Mail& Guardian reporter
The Joubert Park Public Art Project (JPP) is hosting a major multi-disciplinary exhibition and series of events at the Johannesburg Art Gallery and Joubert Park, which will run from October 13 until the end of December. With the focus on “public art” the JPP aims to address and engage the conditions, changes and potentials of the precinct.
Joubert Park is one of the few “green” spaces in inner-city Johannesburg. It is a vibrant centre of activities and serves as a meeting ground for religious groups; and as business territory for the park photographers and street vendors. It houses a medical clinic, greenhouse, the Neighbourhood Community Centre and the Johannesburg Art Gallery. It offers a place of recreation for chess players, commuters and children. Dramatic changes in the past decade have left the precinct in a state of neglect. These changes include the relocation of businesses to the northern suburbs, urban decay, increased crime, ineffective policing and cleaning, and lack of cultural and recreational activities for the youth. The gallery suffers from an insufficient staff complement and isolation.
The aim of JPP is to contribute to the development of the Joubert Park precinct artistically, culturally and socially, by bringing together local and international artists from various disciplines and diverse audiences.
The project began in January last year and focused on researching the cultural and social infrastructure, and establishing working relationships with the Joubert Park constituency. This resulted in an intense photographic and cultural workshop programme with the park photographers and the youth from the precinct. The workshop process culminated in an Open Day exhibition at the Johannesburg Art Gallery and Joubert Park in December.
This year’s programme includes an exhibition of work by more than 20 artists that will include interactive installations, slide and video projections, billboards and graffiti, fire sculptures, sound installations, photography and a series of performances in the park and gallery. It will include cultural workshops to engage youths around issues of life-skills, Aids, violence, health, recreation, communication and self expression. There will be professional exchanges with the development of technical skills between photographers, journalists and the park photographers. There will be walks, tours, presentations by artists and debates on public art. The Bag Factory will be an important inner-city exhibition satellite, hosting artists in residency and educational outreach programmes.
The project is sponsored by the National Arts Council, The Department of Arts, Culture, Science and Technology, The Royal Netherlands Embassy, The Anglo American Chairman’s Fund and the Arts & Culture Trust