Multidisciplinary artist Mantala Nkoatse transforms Rosebank venue into space of reflection
Alexandra socio-artist Mantala Nkoatse invited participants to explore healing, memory and identity through movement at her My Body Is a Museum embodiment workshop held at W17 in Rosebank.
Multidisciplinary artist Mantala Nkoatse transformed Workshop17 The Bank in Rosebank into a space of quiet reflection and physical reconnection on September 10.
Her embodiment workshop, My Body Is a Museum, formed part of the wider Urban Chemistry project and invited people to experience their bodies as living archives rather than objects. “The body holds stories, wisdom, emotions, and the possibility of restoration,” Nkoatse said. “This workshop was about moving beyond simply looking at the body and instead learning to listen to it.”
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Urban Chemistry, subtitled: My Body is a Museum, grew from Nkoatse’s exploration of personal history, identity, memory, and healing. Mentored by artist Stephen Hobbs and photographed by Zivanai Matangi, the work has already been shown internationally through David Krut Projects in New York and presented locally at Workshop17.
The two-hour session, held from 17:30 to 19:00, combined mindful movement, breathwork, kinesiology, and dance. Co-facilitated with womb healer Desiree Ranta, the workshop created space for participants to reconnect with their physical selves and reflect on the link between movement and emotional healing.
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“Healing can be expressed through movement, storytelling, breath, and the reclaiming of one’s own body,” Nkoatse explained. “Art becomes a tool for self-awareness, emotional intelligence, and collective restoration.”
Born and raised in Alexandra, Nkoatse’s practice sits at the intersection of poetry, performance, visual art, movement and community healing. Her community development work, which began in 2009, has focused on women and children affected by abuse and marginalisation. She is also the founder of Lentswe La Boraro ka Laboraro Le Banna Ba Bararo, a wellness initiative that offers safe spaces, mindfulness, and creative expression for young men and boys.
Nkoatse continues to develop community-led initiatives that amplify underrepresented voices. “What stories, wisdom and power are held within the body, and how can we learn to listen to them?” she asked.
“That is the question that sits at the heart of this work.”
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