“The Battle of Bloodriver (Die Slag van Bloedrivier / iMpi yaseNcome) was a hugely significant battle in the history of South Africa. It epitomised the dichotomic nature of history, where the same set of ‘facts’ (assuming they are accepted as true) holds a different meaning depending on which side of the Ncome river you look at them from. ‘n Goeie Dag vir ‘n Slag is an Afrikaans term that means both “A good day at last” and “A good day for a slaughter”.”
Created as a subversive re-imagining of the Cenotaph in the Voortrekker Monument, this sculptural furniture piece plays with the theme of authoritative history and the weight of grappling with history as a young Afrikaner – Nationalism, Apartheid and war.
Completed: 2018
Location: Everard Read Gallery, Rosebank, Johannesburg
© Nico van Loggerenberg / Johan Louw Stegmann
