It is a fitting tribute to South Africa’s heritage and its future, as well as a commemoration to one of the country’s most prolific sculptors.

Confrontation (1978), followed decades of sculptural experimentation. This colossal piece marks his conceptual transformation in the late 1970’s from more organic figurative work to the use of angular, cut steel and sharp planes. Although Villa was never a political artist, this work alludes to the trauma of the 1976 Soweto uprisings.

The unveiling of the relocated sculpture thus correlated with the Youth Day celebrations, and encouraged the wider public to reflect on the past 40 years in South Africa. For art lovers and the general public alike, the sharing of this thought-provoking landmark is a worthy expression of our national aspirations.