Saturday, 7 March 2026 to Sunday, 3 May 2026
Warmoes Biënnale: Buhlebezwe Siwani
What happens when faith becomes audible in a place where it was forced to remain hidden for centuries?
Buhlebezwe Siwani has created a work for the Warmoes Biennale presentation at Our Lord in the Attic Museum. In it she reflects on what seems to her to be an intriguing paradox: the hidden church of Our Lord in the Attic situated amid the palpable sexuality of the Red Light district. She is interested in those who in today’s ostensibly open and tolerant society still manage to remain out of sight.
Siwani’s work invites the observer to notice minorities who often go undetected and may even be in danger of disappearing entirely. Her installation features Alejandra and Bruna, two transwomen of colour who are both religious and (former) sex workers.
The installation shows photos of Alejandra and Bruna visiting the hidden church. Siwani, Alejandra and Bruna’s reflections are written as quotes on the wall.
Buhlebezwe Siwani
Buhlebezwe Siwani (b. 1987) is a South African multidisciplinary artist and sangoma (traditional spiritual healer), born and raised in Johannesburg. During her nomadic youth she lived in both the Eastern Cape and KwaZulu-Natal, which enabled her to form her ideas about community, identity and colonial history. Siwani analyses historical and contemporary power structures and poses social and political questions using her own life story and experience as a starting point.
Siwani’s work encompasses performance, photography, sculpture and installations.
The Warmoes Biennale
Our Lord in the Attic Museum is part of the first Warmoes Biennale from 7 March to 3 May 2026. Throughout the two-month cultural event nineteen characteristic venues in Amsterdam’s inner city link together through contemporary art. Visitors are invited to explore the city anew free of charge and at some unusual locations.
Tolerance and meaningfulness are central themes in Siwani’s work. Her analyses have a direct historical context at Our Lord in the Attic: a hidden church where for centuries Catholics were able to practise their proscribed faith. Catholics were tolerated as long as their religion remained out of the public gaze. Tolerance and intolerance are major themes at Our Lord in the Attic Museum.