BY NKosazana Ngwadla
The University of Johannesburg has announced an exhibition of photographs, text and a documentary on Breaths of Joburg, the public space theatre performance produced in April 2023 by UJ Arts & Culture, the Johannesburg Institute for Advanced Study and Malmö University. Directed by Jade Bowers, Breaths of Joburg was inspired by three winning texts from the 2022 Set in Joburg writing competition and devised and performed by Lebo Mashile, Tina Redman, Yogin Sullaphen and an ensemble from the UJ Arts Academy.
This exhibition launches a documentary on the project by filmmaker Bonga Nkomo, giving insight into the intentions for the work and how it was realised. The creative team have also curated a selection of photographs from the process and performances, presented alongside graphically treated text in the form of writing from the writing competition, writing from the six post-graduate scholars involved in the work from Johannesburg and Malmö University and audience responses to the work.
Breaths of Joburg is part of a larger public art as research project, a collaborative endeavour between UJ Arts & Culture, JIAS and Malmö University, Sweden, with Alex Halligey as lead researcher for UJ in collaboration with Anders Høg-Hansen and Mikael Rundberg for Malmö University.
The exhibition is part of ASSITEJ South Africa’s Cradle of Creativity Festival and Conference and will be open to the public at the Windybrow Arts Centre from 20-27 August to Saturday, 9:00-16:00 everyday. Entrance is free.
Image and source: UJ
