Buhlebezwe Siwani’s artistic practice is often informed by ancestral rituals and the relationship between Christianity and African spirituality as a spiritual healer who works within the space of the dead and the living. Central to her work is her own body, which operates as subject, object, form, medium, material, language, and site as she interrogates the patriarchal framing of the black female experience within the South African context. For the 14th Gwangju Biennale, Siwani has created a new site-specific installation drawing on her personal memories and experience training as a traditional healer and exploring the relationship between humankind and nature. The hanging wool ropes, which resemble vines, reference the belts worn by members of the Zion churches in Southern Africa during outdoor prayers. These belts create a connection between the wearers and their ancestors and their colours are highly symbolic. Siwani explains, ‘this is about healing our spirits, the spirits of our ancestors and recognising the power in what our land has gifted to us so that we can heal.’