Vir Volk en Vaderland

CCAC #:	0452
Artwork title:	Vir Volk en Vaderland
Artist(s):	Christiaan Diedericks
Year made:	2004
Artwork type:	Paper
Medium:	Print
Framed dimensions (in mm):	870 x 640
Edition:	7/50
Artwork series:	Resistance Reconstruction Reconciliation: Celebrating Ten Years of Democracy portfolio
Source:	Gifted to the CCAC by the artist for Human Rights Trust
Year acquired:	2004
Installation type:	Movable artwork
Current location:	On private display
Signage:	Vir Volk en Vaderland” is an Afrikaans phrase that translates to “For People and Fatherland”. This phrase is not used neutrally (it is loaded with historical and political weight.) “Volk” and “Vaderland” evoke Afrikaner nationalist ideology in South Africa, tied to ideas of belonging, exclusion and state power during apartheid. Within the artwork, the title frames the central portrait as a symbol of authority or identity shaped by that ideology, while the smaller internal scene introduces ambiguity and tension. This suggests a questioning or destabilising of those nationalist ideals rather than a celebration of them. Diedericks uses the phrase to probe how identities are constructed and imposed, exposing the gap between collective myths (“the people” and “the fatherland”) and lived, often conflicted realities.

Photographer: Staff
Photo copyright: CCT

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NOTE: The process of photographing artworks in the CCAC is underway - we are currently working to improve image quality and display on the CMS but have included internal reference photos for identification purposes in the interim.