Zanele Radebe
Vaal University of Technology
Absent Presence: Public Art and the Visibility of Gender-Based Violence
This paper examines how public art installations address the "absence presence" of victims of gender-based violence (GBV). Drawing on Avery Gordon's concept of "ghostly matters," it argues that artists strategically use objects and representations of the body to symbolize those lost to violence, making their absence visible and fostering social awareness.
Gordon's theory helps to analyze how these absences are not merely voids but powerful social forces that haunt the present, demanding recognition and justice. The study analyzes how these artistic interventions function as acts of witnessing, remembrance, and resistance against the erasure of victims' lives, challenging the social amnesia that often surrounds GBV.
Through case studies in four countries, the paper analyzes artworks: Abasindile (2018) an installation of women’s underwear by Carin Bester (South Africa); Red shoe installation (2020) by Elina Chauvet’s (Mexico), Bed-sheet flag (2023) by Georgia Lale (Greece) and Wall of dolls (2019) by Jo Squillo (Italy), to demonstrate how these visual strategies create a presence for absence, giving form to what Gordon calls "haunting presences."
Through qualitative methods, including visual and textual analysis of artworks and related documentation, this research investigates how artistic interventions contribute to public discourse on GBV. Specifically, it explores how these interventions challenge impunity by demanding accountability, and give presence to absence by forcing society to confront the reality of violence against women and its enduring impact.
BIOGRAPHY
Zanele Radebe is a dedicated Lecturer in the Fine Art program within the Visual Arts Department at the Vaal University of Technology.
She holds a Master of Technology (M-Tech) degree, which she obtained in 2019. Her academic and research work is grounded in gender studies, with a particular emphasis on the experiences, representation, and contributions of African women.
Radebe’s scholarship is informed by a strong feminist perspective, which she uses to critically engage with and challenge traditional cultural practices and societal norms. In addition to her research, she is passionate about integrating theory and practice in the classroom, inspiring students to think critically about art, identity, and culture.
Her work contributes meaningfully to the broader discourse on gender, cultural identity, and social justice in contemporary African contexts.