Many good stories begin with a good title. What’s Maid While the Madam is Sleeping tells the age-old story of “us and them”, the rich vs the poor, power dynamics, rebellion, and reclaiming space.
The concept for the mural developed out of our interest in juxtapositions and exploring the universality and timelessness of stories. We wanted this mural to illustrate that South African stories are global stories, and that power is, and always will be, a constant struggle. This mural resonates with Berlin because it shows that while walls are built, they can also be torn down through collaboration, resistance, and reclamation.
At its core, this multimedia mural interrogates frontstage and backstage. Frontstaging and backstaging, coined by the social psychologist Erving Goffman, posits that humans constantly straddle two sides of our identity– how we present ourselves to the world (our frontstage) versus how we really are (our backstage). This same logic applies to the South African home where most domestic labour is done behind the scenes, yet, the madam gets the credit because she is “in charge” of domestic space. Put simply, the frontstage of the home is the madam’s realm whereas the backstage is occupied by the maid.
Immediately the title introduces the focal characters of the mural– the “madam” (represented by Queen Elizabeth I) and the “maid” (represented by the black woman with the marker). Maids, or the softer more politically correct “domestic worker” title, straddle the lines of “doing everything” in the home, while simultaneously being labelled “like family”. This “like family” descriptor gives madams, and typically white South Africans, a “Get Out of Jail Free Card” from the exploitation of domestic workers under the guise of familial love. The overarching idea is that these integral women, who are expected to do so much backstage labour for a small salary, can be unfairly treated because they are labelled as “like family”.
We purposely developed the “maid” in contrast to the traditional representation of archetypal South African domestic workers. This further shows the backstage element of so many black South African women– they are more than the maid’s uniform, the children they look after, and the houses they clean.
Another power element comes through the hair of both characters. Hair is political and this is shown in the design where the maid’s afro gives the madam a black eye- what one would call a metaphorical middle finger. This is echoed in the maid’s face where the madam’s red hair represents the “rosey tinted” discourse around the maid–madam “like family” relationship.
The maid character is also a creator– she paints her reality rather than curating and consuming it. The pun maid/made also shows how much work is done while those with dominance are “sleeping”. Viewed from this angle, the mural gives insight into street art and traditional art. Traditional art is revered and resides in hallowed spaces– it is displayed in white-walled galleries and symbolic spaces such as churches and monuments. On the other hand, street art is in conflict with this. Most street art is created under the cloth of darkness, in secret- it’s made while people are sleeping.
This juxtaposition is further represented by the traditional stained glass windows on the left of the mural versus the Ndebele painting on the right. Ndebele painting was brought into the spotlight by the world-renowned artist Esther Mahlangu, but it dates back over a thousand years. It is a form of house painting, by the Ndebele tribe, that represents historical suffering and grief. The Ndebele people used symbols in their murals, which were not understood by their oppressors, the Boers, to depict resistance. Typically women painted these murals in secret code that only other tribe members could understand– hence Ndebele painting is steeped in resistance, reclaiming power, and storytelling. The lexicon of Ndebele symbols is also passed down by mothers to their daughters so the tradition of coding through painting continues.
Prior to becoming popularised, people outside of the Ndebele tribe gazed at these painted houses and murals without being able to recognise and see the rich symbolism, and the art is often misunderstood as childlike and rudimentary. Conversely, stained glass art is revered and celebrated as being “high art” and an important part of a historical narrative.
Another important juxtaposition is the hands and the birds. The madam character is embracing a swan, the symbol of royalty, whereas the maid is painting a dove, the symbol of hope and peace. The marker she draws with is purple and this has contextual significance in South Africa– “The Purple Shall Govern” is a famous graffiti tag. This also contrasts with the purple highlights on the madam’s face which represent her own governance.
And, while there is hope, there is also violence represented by the German Shepherd. During apartheid German Shepherds were police dogs, symbols of the state, and were feared by the oppressed black people (there are also subtle hints of the colours of the National Party in the dog). The hands of the queen/madam show her holding onto her wealth and title, whereas the hand of the maid depicts a subversive element- she is active rather than passive, and she subversively creates, even if her work is taken for granted or unseen.
The mural was designed as a collage and utilises lines and different techniques to highlight fragmentation and layering. The passive aggression, passivity, and aggressive elements are created through the gazes of the women. We wanted this to echo how the viewer feels when looking at the mural… It shouldn’t just be a gaze, but actually seeing what is there.
At its core, this is a challenging piece that represents more than a simple binary… There are multiple layers up for interrogation.
We also wanted to leave things up to the viewer to discover, which is why there are multimedia elements. We’ve included a range of videos, accessed via QR code, to further contextualise the mural and to challenge the viewer to uncover the symbolism. These videos can be viewed on site, or saved for later.
This mural experience should challenge and spark debate, and it should show that walls talk and can inspire a culture of asking questions and a thirst for curiosity. Despite all the walls that humans put up, we’re all the same. We all make marks, some of us leave marks, we tell stories, we learn through stories, and the struggle for power continues.
Salut!
Jackal & Hide