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Artists transform Joburg inner city

Artists get together for ideas to transform the Joburg CBD.

Alcohol brand Absolut started a creative residency programme in the heart of Johannesburg’s CBD, the Maboneng Precinct to help solve every day challenges within the area.

Titled ‘The Residence’, the programme saw six young creators living together and collaborating during the month of May to come up with resourceful ideas.

The six chosen artists were: R1, a street artist with a Fine Arts background, Breeze Yoko, a Johannesburg based multimedia artist, IO Makandal a multi-disciplinary artist, MJ Turpin, a musician, artist and director, Liliana Transplanter, guerrilla gardener as well as  Bogosi Sekhukhuni, a mixed-media artist.

The residents lived together in an apartment located in Jeppestown, Johannesburg.

During their time in the Residence, the artists collaborated and executed five unique and transformative projects, namely:

- Mobile benches

 

- Living wall: A collaboration that brought graffiti and plants together in an organic and evolving piece of street art.

 

- Revamp of basketball court

 

- Conceptual spaza: open-source storage and transport system for informal street traders.

 

- See me poles: aimed at alerting both pedestrians and drivers of dangerous intersections within the city.

 

The entire process was documented online via a blog and Absolut’s social media channels, allowing the residents to engage with the brand’s online community to help make key decisions throughout their projects.

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