IN her first major public engagement since arriving in September, the European Union (EU)’s new Ambassador-Designate to Zimbabwe, Katrin Hagemann, celebrated the launch of the 2026 EU-Zimbabwe Calendar not just as a diplomatic gesture, but as a lasting, daily reminder of a “layered and multi-faceted” relationship.
The calendar, launched last week Tuesday at The Picture Frame in Alexandra Park, features twelve original artworks by Zimbabwean artists Prudence Chimutuwah, Franklyn Dzingai, Lomedy Mhako, and Simba Maengera.
It was produced in collaboration with the travelling Bepa Gallery, curated by Joanna Powell and Josefina Pierucci.
Speaking on the sidelines of the event, which drew members of the diplomatic and local arts communities, Hagemann expressed particular fascination with how each artist uniquely interpreted the EU-Zimbabwe partnership.
“It was particularly rewarding to see how the artists perceived the relationship… and expressed it in their art,” Hagemann said.
“Each had a very different approach… When you go deeper into the artwork, it reveals how layered and multi-faceted our relationship with Zimbabwe truly is.”
She emphasised the calendar’s practical role as a tool of enduring diplomacy.
“It’s something people actually use —not simply put away. It will sit on somebody’s desk, so every day they can look at it and be reminded that the EU and Zimbabwe work together,” Hagemann noted, adding that the quality of the art should ensure its impact lasts “an entire year, and hopefully even longer”.
The Ambassador-Designate also highlighted the project’s value for the artists themselves, calling it “a great way to showcase their work to a wider audience”.
The artists’ concepts were as diverse as their techniques.
Maengera, who spent up to a week perfecting detailed digital illustrations, said his goal was “to show… the most captivating and conceptual view of how the EU and Zimbabwe have been partners throughout the ages”.
Dzingai, a mixed-media artist selected for next year’s Venice Biennale, explored identity by fusing European and African aesthetics.
“In one of my pieces I found a pattern design from Europe which I merged with African pattern designs… all that I did was to bring them together to make a statement,” he explained.
The launch follows the recent 7th EU-AU Summit in Angola, which reaffirmed a commitment to multilateralism.
Hagemann, eager to formally begin her tenure, told IndependentXtra she is “really looking forward to reaching out after I present my credentials… and to going into the field to meet people in all corners of the country.”