Vicka Heidt is a Gates Cambridge Scholar and MPhil candidate in Development Studies at the University of Cambridge. She previously completed dual B.A. degrees in Government and Justice and Peace Studies at Georgetown University, graduating summa cum laude and as the valedictorian. Heidt’s research focuses on international humanitarian law,

gender-responsive disarmament, and the human rights implications of emerging technologies, particularly AI in military applications. As a Research Fellow at the Cambridge Existential Risks Initiative, she publishes on the ethical challenges of autonomous weapons systems, and her work has been presented at international workshops and conferences. She has received awards for her research, including a fellowship at the Georgetown Institute for Women, Peace, and Security, where she published on barriers to gender-inclusive peacebuilding.

Heidt’s advocacy includes roles at PEN America, Teach for America, and various social justice initiatives, where she has worked to promote gender equality, free expression, and community empowerment.

This paper explores how street art in post-apartheid Cape Town, particularly in the Salt River community, can be situated within the complex processes of transitional justice (TJ). It offers a lens through which to interrogate the negotiation of historical narratives and the role of artistic forms in confronting the legacies of empire. By examining murals that memorialize apartheid-era injustices alongside contemporary global human rights struggles, the paper en- gages with the ways in which visual arts, as a form of public performance, facilitate truth-telling and acknowledge the ongoing impact of colonialism [1] [6]. These murals not only reflect local histories, but also resonate with broader struggles for justice, such as expressions of solidarity with Palestine, thus demonstrating the role of art in both commemorating past trauma and advocating for ongoing reform [2].

In particular, the paper highlights how street art acts as a dialogical space to empower victims, promote community healing, and create a shared sense of identity. Through the creative use of public space, these works respond to the need for cultural and political adaptation in post- conflict societies, facilitating the translation of personal and collective trauma into accessible forms of expression and societal transformation [3][5]. The paper argues that street art, in this context, serves as a powerful tool to mitigate the enduring legacy of the empire, offering an alternative, non-institutional form of justice that engages diverse identities and bodies in the process of remembrance and reform [4] [7]. By foregrounding art as a medium of transitional justice, this study extends the conversation on how performance and visual arts can be integral to both historical reckoning and future building in postcolonial societies.

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[1] Breslin, A. (2017). Art and transitional justice: The “infinite incompleteness” of transition. Research Handbook on Transitional Justice. https://doi.org/10.4337/9781781955314.00021

[2] Kerr, R. (2020). Art, aesthetics, Justice, and reconciliation: What can art do? AJIL Unbound, 114, 123–127. https://doi.org/10.1017/aju.2020.24

[3] Buikema, R. (2012). Performing dialogical truth and transitional justice: The role of art in the becoming post-apartheid of South Africa. Memory Studies, 5 (3), 282–292. https://doi.org/10.1177/175 0698012443885

[4] Mosely, E. (2011). Visualizing apartheid: Re-framing truth and reconciliation through contemporary south african art. Curating Difficult Knowledge, 128–143. https://doi.org/10.1057/97802303195

[5] Seeing through their eyes: Art, activism and Empowerment. Asia. (2023). https://asiapacific.unwomen story/2023/02/seeing-through-their-eyes#:˜:text=She%20explains%2C%20%22I%20feel%20more,helping%

[6] Truth and memory. Truth and Memory — International Center for Transitional Justice. (2023). https://www.ictj.org/truth-and-memory

[7] Ramirez-Barat, C. (2014). Transitional Justice, culture, and society: Beyond outreach. Social Science Research Council.