It was prime time for the museum scene as the country’s first television museum was launched in Long Street last Wednesday, November 27.
The Tevolution Museum will officially open to the public on Thursday, December 5.
It was made possible through a partnership by electronics company Hisense SA in partnership with the Western Cape Department of Cultural Affairs and Sport, and the SA Sendinggestig Museum based next door in Long Street.
From CRT sets, wooden box TVs and bunny-ear aerials to flat screens, 110-inch UX display and laser TVs – visitors can explore decades of TV evolution, including a futuristic laser cinematic room with vertical projectors, a game room and interactive high-tech projects, which also features a touch-sensitive, stringless harp.
The star of the exhibition is the sizeable 110-inch UX TV, which is one of the largest screens available commercially in South Africa today, locally produced at Hisense’s Atlantis factory.
MEC of Cultural Affairs and Sport, Ricardo MacKenzie said the museum stood as a testament to what can be achieved when innovation met a commitment to cultural preservation.
“The partnership between HiSense and the Western Cape Goverment and the South African Sendinggestig Museum exemplifies a shared vision of enhancing technology while honouring our diverse heritage.”
He said the interactive exhibits and creative space at the museum would engage visitors of all ages, providing a lens into the conversions of technology and humanity’s cultural journey, while strengthening the bonds between South Africa and China.
“With its emphasis on innovation, the museum will inspire our youth to explore fields like coding animation and creative arts, creating pathways for personal growth and economic opportunities”
Western Cape Cultural Affairs and Sport head of department, Guy Redman, said through partnerships like these, they were fostering job creation, investment, and creating engaging opportunities for youth to tell their own stories. “We hope to see many school children through these doors in the years to come.”
Zhang Haibo, vice-governor of Shandong province in China where Hisense is headquartered, said the museum was an important stamp of Hisense going global, and also provided an important platform to carry forward corporate culture and capacity building. It was an important window to deepen China and South Africa cultural exchanges and explore business corporation.
“The museum is built as a corporate cultural museum where people can experience the culture and technology and tell corporate stories.”
Mr Redman said the museum will also feature sections that focus on art and technological innovation, respectively. “In collaboration with the Academy of Digital Arts, the museum will regularly showcase projects by final-year students in a curated digital art gallery.”
Hisense SA’s marketing manager, Alex Chen, said the Tevolution museum is a first for the country, and not only chronicles Hisense’s technological journey, but also inspires young scientific minds by showcasing the technology that has been pioneered.
Ron Martin, chairperson of the South African Sendinggestig Museum, believes that the Tevolution Museum reflects remarkable strides of human ingenuity over the ages, and is proud to have the museum as its neighbour on Long Street.
“This exciting initiative reflects the power of storytelling — connecting the past to the present through the lens of television, which has long been a window into the world for so many South Africans. We are proud to play a role in preserving this legacy while fostering innovation, education, and cultural appreciation in the heart of Cape Town.”
Mr Martin said the Tevolution Museum will be managed concurrently with the South African Sendinggestig Museum which is next door, with the initial lease of Tevolution running for five years.
Entry to the Tevolution Museum is free.
