The MUHOLI Art Institute (MAI), founded by celebrated visual activist and artist Zanele Muholi, launched its international Mobile Artist-in-Residence (AiR) programme in Panama on January 14, 2026, in collaboration with Casa Santa Ana Foundation, an organisation dedicated to connecting people through art.

At the forefront of the vision for this programme is to bring a vibrant fusion of South African creativity to Panama City. Muholi will spearhead the project, produced by Lufuno Ramadwa, blending photography, music, dance, digital art, and film into an impactful and transformative cultural exchange. This fusion aims to showcase how art-forms rarely combined can create profound connections.

“At the heart of this collaboration is a celebration of diverse artistic expressions,” explains Muholi. “South African talents will converge with Panamanian creatives, creating a cross-cultural dialogue that transcends borders.” Muholi always has been and will continue to endeavour to export the nation’s rich artistic heritage, while simultaneously fostering global connections.

The robust programme includes PhotoXP training workshops, mentorship sessions, residency processes, exhibition development, public engagements, photography and Visual Activism, and the contextual presentation of Muholi’s iconic Faces and Phases series, while the outputs will include documentary films and multi-platform content, designed to advance MAI’s archival, educational, institutional, and promotional goals.

Music will feature contributions by opera singer Phumla Qampi, dance through dynamic performances by choreographer Lusanda Dayimani – blending traditional and contemporary movements, and photo and film insights from Lindeka Qampi of Black Women in Photography, emphasising both ethical representation and community storytelling. “Photography captures truths that words alone cannot,” says Qampi. “In Panama, we’ll document Black women’s experiences with consent and cultural sensitivity, building a legacy that educates and elevates marginalized voices worldwide.”

Muholi expands further on their overall vision: “Why is this important? We want to bring the visual arts along with music and dance from South Africa to the world. Not so many times such artforms are fused together. We want to create, connect, and embrace by showcasing and bringing different art forms.”

Presented as part of the month-long residency, Muholi’s exhibition Amalanga awafani (Days are not the same) will take place at Casa Santa Ana between 24 January and 19 April, 2026. Muholi says: “Amalanga awafani reminds us that no two days carry the same weight. In Panama, through these portraits and this gathering of voices and bodies, we assert presence, complexity, and joy in the face of erasure. I am deeply grateful to Casa Santa Ana for creating space for this conversation to unfold.”

South African photographer and curator of the exhibition Ruth Motau, adds: “Bringing Somnyama Ngonyama and Faces and Phases together under the title Amalanga awafani reveals the profound interconnections between self-representation and communal archiving. Muholi’s work insists on visibility as both personal act and political necessity, and this presentation in Panama extends that insistence across continents and lived experiences.”

“Casa Santa Ana was founded to connect people through contemporary art and to engage critically with the social realities of our time,” explains Carolina Hausmann, director of Casa Santa Ana. “Amalanga awafani reflects this mission by bringing Muholi’s work into dialogue with Panama’s own contexts, while fostering inclusion, visibility, and cross-cultural exchange.”

The exhibition is also supported by Panama’s Ministry of Culture. “On behalf of the Ministry of Culture, we want to celebrate the arrival of Zanele Muholi to Casa Santa Ana, an exhibition that opens a forum for dialogue and inclusion. Supporting these initiatives is essential for building a culture which reflects all voices and realities in our society,” said María Eugenia Herrera, Panamanian Minister of Culture.