Mocke J van Veuren / Nelisiwe Xaba Uncles & Angels / Scars & Cigarettes

[Dance]

The “reed dance” is a ritual celebrating young women’s virginity, which was revived in the 1980s and has since been associated to sexual violence occurring on that day. With videos by Mocke J van Veuren, Nelixiwe Xaba – who has previously worked with Robyn Orlin and Ketty Noël – conjures the dreams and nightmares of a young girl to explore the subversion of this tradition.