Mosi-Oa-Tunya Perennial

The Livingstone Office for Contemporary Art (LoCA) is proud to announce the inaugural Mosi-oa-Tunya Perennial, an international contemporary art programme that launched in Livingstone, Zambia, on September 12, 2026 and will run until March 31, 2027. Bringing together artists, curators, researchers, musicians, filmmakers, archivists, historians and cultural practitioners from across Africa and around the world, the Perennial proposes a new model for international exhibition-making rooted in the histories, ecologies and movements of Southern Africa.

Developed over more than three years through LoCA’s research programmes, artist laboratories, public workshops and curatorial exchanges, the Mosi-oa-Tunya Perennial emerges from an ongoing commitment to strengthening contemporary art in Zambia while contributing to international conversations about the future of cultural institutions. Rather than replicating established biennial models, the Perennial envisions what an international exhibition can become when imagined from Livingstone, a historically connected and ecologically significant city.

The name "Perennial" reflects more than recurrence. It speaks to systems that regenerate, adapt and return over time. Drawing inspiration from the region’s perennial river systems, ecological cycles, and the long histories of movement that have shaped Southern Africa, the programme considers how exhibitions might be organised around principles of exchange, continuity, and renewal rather than spectacle alone. It asks a timely question: “what would an international exhibition look like if it were informed by the enduring pathways of people, knowledge, animals and culture that have crossed this region for centuries?”

LoCA has been working for years to guide young artists and curators in developing their practices to an internationally recognisable standard. Alumni of the LoCA Mini-Labs and studio programs have won awards and shown work on other continents, but the organisation’s focus now is to bring the international arts community to Zambia and the region.

The Perennial aims to show what a biennial could be in places like Zambia, Botswana, or Lesotho and other Southern African nations with limited formal arts education institutions, museums of contemporary art, and limited access to current discourse and knowledge production.

Across seven months, the Perennial will activate existing contemporary, historical and heritage sites throughout Livingstone through a multidisciplinary programme that includes newly commissioned exhibitions, public art projects, artist residencies, film screenings, performances, music, workshops, masterclasses, publishing initiatives, educational programmes and an international symposium. Together, these programme strands aim to create sustained opportunities for artistic production, public dialogue and professional exchange while supporting long-term cultural development within the region.

Since its establishment in 2014, the Livingstone Office for Contemporary Art has become an important platform for research, artistic experimentation and critical dialogue in Zambia. Through its Mini-Labs, workshops, residencies and public programmes, LoCA has supported a growing generation of artists and curators whose practices are contributing to regional and international conversations. The Mosi-oa-Tunya Perennial represents the next stage of this work: extending LoCA’s commitment to research and capacity building into a recurring international platform for contemporary art.

About the Livingstone Office for Contemporary Art (LoCA)
LoCA is a non-profit library and research centre located in Livingstone, Zambia. It serves as a collaborative platform for reflection and as an experimental think tank. Its focus is on exploring how various histories relate to language and contemporary art, both locally and internationally. LoCA’s overall goal is to raise awareness and facilitate and promote Zambian contemporary art, African art history, and research. 

LoCA’s international advisory committee includes: Gabi Ngcobo, Lerato Bereng, Zasha Colah, N’Gone Fall, Ade Darmawan, Victoria Phiri, Romeo Gongora, Elvira Dyangani Ose, Nontobeko Ntombela, Emily Pethick.

The Mosi-oa-Tunya Perennial is developed in collaboration with a growing network of institutional comrades and partners across the world, including: Ora Loapi, Chimurenga, Picha, Tenthaus, OnCurating, ARAC, Zeitz MOCAA, National Gallery of Zimbabwe, Livingstone National Museum, National Gallery, Livingstone, LuCAC, Women’s History Museum of Zambia, National Heritage and Conservation Commission and WayiWayi.