A live exhibition titled "Uncovering / Recovering the Past" was held on 21 May at the Stellenbosch University Museum in South Africa, featuring sound, sculpture, and archival material. Created by artist Haroon Gunn-Salie, the exhibition explores the Truth and Reconciliation Commission's failure to prosecute apartheid-era crimes, focusing on the reopened inquest into the 1969 death of anti-apartheid cleric Imam Abdullah Haron while in police detention. The event was presented by the Centre for the Study of the Afterlife of Violence and The Reparative Quest (AVReQ) and included speakers such as human rights lawyer Odette Geldenhuys and senior research coordinator Westley Ceasar.
The exhibition matters because it uses artistic practice to provoke public reflection on unresolved historical injustices and the lack of political will to pursue post-apartheid prosecutions. By connecting younger generations with past events and amplifying calls for post-TRC access to justice, the work challenges the notion that apartheid has truly ended, arguing instead that South Africa remains in a "post-TRC" era. The integration of art with legal and commemorative efforts highlights how creative expression can drive social repair and accountability.