Bubblegum Club

Bubblegum Club Bubblegum Club is a cultural intelligence agency.

Our magazine is a compendium of images, news and opinion which presents our perspective on the people and production defining South African youth culture. Its vision is to present an alternative narrative on South African art and society, by showcasing cutting edge creators and their work. The magazine is not based solely on popularity or visibility, but aims to give exposure to individuals and gr

oups who embody passion and innovation. As well as being a showcase, the magazine is a platform for ideas and commentary which frame and advance cultural trends.

Umlilo’s artistic trajectory has always been defined by fluidity, experimentation, and an unrelenting push toward the fu...
20/02/2025

Umlilo’s artistic trajectory has always been defined by fluidity, experimentation, and an unrelenting push toward the future. With this latest project, she has not only redefined her own creative process but also offered a glimpse into a world where human and artificial intelligence collide, collaborate, and create something entirely new.

📸:

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Eight years ago, Umlilo set our digital cover alight—now, she graces our cover once again as we enter a new era. As Bubb...
19/02/2025

Eight years ago, Umlilo set our digital cover alight—now, she graces our cover once again as we enter a new era. As Bubblegum Club embraces transformation, so does Umlilo, diving into a bold creative rebirth infused with AI and sonic experimentation. This cover feature marks a full-circle moment, capturing an artist and a platform both reshaped by time, technology, and reinvention. Cover feature going live tomorrow.

Nolan Oswald Dennis‘ current exhibition at Zeitz MOCAA, Understudies,bears the weight of forgotten histories from the Gl...
06/02/2025

Nolan Oswald Dennis‘ current exhibition at Zeitz MOCAA, Understudies,bears the weight of forgotten histories from the Global South, intricately weaving these narratives into the framework of western cosmology and geology.

-Written by: Nabeela Karim ( )

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bubblegum’s website I 📸: Images courtesy of Zeitz Mocaa & Goodman Gallery

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35 years after Nelson Mandela’s release in February 1990, honours the ideals of equality and freedom.On Sunday, 16 Febr...
13/01/2025

35 years after Nelson Mandela’s release in February 1990, honours the ideals of equality and freedom.

On Sunday, 16 February, the International Theatre Amsterdam will host the 5th edition of the ZAM Nelson Mandela Lecture, featuring an inspiring lineup of stories, cultural performances, public discussions, and unexpected encounters.

The event will culminate in a powerful and thought-provoking lecture by multi-award-winning Kenyan investigative journalist John-Allan Namu.

For more visit

Paulina Reséndez speaks with Bubblegum Club about Basalto Collective’s founding, the symbolism of creation, time-transce...
11/12/2024

Paulina Reséndez speaks with Bubblegum Club about Basalto Collective’s founding, the symbolism of creation, time-transcending philosophies and how the collective are expanding their practice beyond the country’s borders.

Written by:Sabrina Roman ()

Full story on:
bubblegum’s website I 📸: Images courtesy of Basalto Collective

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The Abafa(ba)zi exhibition’s programme kicks off this Saturday 7 December 2024 with what will be an engaging panel discu...
05/12/2024

The Abafa(ba)zi exhibition’s programme kicks off this Saturday 7 December 2024 with what will be an engaging panel discussion titled: Collecting Narratives – The Perspective and Agency of Black Women

Panelists:

● Vuyiswa Xekatwane – Sangoma, Cultural Practitioner and Writer

● Mbali Kgame – Transdisciplinary Activist-Scholar and Creative Cultural Writer

● Melissa Goba - Artist | Curator | Writer

● Lweendo Hamukoma – Curator and Feminist Advocate (Moderator)

Followed by music by DJ Niksta and light snacks.

RSVP: [email protected] (“Abafabazi panel”)

Followed by music by DJ Niksta and light snacks. RSVP: [email protected] (“Abafabazi panel”)

The Goethe-Institut’s current exhibition Abafa(ba)zi is accompanied by a dynamic and thought-provoking programme featuri...
05/12/2024

The Goethe-Institut’s current exhibition Abafa(ba)zi is accompanied by a dynamic and thought-provoking programme featuring panel discussions, workshops, and walkabouts designed to engage visitors of all ages and interests. By intertwining creativity, storytelling, and cultural heritage, the programme fosters introspection while encouraging participants to become part of the broader dialogue. Each event is an opportunity to connect, reflect, and contribute, making this exhibition as much about participation as it is about representation.

The Abafa(ba)zi exhibition programme kicks off this Saturday 7 December 2024 with what will be an engaging panel discussion titled: Collecting Narratives – The Perspective and Agency of Black Women

Full story on:
bubblegum’s website I 📸: Images courtesy of The Goethe Institute

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(ba)zi

&Culture

The Contemporary Archive Project (CAP) has assembled 10 photographers to create a presentation showcasing the multiplici...
03/12/2024

The Contemporary Archive Project (CAP) has assembled 10 photographers to create a presentation showcasing the multiplicity of angles from which life can be viewed and possibly understood. The 10 photographers who form part of this exhibition care about how they present the people and spaces they have chosen. The representation of even the most sensitive of subjects is a form of changing how certain subjects are presented.

-Written by: Mbusi Mzolo (

Full story on:
bubblegum’s website I 📸: Images courtesy of The Manor

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The Abafa(ba)zi exhibition will be hosted at the Goethe-Institut Johannesburg, opening at 6:00 pm on Thursday, 21 Novemb...
29/11/2024

The Abafa(ba)zi exhibition will be hosted at the Goethe-Institut Johannesburg, opening at 6:00 pm on Thursday, 21 November 2024, and running through to Wednesday, 28 February 2025. The opening will feature DJ sets by Ms Niksta and Nombuso. This dynamic event offers a unique chance to immerse yourself in the artistry, stories, and resilience of African women across generations.

Full story on:
bubblegum’s website I 📸: Images courtesy of the Artists via Goethe-Institut

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Fashion Accounts, which reexamines the practices of collecting, archiving, and memorialising through dress is arguably o...
28/11/2024

Fashion Accounts, which reexamines the practices of collecting, archiving, and memorialising through dress is arguably one of the greatest triumphs of local museum work in recent years. Curated by Wanda Lephoto, Erica de Greef, and Alison Moloney, it explores memory, resistance, and preservation, featuring works by The Sartists, Mimi Duma, Thebe Magugu, and Sindiso Khumalo among others. I took it upon myself to track down one of the curators, Erica de Greef and asked pertinent questions on behalf of the fashion-loving BubblegumClub community.

-Written by:Thembeka Sincuba ()

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bubblegum’s website I 📸: Images courtesy of The Manor

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The book is arranged in four parts. The first part is titled Zazi. In the main, this chapter is concerned with the knowl...
28/11/2024

The book is arranged in four parts. The first part is titled Zazi. In the main, this chapter is concerned with the knowledge of the self. But the approach that the book takes is not a Cartesian, rather it insists that we can only know ourselves through others. The Hermanueutic of the self is that I see you therefore I am. My knowledge of myself is through acknowledging the other’s existence. Ubuntu proper. The second part of the book emphasizes the importance of knowing one’s worth. The book gestures to the fact that we all have resources within us but what becomes problematic is that we live in a world where it is easy for one to not recognize these resources because we exist in a society that dictates on our behalf what is worth and what is not. The manual insists that we must not be trapped in the logic of capitalism but holistically look at what worth means and how to use it in a way that benefits not only the individual but the community.

-Written by:Mbe Mbhele

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bubblegum’s website I 📸: Images courtesy of Sabelo Soko

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Justice Mukheli is a South African filmmaker, photographer, and creative entrepreneur whose career includes directing Ba...
26/11/2024

Justice Mukheli is a South African filmmaker, photographer, and creative entrepreneur whose career includes directing Ballantine’s 2021 Stay True campaign and showing his work at the 2019 Also Known As Africa art fair in Paris. Born in Soweto, Mukheli’s Venda heritage informs his storytelling, which took off in 2010 with personal photo projects. A gifted Canon camera sparked his mission to challenge stereotypes and reframe Black South African narratives. He recently shared insights with BubblegumClub on childhood, fatherhood and creative practice.

-Written by:Thembeka Sincuba ()

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bubblegum’s website I 📸: Images courtesy of Justice Mukheli

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Absolutely, repurposing is central to our process, and each project often leaves behind materials that carry new potenti...
26/11/2024

Absolutely, repurposing is central to our process, and each project often leaves behind materials that carry new potential. For us, these remnants aren’t just scraps—they’re building blocks for future creations, each with its own story. For example, fabric offcuts from one upcycling project might become the patchwork for a new collection or even inspire a series of textile art pieces. This approach lets us explore evolving motifs, like resilience and transformation, which have become part of The Revival’s creative DNA.

-Written by:Sabrina Roman ()

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bubblegum’s website I 📸: Images courtesy of The Revival

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On Saturday, 30 November 2024, the Goethe-Institut Johannesburg will host a vibrant day of family-friendly art and music...
25/11/2024

On Saturday, 30 November 2024, the Goethe-Institut Johannesburg will host a vibrant day of family-friendly art and music activities at the Goethe Clubhouse. Running from 11:00 am to 3:30 pm, this free event is open to the public and promises a diverse range of creative workshops, musical performances, and interactive entertainment for all ages. This event invites families to come together for a day of learning, artistic expression, and culture.

Full story on:
bubblegum’s website I 📸: Images courtesy of Goethe-Institut

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It is undeniable that The Qwellers are currently the front runners of the current crop emerging from the South African H...
22/11/2024

It is undeniable that The Qwellers are currently the front runners of the current crop emerging from the South African Hip-Hop scene as they continue to release music and blaze a trail that will be spoken about for years to come. If you are familiar with them it would not be a surprise to you that all members of the group release music as individuals apart from the street anthems they create as a collective, similar to The Wrecking Crew. Sastii, a prominent member of the group, released an EP titled Impi yeKakapani which is his second body of work of 2024 with him releasing a collaborative album with Dusse Wavy titled AMA-N*GGA EZWE just under a month before the release of the EP.

-Written by:Lethabo Motseleng

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bubblegum’s website I 📸: Images courtesy of [sight]less Studios

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Seth Pimentel, known by his moniker African Ginger, is a Johannesburg-based artist born in 1995. Primarily using digital...
22/11/2024

Seth Pimentel, known by his moniker African Ginger, is a Johannesburg-based artist born in 1995. Primarily using digital platforms, Pimentel’s style incorporates painterly forms and textures, merging fine art sensibilities with cool, contemporary illustration. His hip eye has meant that Pimentel has collaborated with major brands like Netflix, Converse, Redbull, Hennessey and Adobe. After some time, BubblegumClub had the opportunity to catch up with the wildly successful artist about his creative practice and the influences behind his work.

-Written by:Thembeka Sincuba ()

Full story on:
bubblegum’s website I 📸: Images courtesy of Seth Pimentel via Instagram

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Based in South Africa, but with a growing international reach, we are inspired by work that is experimental without being restricted to exclusive spaces. And which is populist without pandering to the overhyped vacuity of the dominant celebrity culture.

Our name itself is a homage to the rich legacy of 80s’s Bubblegum Music, which combined cutting edge technology with local and international influences to make electronic music that was both wildly successful and playfully avant garde. Our aim is to update this legacy of popular modernism for a new reality of network culture and hyperstimulation, exposing and championing the treasures that may be lost in the pursuit of the next social media fix.

The post-colonial contradiction of South Africa is that despite deep wells of talent, creators feel a lack of self-confidence about their place in the world. A legacy of isolation has encouraged the distorted sense that culture is something taking place ‘overseas’, in the imagined metropole. Despite the global influence of South African music, dance, art and fashion a self-limiting mentality is still evident. Our goal is to help build the self-belief of the talented minds out there in music, art and fashion, and to consolidate South Africa as a voice in global conversations.