Documentary about Malangatana in the ambit of the Virtual Museum of Lusofonia

The prelude to the documentary “On the Trail of Malangatana: from Legacy to Memory”, took place on April 6 at the Nogueira da Silva Museum in Braga. With the support of CECS, the documentary of the researcher Lurdes Macedo was presented by her own, followed by a discussion with the participation of Mutxhini Malangatana Ngwenya (Malangatana Valente Ngwenya Foundation), José Carlos Venâncio (CECS / UBI) and Richard Gray London), moderated by Moisés de Lemos Martins (CECS / UM).

In this film is made reference to the life and work of Malangatana, highlighting his ability to work in various artistic spheres – painting, music, sculpture, etc. – as well as her role as a teacher, having worked with UNICEF. Being a project developed in the context of communication for development, the work of the author entitled “Sacred House of the Mabyaya Family”, a sculpture several meters high, is located in an abandoned space on the outskirts of the city of Maputo. maintenance for years. It is the objective of the Malangatana Valente Ngwenya Foundation to garner international support that allows the restoration and translation of this sculptural ensemble.

Richard Gray, who met Malangatana in the late 1970s in Mozambique, shared some memories of that period. José Carlos Venâncio considers the work of Malangatana fundamental for the “internationalization of African art”, and has the capacity to promote “the change of mentalities” around the contemporary artistic expressions.

The exhibition “Cores de Moçambique”, by Simone Faresin, preceded the debate surrounding this documentary. The photographer presented a set of images that resulted from his experiences in Mozambique and the proximity he established with the work of Malangatana.

The event ended with the idea that this is the first of several audiovisual works, in the area of ​​communication for development, that researcher Lurdes Macedo is developing. The documentary, which will be available soon on the website of the Virtual Museum of Lusophone (http://www.museuvirtualdalusofonia.com/), is a first step in raising awareness in the community at large of the need to preserve Malangatana’s legacy.