Riaan 
Emsebenzini wabo, amaciko e-Keiskamma acabangela zonke izinhlobo zesipiliyoni sendawo, kusukela ekuguquguqukeni kwesimo sezulu kuya ku-HIV/Aids, kanye nomzabalazo wobulungiswa bezinhlanga nokulingana ngokobulili. Ukuziqhenya ngendawo embukisweni kuya esahlukweni sokuqala endabeni ye-Keiskamma Art Project: the I-Keiskamma Tapestry. Yaqedwa ngo-2003, iyingqophamlando ekufekethweni komphakathi: leyo egcina umlando weminyaka engama-300 wase-Eastern Cape ku-120m we-red-ocher hessian.
Ekuqaleni sibona ama-San bushmen, ama-silhouette abo afana nesithombe sawo sasendulo ubuciko bedwala. Impilo yansuku zonke yasemakhaya kanye nesiko lamaXhosa kukhunjulwa kanye nezigcawu zokuhlasela kwamakoloni kanye nonya olwenziwa amasosha amaDashi namaNgisi ngekhulu le-18 nele-19. I-Frontier Wars. Ngaphansi kwekhasethi, uNelson Mandela ushisa incwadi yakhe yokungena ephikisana nalokhu Isibhicongo saseSharpeville – ethungwe ngokudelela eduze “kwe-architect of apartheid” U-Hendrink Verwoerd. Izithombe zokuhlukunyezwa nokuphikiswa, okuhlanganisa nokuvukela umbuso kwaseSoweto, zivela ngaphambi kokuba sibone amabhokisi okuvota athungwa ngesandla avela ezweni lokuqala lentando yeningi eNingizimu Afrika. ukhetho ngo-1994.
“Uma sibheka emuva senza uhlobo lokubuyisela umlando wethu ukuze umhlaba ubone ukuthi singobani,” umculi we-Keiskamma owasungulwa kudala u-Veronica Betani utshela i-BBC Culture.
“Umlando weHamburg nawo ungumlando waseNingizimu Afrika, nawo wonke umlando wawo wamakoloni ongakaxazululwa kanye nomlando onzima wezifo eziwubhubhane,” kusho umdidiyeli walo mbukiso. Azu Nwagbogu. “Ukuqina kanye nentando yabantu kuye kwaklanywa ama-tapestries.”
Amandla enqubo
Uma abantu behlangana ukuze bathunge umlando wendawo, bakha isikhala esingabaluleka njengomphumela wokugcina. I-Keiskamma Art Project yaqala ngesikhathi imihlangano yokufundisa yamahhala yokufekethisa ivulwa ngabakwa- I-Keiskamma Trust ngo-2002. Abesifazane babekhokhelwa ngakho konke okuthungiwe, izinombolo zakhula, futhi isitudiyo saseKeiskamma saba isizinda sokufunda umlando wendawo, ukwabelana ngezinkumbulo, nokuluka lezo zindaba zibe ama-tapestries. Namuhla, ubuciko be-Keiskamma buwumthombo obalulekile wemali engenayo yasendaweni, kodwa umculi obonakalayo nomfundisi Nobukho Nqaba uchaza ukuthi abaculi be-Keiskamma “babelana, bathunge futhi babhale ukuhlukumezeka komuntu siqu nokuhlangene – okutholwa iningi labantu abamnyama baseNingizimu Afrika – njengendlela yokwelapha.”
“Silahlekelwe ozakwethu abaningi kakhulu emgwaqeni,” kusho uBetani, “Eminyakeni edlule ngangicabanga ukuthi ngeke ngiphumelele ngoba kwatholakala ukuthi nginokucindezeleka, nesifo sokuwa. Ngemva kwalokho, ngathola ukuthi ngine-HIV. Zonke lezo zinto zingenze ngacabanga ukuthi ‘lokhu ukuphela kwendlela’ kodwa akunjalo. Ngakho-ke, yimina ophumayo futhi ofayo njengenyanga.” Impumelelo ye-Keiskamma Tapestry yasho ukuthi u-Betani nozakwabo baqale eminye imisebenzi yesikhumbuzo nayo etholakala ku-retrospective, kuhlanganise I-Keiskamma Guernica kanye ne I-Altarpiece ye-Keiskamma. Zombili zikhombisa umthelela we-HIV/Aids e-Hamburg. Izingubo zokulala ezivela e-Keiskamma Treatment Center zifakwa ku-tapestry yase-Guernica, kuyilapho i-Altarpiece incwelisa ogogo bendawo ababenakekela imindeni yabo phakathi nalolu bhubhane.
