Artist makes a hoot for Mandela Day
JOBURG – A forgotten Johannesburg nature reserve gets 67 owl sculptures and more planned for the future.
A Johannesburg-based artist, James Delaney, made 67 sculptures of owls and hung them in a yellowwood tree forest in The Wilds to celebrate Mandela Day.
The Wilds is a nature reserve located on the outskirts of Houghton off Joe Slovo Drive and is made up of 40 acres of indigenous trees.
Over the past few years, fewer and fewer people have been visiting the area and Delaney feels that if the city’s green spaces aren’t utilised, they might not be protected any longer. In a bid to draw people back to The Wilds he made the 67 sculptures and this is one of the projects he has running to save the reserve.
Delaney has been working with City Parks to improve The Wilds and said his owl campaign is part of a bigger plan to clean the space and make it more usable.
“Art catches the imagination and owls have a magical quality. I hope the combination will engage with Jo’burg residents and inspire them to take back this long forgotten space,” Delaney said.
For the past two years, Delaney has been clearing old undergrowth and pruning trees. The nature reserve has also been fenced and has had full-time guards since he took over the projects.
He has also started a crowdfunding campaign on thundafund.com to raise R150 000 which would go towards giving The Wilds a facelift.
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