South African work banned from Venice Biennale to be shown outside main event

"Elegy was conceived as a ritual of mourning for women killed in acts of sexualised or racialised violence, first commemorating murdered South African student Ipeleng Christine Moholane."

"The performance features seven operatically trained female performers emerging from a black background, holding a single high note for as long as they can before being replaced by another singer."

"The work also commemorates two murdered Nama women displaced and killed by German colonial forces, alongside Palestinian poet Hiba Abu Nada, who was killed in an Israeli airstrike."

"Elegy is accompanied by a ghazal that pays tribute to Abu Nada's poem I Grant You Refuge, written just ten days before her death, reflecting themes of loss and resilience."

Gabrielle Goliath's project, Elegy, will be exhibited at the Venice Biennale after being blocked from representing South Africa. The installation will be shown at Chiesa di Sant'Antonin for three months starting May 4. The South African pavilion remains empty as the government did not nominate a replacement. Elegy, a non-verbal performance, honors women killed in violence, including Palestinian poet Hiba Abu Nada. The work features operatically trained female performers and is accompanied by a ghazal tribute to Abu Nada's poem, reflecting on themes of mourning and loss.

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