It has been announced that London will present the world premiere of a brand new exhibition looking at the extraordinary life of Nelson Mandela, opening at 26 Leake Street in 2019.
This new major global touring exhibition will open in London on the 8th February 2019, featuring many previously unseen objects belonging to the late world leader.
Known world over as lawyer, political prisoner, world leader and a revolutionary, Nelson Mandela’s extraordinary life will be celebrated in this exhibition marking the centenary of his birth.
Designed to educate and inspire, Nelson Mandela: The Official Exhibition will showcase many personal belongings and objects never previously seen outside of South Africa. Items to be displayed in the exhibition will include: the suit worn for the opening of the South African parliament in 1996; a traditional head dress gifted to him by The King of Xhosa people, King Xolilzwe Sigcawu as he awarded Mandela the ancient tribal warrior honour of the Isithwalandwe Sesizwe, for the first time in two centuries; his presidential desk and chair and his much loved iconic beige trench coat.
The objects selected for the exhibition will be on display alongside immersive media presentations and scenic re-creations, to enable visitors to actively engage with and experience key moments in Nelson Mandela’s life.
Nelson Mandela: The Official Exhibition will take visitors on a journey through his extraordinary life from his little-known beginnings in rural Mvezo, Transkei, through decades of turbulent struggle against the apartheid regime, to his eventual vindication and final years as South Africa’s first black president, ‘Father of South Africa.
Talking about the news Nelson Mandela’s grandson, Nkosi Zwelivelile Mandela said: “The Royal House of Mandela is delighted to endorse this exhibition honouring the life and legacy of Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela as it truly captures the spirit of our global icon whose name has become synonymous with international solidarity, justice and peace. It succeeds in quintessentially depicting the man and the legend whose struggle and sacrifice has captivated the hearts and minds of millions around the world. This exhibition is truly an inspiration and an inspired effort; I believe that everyone who sees it will agree that the legacy lives on and that the dream will never die.”
The exhibition is being created in collaboration with the Royal House of Mandela and the Mvezo Development Trust.
Nelson Mandela: The Official Exhibition will be on display at 26 Leake Street from the 8th February 2019. For more information visit: https://mandelaexhibition.com/.