Refusing to let history settle quietly is a new, thought-provoking exhibition at Parkhurst’s Guns and Rain Gallery. Unresolved: Memory, Protest, and Waiting opened its doors on August 16, offering a rare lens into Namibian and South African histories that are too often overlooked.

Curated by Julie Taylor, the exhibition brings together six contemporary artists: Nicola Brandt, David Brits, Christo Doherty, Tuli Mekondjo, Jo Rogge, and Ina-Maria Shikongo, whose works navigate war, memory, protest, and resilience. Through photography and textiles, they confront histories of colonial violence, from Namibia’s brutal colonisation by Germany, to South Africa’s prolonged occupation, creating unexpected perspectives on both power and loss.

“The exhibition addresses difficult histories, but it is ultimately about acknowledgement and healing,” Taylor explains. “It’s about memory across generations, protest, and the lingering waiting that comes with unresolved narratives.”

Brandt’s photographs confront the seemingly empty Namibian landscapes, revealing stories of the Herero-Nama genocide and land dispossession. Her work is a collaboration with descendants of those affected, reframing the silent terrains of colonial pasts into active testimony. Mekondjo’s embroidered uniforms honour the victims of the genocide and Namibian independence war, including those whose stories have been historically excluded, such as women. Her works demand recognition and restitution, including the return of human remains held in Europe.

Doherty uses toy figurines to reconstruct wartime photographs, turning documentary images into theatrical narratives that probe unresolved trauma and the silences surrounding lost family members. Brits examines generational legacies of war, defacing images to confront censorship, hidden identities, and the prolonged wait for closure.

Read more: Meet the artist who turned water into a metaphor for life

Meanwhile, Elisia Nghidishange’s protest banners highlight climate justice and environmental activism, linking the exploitation of African resources to colonial legacies.
Visitors have responded positively, describing the exhibition as both confronting and deeply humanising. Scholars and international audiences alike are drawn into the delicate interplay of activism and art, where grief, humour, labour, and resilience coexist on the same plane.

Unresolved: Memory, Protest, and Waiting does more than recount the past; it opens a dialogue, inviting audiences to witness histories that remain unsettled and to reflect on the ongoing impact across social groups, generations, and nations.

For those wishing to explore these difficult, yet vital histories, the exhibition runs until September 19 at Guns and Rain Gallery, which offers access Tuesday to Friday, 10:00 to 16:00, or by appointment with Taylor at 076 294 5332 or julie@gunsandrain.com.

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