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Museums Johannesburg South Africa

Museums Johannesburg South Africa

by | Nov 1, 2025 | Museum

Photographer

Terry Randolph

Museum Artwork Display

Museums

Wits Art Museum, Museum of Illusions, Apartheid Museum, Origins Centre Museum, Johannesburg Art Gallery

Johannesburg, South Africa

Museums serve to collect, preserve, interpret, and display objects of cultural, historical, or scientific importance. Their main roles include protecting heritage for future generations and supporting education through exhibitions and programs aligned with academic curricula.

In Johannesburg, South Africa, museums are actively engaged in a range of projects, including ongoing conservation efforts, new exhibitions, and community outreach initiatives. Many institutions also focus on research and programming related to their collections. For example, the South African Museum houses over 1.5 million specimens of scientific significance, ranging from fossils nearly 700 million years old to insects and fish recently caught and displayed.

Below are a few images from various sources taken during my visit.

 

Egyptian Museum Cairo Egypt

Egyptian Museum Cairo Egypt

by | Nov 16, 2024 | Museum

archaeology

Egyptian Sarcophagi

Egyptian Burial Rites
Visit to the Egyptian Museum, Cairo, Egypt

November 5, 2024

I arrived in Cairo from Malaysia via Dubi on 3rd Nov 2024 for a seven day stay and participate in the UN World Urban Conference, which was occurring at the Cairo, Egypt Exhibition Centre from 4th to 8th November. Conference sessions allowed little time to tour the attractions in Cairo and elsewhere in Egypt. But I found time to visit two local museums, this one being The Egyptian Museum, Cairo, Egypt. I place my photos here to highlight my adventures. I was not disappointed about time limitations because on a previous trip to Egypt, I visited major attractions in various locations in the country during my two-week stay.

Mentuemhat

Black granite bust of Mentuemhat, Priest of Amun, Mayor of Thebes, and Counselor.

Mentuemhet was a rich and powerful mayor and priest of Thebes and Governor of Upper Egypt who rebuilt the city after the Assyrians destroyed it. The Son of Nesptah; who was the mayor of Thebes, and a third Prophet of Amun; husband to three (Neskhonsu, Shepenmut, Wadjerenes), Mentuemhat was a fourth Prophet of Amun, mayor of Thebes, and governor of upper egypt. He lived c. 700 BC in Thebes, Egypt during the 25th Dynasty. His tomb (TT34, Theban Necropolis) was the largest tomb that was built for non-royalty.
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Ancient African history

“With each passing decade as quality research supported by scientific evidence becomes available, the so-called ‘Africanists’ who hold sway to Eurocentric ideas of the inferiority of African peoples, their heritage and contributions to civilization, will increasingly lose ground but not without bitter fighting because ‘whiteness’, i.e., skin color, though by far the weakest of all arguments, and seemingly not the last, remains as a powerful tool put forth to justify the false discourse of racial superiority, for which humanity will face continuous dire circumstances of an ever-heightening and unfathomable magnitude.”
—Prof. Martin Bernal (1937-2013)

According to the evidence we now have, humankind started in Africa. But the question raised by people who should know better is: “But what has Africa contributed to world progress? “ Let’s not forget scientists who agree that Africa was the birthplace of humans, and that for many centuries after that, Africa led the way in world progress. The prehistoric native of Egypt, both in the old and in the new Stone Ages, was an African, and the earliest settlers came from the South. The manners, customs, and religions of the ancient Egyptians suggest that their prehistoric ancestors originated in a region near Uganda and Punt, the biblical land in present-day Somalia; facts still being misappropriated by various scholars bent on maintaining a ‘White’ racial characterization.

The land of the Blacks was a vast territory covering 12,000,000 squire miles. Its northernmost point in what is now Tunisia to Cape Agulhas is 5,000 miles, and east to west is 4,600 miles. This area was once “The Land of the Blacks”. This was long before Asian, Greek, and Roman occupations; after which the term “Sudan” came to show the areas not yet taken from the Blacks, yet were coextensive with the Ethiopian empire. We encourage an unbiased research of ancient Greek scholars, through Herodotus, who with pride referred to completing their education in Ethiopia, her ‘oldest daughter’ being Egypt, the north-eastern region of ancient Ethiopia. The six cataracts of the Nile River were the predominant watermarks in the heartland of the Blacks whence African culture spread over the continent, but nowhere was it pronounced as in Egypt.

The prime significance of African history becomes manifest when acknowledged that the deliberate denial of African history arose from European expansion and invasion of Africa, which began in the middle of the fifteenth century; an attempt to justify conquest, domination, enslavement, and plunder of the continent based to a successful extent on the misunderstanding and misappropriation of Christianity. Of note is the fact that the civilization of Egypt, which outlasted any other known civilization, about 10,000 years, had reached its height and was in decline before Europe was born.

About Marvin

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Visit External Websites

Kushite Dynasty
Civilization of Kush
Cheikh Anta Diop
History of Africa
Cairo Coptic Church
Sustained Project

Peacock the Sentinel

Peacock the Sentinel

by | Sep 19, 2024 | Museum

Peacock (peafowl)  ⎯  the sentinel

peacock symbolism

Peacock the Sentinel. The peacock symbolism represents beauty, grace, renewal, and spiritual awakening. The peacock is native to India, Asia, and Central Africa, where various tales give it deep significance.

Peacocks symbolize beauty, as they have vivid feathers pleasing to the eye. The rich colors of its feathers, combined with its crown-like crest on the top of its head, conveys stateliness, a employing majestic quality. It deploys masculine power in its highest expressing during the mating season when the colors of its feathers are at the height of maturity.

The male peacock exemplifies the beauty of masculinity at its pinnacle. Male peacocks gather, demonstrating the brotherhood of men. With a fierce and unyielding nature, they embody aggression, serving as a symbol of protection to safeguard their loved ones and keep them secure. Translated in human terms, it conveys spiritual, emotional, and psychological well-being both for self and the ones we love; relating to fulfillment of the oneness of humankind.

Female peacocks have a reputation for assisting each other in raising and caring for their chicks. Because of this, people consider female peacocks as symbols of sisterhood and the spirit of women supporting other women.

The peacock symbolizes good-luck, wealth, renewal, rebirth, and immortality. Peacocks shed their feathers at the end of the mating season and grow new feathers in time for the next mating season, a symbol of renewal, rebirth. In human terms, this symbolizes the appropriateness of transitioning into a new era.

Peacocks symbolize versatility: able to live in different climates, thrive in warm and tropical conditions, and tolerate winter-like temperatures. In human terms, this means adapting to changing times and in ways that value sustainable environmental conditions and the benefits derived from a diversity-inclusive humanity.

Ancient Egypt

Ancient Egypt was the north-eastern region of ancient Ethiopia, the northern sector of the Ethiopian empire that is the object of world attention from the earliest times. The six cataracts of the Nile were the abiding watermarks. They are in the heartland of the black peoples, from which African culture spread throughout the continent, but remained more pronounced in Egypt. In this area, peacocks were symbols of healing, protection, well-being, and the large circle on a peacock’s feather was a symbol of protection.\

West Africa

The Congo peafowl (Afropavo congensis), also known as the African peafowl or mbulu by the Bakôngo, is a species of peafowl native to the Congo Basin. It belongs to one of the three species of peafowl and is the sole member of the Pavoninae subfamily that is native to Africa. 

Chieftains use the feathers, which have a sacred significance, based on tradition. The Yoruba People associate the peacock with the goddess Oshun, the ruler of water, fertility, purity, love, and sensuality. There is also a legend that shares how the peacock saved the world.

Buddhism

In Buddhism, the way the peacock is able to regenerate his feathers is thought to be a symbol of reincarnation. It also symbolizes the ability for us to learn and transform ourselves. The peacock’s ability to open its feathers symbolizes how we expand our consciousness to become enlightened.

Chinese

In China, the peacock is symbolic of majesty, protection, divinity, and beauty, as well as the triumph over evil. In Chinese myths, the peacock was associated with Guan Yin, a goddess who could turn evil into beauty.

Islam

In Islam, the peacock comes with various meanings, and meanings excite controversy. In one tale, the peacock was tricked by the devil, who came in the form of a snake. The snake appealed to the peacock’s vanity. Therefore, the snake entered the gates of Paradise, and after, the snake would corrupt it. In some Islamic stories, the peacock is thought to have the ability to move in and out of paradise.

India and Hinduism

The peacock is India’s national bird, making it an important figure in Indian and Hindu culture. In addition, the peacock is much like the Phoenix. Some say that the Phoenix is part peacock.

Dravidian tribes thought that the peacock’s feathers are sacred, which makes them an essential totem animal. The Dravidians, an ethnolinguistic group that includes people from India and other parts of Southern Asia, view the peacock as a symbol of Mother Earth.

Greek Mythology

Alexander the Great was perhaps the first one to introduce the ancient Greeks to peacocks, perhaps during the 4th century BC. Later, the ancient Greeks incorporated the peacock into their creation myths.

Persia

The peacock is the symbol of the Persian/Iranian monarchy. This symbolism originates from the Peacock Throne, a famous golden throne stolen from India by the Persians in 1739. The peacock is a popular motif in Persian designs.

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Omanye House

Omanye House

by | Jan 9, 2024 | Museum, Abstract

Slide 1
Omanye House

The Artists Alliance Gallery, known as Omanye House in Accra, Ghana, showcases the talents of various local artists. Provided is a glimpse of artwork on display during my visit (30/12/23).

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Artists Alliance Gallery

“The well-respected Ghanaian artist Ablade Glover has established this famous art scene,”⎯Omanye House⎯” which has become one of the most important art venues in Ghana. Three expansive art floors were exhibited in the cool marble gallery, exhibited by famous artists such as Owusu Ankomah and George Hughes, whose paintings reminiscent of Jean Michel Basquiat, Willem De Kooning, and other painters. It is a new and upcoming artist such as Ebenezer Borlabie. Market, country and urban scenes are full of political satire – of course, Glover himself has caged characters and intermittent crowd scenes.”

“There are also collectors’ works: Asafo logo appliqués and embroidered symbols; Akan and Ewe’s ancient banded knit Kente fabrics; African masks; and finely carved furniture. Also on display are crabs, running shoes and eagle-shaped full-size coffins. Everything is for sale.”

“The Artists Alliance Gallery has been dedicated to bringing attention to traditional and contemporary African art worldwide. The mission of the gallery is to provide art connoisseurs with rich and authentic contemporary art and traditional African art, as well as value-for-money art services. The gallery has invested a great deal of time and energy to ensure that the artists and artworks displayed are made of high-quality materials and craftsmanship to ensure their longevity.”  ⎯Artists Alliance Gallery

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Artificial Intelligence Makes Art

Artificial Intelligence Makes Art

by | Sep 4, 2023 | Museum, Artificial Intelligence

Unsupervised

Artificial Intelligence — Machine Hallucinations
 

By artist Refik Anadol

The Museum of Modern Art, New York City, New York

Abstract

Artificial Intelligence. “What would a machine dream about after seeing the collection of The Museum of Modern Art? For Unsupervised, artist Refik Anadol (b. 1985) uses artificial intelligence to interpret and transform more than 200 years of art at MoMA. Known for his groundbreaking media works and public installations, Anadol has created digital artworks that unfold in real time, continuously generating new and otherworldly forms that envelop viewers in a large-scale installation.”

Exhibition

AI Generated Image

Video

CNNs Fareed Zakaria, Global Public Square (GPS). Refik Anadol, the artist behind MoMA’s AI installation “Unsupervised,” explains how the AI model behind it makes artistic decisions. I watched this interview, was greatly interested, and decided to create a post.

Enter to View

Refik Anadol (2017)

Artworks / Artificial intelligence

Deep Learning — AI, Art
History, and The Museum of Modern Art

Computational Creativity

The Metropolitan Museum of Modern Art

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