Memory isn’t always visual. Sometimes it’s a familiar melody, a scent carried through the air, or a rhythm that instantly transports you to another place and time.
That idea sits at the heart of Revisiting, a new solo exhibition by Zimbabwean-born, Cape Town-based artist Ronald Muchatuta, opening at HUB Gallery on Thursday, 2 July 2026.
The exhibition presents a series of interactive mosaic works constructed from beads, thread and found objects, including traditional baskets and masks. Hidden within each artwork is a QR code that unlocks an accompanying sound composition, inviting audiences to experience the work through both sight and sound.
Rather than using technology as a spectacle, Muchatuta employs AI-assisted composition as another creative tool. Drawing from African rhythmic traditions, electronic music and improvisational structures, each soundtrack extends the physical artwork into an immersive sensory experience.
Reflecting on the exhibition, Muchatuta describes the works as “neither archive nor invention, but a conversation between memory and possibility.”
That idea runs throughout Revisiting. The handcrafted mosaics are rooted in traditional materials and labour-intensive techniques, while the digitally generated sound introduces another layer through which memory can be experienced, interpreted and shared. Together, they create what the exhibition presents as hybrid archives, where craft, technology and participation exist alongside one another.
The exhibition also arrives at a moment when conversations around migration, identity and belonging continue to shape South Africa’s cultural landscape. Having left Zimbabwe to establish his artistic practice in Cape Town, Muchatuta’s work reflects on how memory, heritage and cultural identity continue to evolve across borders and generations.
Instead of presenting traditional objects as static artefacts, Revisiting reactivates them through sound. Audiences are encouraged to scan, listen and engage with each piece, shifting the gallery experience beyond observation into participation.
The result is an exhibition that asks broader questions about how cultural memory is preserved, how technology can contribute to storytelling, and how contemporary African artists continue to reinterpret inherited traditions without losing their significance.
Exhibition Details
Exhibition: Revisiting
Artist: Ronald Muchatuta
Dates: 2 to 31 July 2026
Venue: HUB Gallery, 25 Commercial Street, Cape Town
For more information about HUB Gallery, visit https://houseunionblock.co.za/.
Ronald Muchatuta’s work can also be followed on Instagram at @muchatuta.
