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There Was Something Here Before

Arts & Culture

Campaigns

There Was Something Here Before is an interactive exhibition by urbanist Zahira Asmal that explores the layered histories of Cape Town and its overlooked connections to Sri Lanka. Presented in Colombo in July 2025, the exhibition reframes the city as a palimpsest shaped by colonialism, migration, labour, and resistance. Through spatial storytelling, archival fragments, and tactile engagement, it invites audiences to look beyond postcard imagery and reconsider the structures of memory, power, and belonging that continue to shape both cities.

The exhibition examines how cities are framed, remembered, and experienced. Moving from monumental cityscapes to intimate archival fragments, the exhibition reveals the hidden narratives of dispossession, slavery, and spatial apartheid that underpin contemporary Cape Town. Presented in Colombo, it creates a dialogue between South Africa and Sri Lanka, tracing shared histories across the Indian Ocean.

Industry

Urbanism

Client

Zahira Asmal

Year

2025

Strategy

We developed the exhibition’s visual and spatial language, translating complex research into a clear, layered experience. Large-format framed imagery established the dominant narrative, while a series of archival boxes and tactile artefacts introduced counter histories that visitors could physically open and explore. The result is a cohesive exhibition system that moves from macro to intimate, encouraging reflection, inquiry, and meaningful cross-cultural dialogue.

We developed the exhibition’s visual and spatial language, translating complex research into a clear, layered experience. Large-format framed imagery established the dominant narrative, while a series of archival boxes and tactile artefacts introduced counter histories that visitors could physically open and explore. The result is a cohesive exhibition system that moves from macro to intimate, encouraging reflection, inquiry, and meaningful cross-cultural dialogue.

Deliverables

Exhibition Identity, Exhibition Design, Exhibition Collateral (stamp, postcard, pamphlets)

Exhibition Identity, Exhibition Design, Exhibition Collateral (stamp, postcard, pamphlets)