Steven Cohen: Long Life at Iziko South African National Gallery in Cape Town

Iziko Museums of South Africa will present Steven Cohen: Long Life, a major retrospective tracing four decades of work by the South African performance and visual artist Steven Cohen from 12 December 2025. Opening at the Iziko South African National Gallery in Cape Town’s Company’s Garden, the exhibition brings together installations, performance documentation, objects, film and archival material that reflect the scope of Cohen’s practice.

Cohen’s work has played an important part in shaping conversations on performance art in South Africa, France and several other contexts. His projects examine ideas linked to identity, politics, memory and belonging, while remaining grounded in personal narratives of loss, care and endurance. The title, Long Life, refers to a traditional Jewish expression of condolence that acknowledges grief while affirming the value of living. This sense of continuity and compassion runs through the works selected for the exhibition.

The installations follow a loosely chronological path, beginning with textile works from the late 1980s before moving into material related to Cohen’s uninvited public interventions of the 1990s and early 2000s, and concluding with more recent performances created for the stage. Together, these works outline a career marked by experimentation and sustained reflection on the place of the individual within society.

The exhibition is curated by Dr Anthea Buys, an independent curator and researcher based in South Africa.

Long Life is presented with the support of Iziko Museums of South Africa, the French Institute of South Africa and the Institut Français in Paris. A public programme including youth-focused educational activities, artist workshops and guided discussions will accompany the exhibition.

Keep an eye on Iziko’s website for more information!