Artists paint town red through ArtMyJozi

10 October 2017

 

Over the past two months, the Louis Botha and Empire/Perth Development corridors came alive with multidisciplinary social activations and creative design workshops.

 

This formed part of the Johannesburg Development Agency’s (JDA) Public Art programme has initiated the ArtMyJozi programme.  

 

Strategically aimed at local creatives and residents of Noordgesig; Norwood; Orange Grove and Brixton, communities were asked to collaborate on special performances, events and installations designed to unearth and express new ideas about local place making through community participation. 

 

This culminated in a rich and multi-layered exhibition at the Bus Factory, which invited residents of Joburg to engage with the various creative outcomes from the ArtMyJozi place making through art creative campaign. 

 

Part of the exhibition included walkabouts and evaluation of the work from 6-9 October 2017 at The Bus Factory, 3 Helen Joseph Street, Newtown. 

 

Many local stories, combined with multiple modes of documentation and design translation gave residents the opportunity to take in the various opportunities for artistic works in the various development areas within the Corridors. 

 

The exhibition is a revelation and celebration of intensive process based on creative experimentation, made possible by numerous local participants, who willingly gave of their time and creative energy, to translate the unique characteristics of their neighbourhoods. 

 

Acting CEO of the JDA Christo Botes thanked residents and artists for taking part in the historic and heritage-rich event.

 

“Over the past few months, the JDA’s ArtMyJozi campaign has held a series of interactive, community based activations and workshops, with the communities of Noordgesig, Brixton, Orange Grove, and various points along the Empire-Perth and Louis Botha transit Corridors. 

 

“These activations and workshops consisted of special performances, events and installations designed to unearth and express new ideas about local participatory place making.

  

“What we will see here today is therefore a rich assemblage of local community voices being heard through art, through signs and symbols, through play and dance, through patterns and text and colour and artefacts,” said Botes.