Celebrating Puleng Plessie: Selected for CIMAM’s 58th Annual Conference in Harare

The Javett Art Centre at the University of Pretoria (Javett-UP) is proud to congratulate our Curator for Education and Public Programmes, Puleng Plessie, on being selected to receive a travel grant to attend CIMAM's 58th Annual Conference, taking place in Harare, Zimbabwe, from 20–22 November 2026. Puleng is one of 42 museum directors, artistic directors, curators and researchers from 26 countries chosen to receive this recognition.

With the generous support of travel grant funder Mercedes Vilardell (Mallorca, Spain / London, UK), Puleng will have the opportunity to represent Javett-UP on this international platform, while sharing her work and perspectives as a curator, researcher and educator.

Her participation will also bring greater visibility to her work in advancing pedagogical curation as a transformative approach to knowledge production, exhibition-making and public engagement.

We celebrate this recognition of Puleng's contribution to the field and look forward to seeing the conversations, connections and possibilities that emerge from her participation. Congratulations, Puleng ! 

About Puleng Plessie

Puleng Plessie holds a master's degree in fine art from the University of Witwatersrand (2017) and is currently a PhD candidate at the University of Johannesburg. Her doctoral research develops a theory of "critical pedagogical curation" through the practices of African curators. She is an active member of the Johannesburg Working Group of the Another Roadmap Africa Cluster (ARAC), an international network dedicated to critical arts education in Africa. She has presented her research at national and international conferences addressing topics including decolonial education, curatorial practice, and museums.

Beyond her curatorial and research practice, Puleng serves as Chair of the Advisory Committee for the Department of Fine and Studio Arts at Tshwane University of Technology, where she supports academic initiatives that engage contemporary artistic and educational practices.