CAPE TOWN- On the final day of the Design Indaba it was announced that the Zeitz Museum of Contemporary Art Africa will be named after legendary jazz musician Hugh Masekela, it will be called Hugh Masekela Gallery.
Hugh Masekela died in January after a long fight with cancer.
Founder of Design Indaba Ravi Naidoo worked with well known British designer Thomas Heatherwick to design the Masekela gallery.
He intended to name the entire gallery after Masekela, he said, “I believe it is fitting that a cultural icon such as Hugh Masekela is honoured by yet another cultural icon such as Zeitz Mocaa‚ which has rapidly garnered global renown and several awards for architecture since its launch‚”
“The Design Indaba has been at ground zero in growing the creative industries in the new democratic South Africa. We want to be relevant to our city‚ and its challenges and needs,
“And we want our platform to be exemplary in presenting the best of our city and country to the world. We are cultural‚ creative and business envoys – and feel privileged to represent the city. That is why we would rather be the conduit for this important moment in South African cultural history than its focus‚” said Naidoo.
David Green co-founder of Zeitz Mocaa was very pleased of the decision, he said, “Hugh Masekela was a giant within the arts and culture space. Hugh’s songs and music told the world who African people were and it is entirely fitting that this museum‚ whose main purpose is to tell African stories through African art‚ should name the gallery after Hugh Masekela.”
Photo Credit- Times LIVE
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