Mandela My Life: The Official Exhibition celebrates the life and achievements of Nelson Mandela on the 100th anniversary of his birth, showcasing a range of artefacts, documents and personal items.
The exhibition is the first global Nelson Mandela exhibition, featuring a huge collection of artefacts that have never left South Africa and will be making the rounds in 2019 on a five-year worldwide museum tour, debuting in Melbourne.
Some of the objects you can expect to see displayed at the exhibition are Muhammad Ali’s boxing glove which was signed and gifted to Mandela, the shoes and cane used by Mandela in his later years and a selection of his favourite ‘Madiba shirts’.
Mandela My Life: The Official Exhibition also features a rare passbook signed by Mandela. In The Pass Laws Act of 1952, all black South Africans over 16 were required to carry a passbook, a law which was brutally enforced as part of the apartheid regime until it was abolished in 1986. In 1960 Mandela famously burnt his passbook after anti-passbook protestors were massacred.
As well as a collection of items, the exhibition will also feature a huge archive of film, audio recordings and photographs of Mandela, providing an intimate look at his life and the incredible legacy he left behind.
“This exhibition has opened up the Mandela archives, bringing out many priceless items which have never before left South Africa,” says Minister for Creative Industries, Martin Foley. “We are honoured that the exhibition will have its world premiere in Melbourne, it shows the global standing of our museum and is another example of Victoria leading the way.”
