Picture inner city Johannesburg, not just as abandoned buildings or pothole ridden roads, but as a vibrant living and breathing organism. Professor A. M. Simone at the WITS Institute for Social Research; challenges our perspective of infrastructure. It’s not just bricks and concrete but rather the people who continuously mold and adapt their urban spaces. Think of the city as a lively marketplace, where residents craft their environments, let’s call them urban artisans, without being confined by the drawings. Simone invites us to dive into this world where creativity and connections thrive in the flexibility and ever-changing interactions of the people. Its like a city where the people write the rules themselves, and its identity is playful, ongoing, and free from preconceived notions of how it should be lived in or used.
My proposal in the Raandjeslaagte is titled “Ephemeral Infrastructures.”
My interest this year lies in Joubert Park that has captured the spirit of Johannesburg ‘s complex past and present. The establishment of the park in the early 1900s, emerged as green oasis. The winding pathways, manicured lawns and fountains date back to the Victorian era of “the perfect garden”. The park embraces the diversity of the community, who come together, share skills, and exchange ideas. This space reflects the struggles and triumphs of the city and in this complex interplay of history and contemporary dynamics we can explore the notion of “people as infrastructure” or people make a space. The proposal is aimed at enhancing the existing spatial atmospheres that is directly influenced by the King George Street market and the greenhouse, rather than changing it.
The lens at which I will be looking at my project through will be one of transient spaces, and how these temporary moments hold spaces and creates impacts.
