2026 marks the 30 year anniversary of the promulgation of the Constitution of South Africa. When I think about reparation, redress, and repair nothing encapsulates that project nationally more than the living document of the constitution.

In considering reparative curatorial practices, it’s essential to recognize the role of transformative justice as a foundational element. As adrienne maree brown reminds us in Pleasure Activism (2018), transformative justice offers a pathway toward large-scale societal healing by nurturing belief that the harms inflicted upon us need not be perpetual. This philosophy invites curators, artists, and cultural workers to engage deeply in spaces where healing and accountability coexist, where we don’t just document trauma but actively work to uproot its causes and plant new possibilities for collective existence.

In this session we will explore how far we’ve come within the arts sector and how the specific projects of our speakers point to contested memory, reconciliation, and transformation all negotiated through curatorial and art practices.