The year was a significant one to make a journey of personal and societal enquiry into what it means to be a South African; the nation’s guardian Nelson Mandela passed away and the 2014 National Elections were imminent. 

Each photographer focused on a particular theme:

Wikus de Wet, an Afrikaner from Bloemfontein, looked to discover the relationship between land and the people who occupy it.

Sipho Mpongo, a Xhosa from Nqamakwe, documented the ‘Born Free’ generation - those born after the fall of Apartheid.

Sean Metelerkamp, an English-speaking South African from Knysna, sought to capture the idiosyncrasies of his country.

"They form a diverse yet strong voice of the nation” - GUP MAGAZINE

"A young man truly seeing his country for the first time” - NEW YORK TIMES

“Relate to each other by questioning, engaging and exploring intersections of past, present and future” - YET MAGAZINE

Twenty Journey was funded by a successful Kickstarter campaign wherein 134 backers pledged $12,402. Stretched out over 7 months, this sum enabled the photographers to travel in a motor-home and reflect the magnificently puzzled country that binds them.

Sipho Mpongo

Born Frees

“The ‘Born Frees’ (those born after the fall of Apartheid) make up about 40 percent of the population, and the critics among older South Africans contend that they are apathetic and apolitical, unaware of the history of the struggle that made their lives better. Will they allow themselves to be defined by the scars of apartheid, or will they embrace freedom, choice and opportunity? 

I became very conscious of where I belong in this country and what I could offer to other people I met, especially the youth. I wanted to find out their definition of freedom by examining their social dynamics and the shared confusion of what it means to be a Born Free in South Africa. My process throughout the whole journey was learning and teaching."

His photos offer a panorama of youth from all corners of South Africa - NEW YORK TIMES.

Wikus de Wet

LAND

“Land is a contentious issue among South Africans. My goal is to understand the relationship that land has to the people whom occupy it.

There are, however, a few key factors that complicate this issue. Some of these include historical value of the land, food security, mineral rights of the land, low income housing, commercial value of land, and corruption within the government. There is ongoing speculation with regards to the extent that each factor influences the new land policies. The tension created by these differences further complicates matters.

Having travelled South Africa for seven months - listening, looking, debating, and documenting the stories about the relationships people have with the land they occupy, work and/or live on - I realise that the land issue is far more complex than what might appear on the surface.”

Wikus de Wet (1990) focuses on the examination of the land that spans the country itself: its cultural, historical and commercial value and the relationship with its residents. De Wet documents what these aspects of land can divulge about those who live upon it. His series is dominated by landscapes, in which considered compositions exhibit dialogue between contemporary and traditional use of the land. Assorted purposes and activities span the spaces; new modern culture influences the architecture and infrastructure that demonstrates diversity to match its residents. - GUP MAGAZINE

Sean Metelerkamp

Idiosyncrasies

 “I retain the good, the bad, the weird and the wonderful within my blood and I see the hope, superstition, desire, regret, persistence and anger of this nation. I recognize the problematic nature of racial realities that afflict all South Africans and have been a part of the change, before and after. Attuned to new experiences, alien to the values of the dominant society, I use my tools and skills to evoke the absurdity of life in this magnificently puzzled country.”

As the only one of the group who experienced life growing up under white rule, Sean Metelerkamp follows his interest in the idiosyncrasies of the Rainbow Nation. Accepting its unforgiving historical present and the conflicting patterns that merge to make up the society, Metelerkamp portrays South Africa’s unique beauty in the diverse range of culture and attitudes. Elements of the past are united with the future and stray moments captured, with genuine ease, alongside documentary compositions to depict the nature of life in South Africa. - GUP MAGAZINE

First Edition limited to 250 copies. (Sold Out)
Published in August 2015
90 pages
260 x 182mm

Edited by Sarah-Claire Picton
Designed by Hanno van Zyl

“The book’s cover image of a boy mounting a pole upon which hangs the old South African flag, wagging their tongue and raising one middle finger in the air, captures the zeitgeist of how students feel at this very moment: Fuck the system!” - TRUE AFRICA

The Journeymen

Details of a puzzled country.

”Has Mandela’s vision of equality in a rainbow nation been achieved?” The film poses this question with a kaleidoscopic set of responses that is disturbing, beautiful, thought provoking and, more than anything, movingly surreal. The film shows the underlying demons of our troubled national soul but also its deep and profound beauty. Made with technology that is widely accessible, the film is also a vibrant call to arms for new modes of film-making and fresh approaches to narrative. – Durban International Film Festival press release.

From the Jury:

The Best South African Documentary for the 37th Durban International Film Festival is a film that takes an uncompromising look at who we are, putting out a proverbial mirror to South African society; a film that takes us across the lands of our country evoking a myriad of emotional responses, the physical, political and social landscapes that our citizens have inherited. The honesty, bravery and commitment of the film crew has resulted in a mosaic picture of our country - with warts and all. This is a strong and uncompromising cinema that is simultaneously disturbing and life affirming.

“After seven months of shooting, GoPros strapped to their chests, they realized that their day-to-day interactions with a diverse range of South Africans offered a startlingly candid snapshot of a nation at a crossroads.” - VARIETY

Exhibitions

2018: Twenty Journey, Johannes Stegmann Art Gallery, University of Free State, Bloemfontein.

2016: Twenty Journey, Kwazulu Natal Society of Arts, Durban.

2015: Twenty Journey, Commune1, Cape Town.

Film Festivals

2016: Durban International Film Festival, South Africa.

Awards

2016: Best South African Documentary for ‘The Journeymen’ at Durban International Film Festival.

2015: Magnum Human Rights Fellowship.

2015: Nominated for the Design Indaba’s ‘Most Beautiful Object In South Africa’ for the Twenty Journey Booklet.