelcoming spaces. 

The exhibition investigates the concept of displacement and dispossession, exploring how borders reproduce and strengthen negative narratives that exist amongst people and their geographical borders. Harmans will be leading a walkabout of the exhibition on 31 March 2023.

The exhibition DO NOT TRUST THE BORDERS by Wezile Harmans is a powerful and thought-provoking display of the challenges faced by migrants and the impact of borders on their lives. 

Harmans, an interdisciplinary artist, uses various mediums such as installation, video, and mixed media to explore the gatekeepers that create boundaries and the dehumanizing impact of migration policies.

Harmans' work confronts prejudices and advocates against social inequality, creating a platform for critical self-reflexivity within unwelcoming spaces. The exhibition investigates the concept of displacement and dispossession, which are experiences of those who have been kept out due to physical and psychological borders that surround them.

Through his work, Harmans highlights the negative narratives that exist amongst people and their geographical borders. He reveals how the creation of a "border" reproduces and strengthens these narratives, ultimately leading to the dehumanization of certain bodies through the colonial visa application processes. 

Harmans shows that the immigration processes strip all corners of one's humanity, identity, and dignity, leaving a constant reminder that home is nowhere.

One of the most intriguing aspects of Harmans' work is his use of everyday materials such as batting material, bandages, paper, tea, and coffee, to interrogate the migration policies that have resulted in the dehumanization of certain bodies. The use of these materials, combined with the power of his message, makes the exhibition even more impactful.

In addition to confronting and interrogating social borders, Harmans also examines borders as messy situations, highlighting how people are kept apart yet still somehow protected by borders. His work ultimately invites viewers to engage in critical self-reflexivity and think about the impact of borders on the lives of migrants.

Overall, DO NOT TRUST THE BORDERS is a must-see exhibition that raises important issues related to migration and borders.

Harmans' work encourages society to consider the impact of borders and how they contribute to the loss of identity, dignity, and humanity.

Harmans will be leading a walkabout of the exhibition on 31 March 2023.