Zeitz MOCAA is proud to present Spring Is Rebellious: The Art & Life of Albie Sachs, a deeply moving exhibition that draws on the extraordinary life of Albie Sachs – freedom fighter, advocate, judge, and writer – to explore the intertwined artistic and political histories of Mozambique and South Africa.
The exhibition honours the many struggles for freedom that came before Sachs, and those still unfolding. It reminds us that revolution is not a moment, but a continuum—and that art is central to the work of remembering, resisting, and reimagining.
Revolution is not a moment, but a continuum.
Curated by Zeitz MOCAA Assistant Curator Dr Phokeng Setai, this exhibition carries forward the spirit and ideas of Moses Kotane, Ruth First, Oliver Tambo, and countless others. Through artworks Sachs collected, commissioned, curated, collaborated on, or helped inspire, Spring Is Rebellious invites you to reflect on his cultural and intellectual legacy – and on how art continues to shape political and social life.
Drawing from the UWC-Robben Island Mayibuye Archives (featuring Sachs’ Mozambican works), the Constitutional Court Art Collection, and Sachs’ own personal collection, the exhibition unfolds across a detailed timeline that links personal biography to the broader context of national transformation. Featuring Sachs’ voice throughout, both in text and in audio, this is more than an exhibition – it is a tribute to the artists, cultural workers, and justice advocates who gave of themselves in the pursuit of liberation.
Albie Sachs is a renowned South African activist, writer, and former judge on the Constitutional Court (1994–2009), appointed by Nelson Mandela after the country’s first democratic elections. As a young advocate, he defended those charged under apartheid laws before going into exile in 1966. He later taught law in Mozambique, where in 1988 he survived a car bomb attack by South African agents, and lost his right arm and vision in his left eye. A key figure in shaping South Africa’s post-apartheid Constitution, Sachs is the author of numerous books and continues to share lessons in justice, memory, and healing. In 2025,
The Albie Collection was launched to mark his 90th birthday.
WHAT: Spring Is Rebellious: The Art & Life of Albie Sachs
WHERE: Zeitz MOCAA, Silo District, V&A Waterfront, Cape Town 8001
WHEN: 24 July 2025 – Sunday, 23 August 2026
INFO:Â VISIT
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