The Ekurhuleni Public Art Exhibition was hosted at the Moses Molelekwa Arts Centre on July 15.
The artwork is set to beautify Harambee BRT stations on completion of the BRT project.
The public was given an opportunity to view and vote for their favourite artworks.
The public art programme created jobs for 30 artists were who part of creating the artefacts to add on jobs already created through the Harambee BRT route construction.
Ten out of the 30 artists are from Tembisa.
Tembisa artists who benefited from the project are Presley Lawrence Jacobs, Sindiswa Madlopa, Mpho (Mk) Kekana, Mpho Machate, Thabo “T-Moc” Mocwiri, Sister Makgoa – Tembisa, Meshack Vusumuzi Dlamini, Neo Theophilus Mokatu, Ayana Vuthela and Lekau Metsena.
Media relations officer Ms Thokozile Shosana said four photographers involved in the project received experience in the form of skills transference from their mentor, professional photographer Raymond Mokoena.
“With more than 4 million people in Ekurhuleni, the creation of jobs remains a pivotal mechanism to uplift the eastern Gauteng region.”
To date, the development of the City’s Integrated Rapid Public Transport Network (IRPTN) has created employment opportunities for approximately 440 local residents.
“Most of these opportunities were the result of two contractors, who have to date, upgraded the complementary route in Hospital View, in the north, from two to four lanes,” said Ms Shosana.
Ms Shosana said the 30 artists are all from around Ekurhuleni and were selected to take part in workshops, following inclusive briefing sessions in Benoni, Daveyton, Tembisa, Kempton Park, Springs, Kwa-Thema, Germiston, Katlehong and Vosloorus.
“Artists involved included poets, designers, spoken-word artists, rappers, DJs, photographers, visual artists, sculptors, gum boot dancers, fashion designers and printmakers,” said Ms Skhosana.
Roads and Transport MMC Clr Petrus Mhlarhi said all of their creative skills mixed together and depicted a visual journey.
“Each artwork has evolved and travelled from a moment of inspired interactions between teams reaching a destination of a completed artwork, ready to be translated into a public artwork which can make the community of Ekurhuleni proud,” said Mhlarhi at the opening of the showing.
He said the exhibition was curated in a way which reflects the journey of all the artistic teams.
“The journey shows an organic creative process and is mounted in a constructed environment to represent the building of the Ekurhuleni BRT Bus route and the construction of a different and positive kind of travel future.”
“The exhibition was curated in a way which reflects the journey of all the artistic teams. The journey shows an organic creative process and is mounted in a constructed environment to represent the building of the Ekurhuleni BRT bus route and the construction of a different and positive kind of travel future.”
Also read:
