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| african arts SUMMER 2019 VOL. 52, NO. 2 and the canonization of heroes. The question of how liberation or struggle politics might be commemorated is tied to various instances of visual activism dealt with in the book. Nation building also forms a leitmotif, where it is shown that the legacy of segregation history and politics are not easily elided and that the agendas of transformation and reconciliation are sometimes at odds. Public Art in South Africa ultimately grapples with the question whether (commemorative) public art, in its diverse manifestations, can be inclusive rather than exclusionary—an imperative agenda in South Africa, which has been characterized by divisive politics. The unveiling on July 18, 2018, in Johannesburg of the statue of Nelson Mandela by Pitika Ntuli to celebrate the centenary of Mandela’s birth signals that the debates are far from over. This book alerts us to the pitfalls and potentials of public art in a stimulating and thought-provoking manner, and is highly recommended for specialist readers as well as a broader audience.