Zeitz MOCAA presents Spring Is Rebellious: The Art & Life of Albie Sachs, an exhibition that engages the public life of Albie Sachs to narrate the intertwined artistic and political histories of two nations: Mozambique and South Africa. It recognises that revolution unfolds along a continuum, and it honours the many struggles for freedom that came before Sachs, and those still to come. The exhibition, curated by Zeitz MOCAA Assistant Curator Dr Phokeng Setai, opens on Thursday, 24 July 2025 on Level 2 Elevator Side of the museum and runs until Sunday, 23 August 2026.
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.
Carrying forward the spirit and ideas of Moses Kotane, Ruth First, Oliver Tambo, and countless others, Sachs’ life and contributions act as a vessel for collective memory. The exhibition also reflects on Sachs’ cultural and intellectual legacy through artworks he collected, commissioned, curated, collaborated on, or helped inspire.
Rooted in the ideals of resistance, liberation, and transformation, the exhibition examines the trajectory of revolutionary struggle and questions the limits of its founding principles. It opens a window into the ongoing project of African political freedom and social justice, and uses Sachs’ life and collections as entry points to reflect on how art helps shape political and social life. The exhibition reflects on political transformation—a complex process both Mozambique (post-1975) and South Africa (post-1994) have faced—through the layered perspectives offered by the artworks.
Spring Is Rebellious: The Art & Life of Albie Sachs draws from three main collections: the UWC-Robben Island Mayibuye Archives (featuring Sachs’ Mozambican works), the Constitutional Court Art Collection, and Sachs’ own personal collection. A detailed timeline runs through the exhibition, linking Sachs’ biography to the broader social, cultural, and historical context of both countries. Sachs’ voice features directly, both in the written elements and audio guide. This exhibition stands as a tribute to freedom fighters, cultural workers, and social justice advocates who gave of themselves in the ongoing pursuit of collective liberation.
As a groundbreaking institution dedicated to promoting and preserving contemporary art from Africa and its diaspora, Spring Is Rebellious speaks to the museum’s vision to produce and present cutting-edge contemporary exhibitions and art historical knowledge, enhance the careers of Africa’s most talented artists in the 21st century and beyond, strengthen its education programmes, and ensure access for all.
Zeitz MOCAA’s exhibition and curatorial programming is generously supported by the Mellon Foundation and BMW South Africa.
meet the artist
Albie Sachs
Albie Sachs is an activist, writer and former judge on the Constitutional Court of South Africa (1994 – 2009). He completed his BA LLB at the University of Cape Town in 1956 and started practicing as an advocate at the Cape Bar at the age of 21. The bulk of his work involved defending people charged under racist statutes and repressive security laws. Sachs himself was raided by the security police, subjected to banning orders restricting his movement, and eventually placed in solitary confinement without trial for two prolonged spells of detention.
In 1966, Sachs went into exile in England and completed his PhD at the University of Sussex in 1971. He subsequently moved to Maputo in 1977 to take up a position as a Law Professor at Eduardo Mondlane University. In 1988, a bomb was placed in his car in Maputo by South African security agents. The blast caused him to lose an arm and the sight in his right eye.
During the 1980s, while working closely with Oliver Tambo, the then President of the African National Congress (ANC) in exile, Sachs helped to draft the organisation’s Code of Conduct, as well as its statutes. After recovering from the bomb, he devoted himself full-time to preparations for a new democratic Constitution for South Africa.
In 1990, he returned to South Africa and continued his work on the Constitutional Committee as well as on the National Executive Committee of the ANC. After the first democratic election in 1994, President Nelson Mandela appointed Sachs to serve on the newly established Constitutional Court. Sachs was noteworthy for the writing of his judgments, and for shaping the development and character of the Constitutional Court building and the creation of its renowned artworks collection.
He has published 10 books, including The Jail Diary of Albie Sachs; The Soft Vengeance of a Freedom Fighter and The Strange Alchemy of Life and Law, which both won the Alan Paton Award; Justice in South Africa; Sexism and the Law; We, the People: Insights of an Activist Judge and Oliver Tambo’s Dream.
Sachs has travelled to many countries sharing South African experiences that might help heal divided societies, and remains actively engaged in public life, with a particular focus on sharing his experiences with younger generations.
In January 2025 to mark his 90th birthday, an online resource was launched entitled The Albie Collection – A curated conspectus of the Life, Love, Law, Literature and Laughter of Albie Sachs.
See www.thealbiecollection.org
Image credit: Albie Sachs in front of the Dulcie September mural at Athlone Centre. Photo ©Carolyn Parton