Skip to Content
Art

Photos: Ralph Ziman’s Casspir Project Exhibit Tackles Militarization ~ Rendon Gallery

[dropcap size=big]L[/dropcap]os Angeles based artist Ralph Ziman  – aka Afrika 47 – has a new exhibit at The Rendon Gallery in the Arts District. L.A. Taco attended the opening of the exhibit called The Casspir Projectwhich features work inspired by Ziman's childhood in Johannesburg. Ziman's works draw from experiences growing up in post-Apartheid South Africa and "addresses human rights issues such as apartheid, the over-militarization of police, and state violence."

'The centerpiece of the exhibit is a massive Casspir military vehicle that Ziman has transformed into a work of art. During the Apartheid era, Casspirs were used weapons of terror, often used against civilians. Widely despised and feared, they became synonymous with violence, police intimidation, and institutional oppression. Post-Apartheid, many Casspirs were decommissioned, their hulls left to rust, a relic of the past better forgotten. Others were sold to the United States during the Iraq war years, and later, to local police forces.'

RELATED: Ralph Ziman ~ Venice Beach

Exhibition:
February 7 – March 7, 2019
Wednesday – Sunday (12 – 6 pm) and by appointment

Address:
The Rendon Gallery (Off-Site)
1242 Palmetto Street
Los Angeles, CA 90013

Programming notes during this exhibition:

Saturday, February 16 – Sunday, February 17, 12 – 6 pm
Live Painting – Ralph Ziman & Bisco Smith

Saturday, February 23 – Sunday, February 24, 12 – 6 pm
Live Painting – Ralph Ziman & Moncho 1929

Saturday, March 2 – Sunday, March 3, 12 – 6 pm
Live Painting – Ralph Ziman & TBA

RELATED: Photos: Opening Night at the LA Art Show 2019

Stay in touch

Sign up for our free newsletter

More from L.A. TACO

Exclusive: Wife of Hunger Striking Detainee Speaks Out on Inhumane Treatment

According to a lawyer with the National Day Labor Network, a hunger strike is a last resort—it is what people do when every other option has been taken away.

Weekend Eats: On-Tap Sarsaparilla and Soylent Green Cocktails At This Apocalypse-Themed Bar

Plus chocolate-and-ice cream tacos, a new Argentine asado up on the eight floor, and a taco fundraiser for Gaza emergency medical workers.

May 22, 2026

Investigations Newsletter: L.A. TACO Reporter Detained While Reporting (Again)

“Sign right there,” LAPD Officer Lockhart ordered. “If you don’t sign, you go to jail, it’s simple.”

May 22, 2026

Craft Breweries Are Struggling. So How Does This One Keep Expanding?

Everything there is to know about the hyper-dank and extremely brave brewery opening at Union Station’s iconic Fred Harvey space tomorrow.

Daily Memo: Immigration Lawyers Overwhelmed With the Number of Detainees Needing Representation

“The system has been set up in a way to make people lose hope, to make them give up fighting their case before they talk to an attorney, before they even really know what their options are," says one of the immigration lawyers from the Immigration Defenders Law Center stepping up to help.

This WWE Power Couple Is Venturing into L.A.’s Coffee Roasting Scene

World Wrestling Entertainment stars Seth Rollins and Becky Lynch have launched AMO, inspired by their true life, non-kayfabe romance; plus, a short guide to a few of their favorite spots in L.A.

May 20, 2026
See all posts