Glenwood sculpture highlights community safety

A NEW art installation at the KZNSA Gallery in Glenwood highlights community safety by reflecting data captured through surveys.

Aptly named, dARTa, the project culminated in a large lighting sculpture, entitled dARTa Lightstruck, which was installed in the gallery’s courtyard on July 11 where it will hang until August 1 as a pilot before being placed in a dark area of Bulwer Park. This will be done to highlight the impact that lighting has on the community’s sense of security.

It was funded by the South African Cities Network. The project was started by Lumec, a Durban-based socio-economic research company, in collaboration with the KZNSA Gallery and creatives Portia Ncwane, Kenneth Shandu, Angela Shaw and Steve Jones.

“We wanted to think of creative ways of showing data. We wanted to bring data annalists, planners and creatives, together,” said Paul Jones of Lumec.

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The project aims to portray data in a way that appeals to the public – so they can touch, hear and feel data that matters. Data was collected through 300 surveys which posed questions about each individual’s favourite Glenwood trait and their biggest challenges, explained Jones.

“The process began with a survey of Glenwood residents to understand what their problems were. We wanted the project to be driven by what the community said. That was key. We focused on a 1km radius around the gallery. Field workers went out to ask questions and we did this digitally.

“Through that, what came up very clearly was that residents’ favourite things about the area were the park and natural environment (22%), that Glenwood is convenient, accessible and walkable (16%), and the sense of community (13%). The biggest challenges were crime, security and safety (32%); waste and litter (10%) and lack of urban management (9%),” he said.

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With the data they had collected, the team decided to address the issue of safety and urban management, focusing on the lack of lighting in the area- a key concern among residents. They conceptualized a large lighting sculpture that would be installed in Bulwer Park. The sculpture was made using recovered fibre-optic pipe casings that the team collected from around the Glenwood area, and fitted with LED lights connected to a solar panel.

During the pilot phase, members of the community are encouraged to view the sculpture, take photos, and engage by writing on the chalkboard behind the KZNSA Gallery, from Saturday, July 24. The community can also share their opinions on social media with the hashtag #dartalightstruck. Participants are encouraged to complete the sentence: “I would feel safer here if…”