Johannesburg is the largest economic metropolis in Africa. Downtown Johannesburg, however, is one of the world’s most violent places. Most office buildings have been vacated or squatted and are occupied by various groups of illegal Africans from neighbouring countries. Thousands of fortune seekers are trying to build a new life in this anarchist urban jungle. Meanwhile, the city is preparing for the World Cup soccer 2010, an important opportunity for Johannesburg to present itself to the world.
The city centre needs to be cleaned up, and everything is being done to make sure that this major event will run smoothly. But will it succeed? And what will be the consequences for the thousands of immigrants in the city center?
Rob Schröder visited Johannesburg repeatedly since January 2008 to document the changes. Is it possible to control this city of hope and fear, and to transform its center into a safe and acceptable place to live? And how does anyone survive in Johannesburg at all?
Amsterdam-based artist and film director Su Tomesen was recently invited by the The Bag Factory in Johannesburg to come to Johannesburg for a 3-months artist-in-residence. From Januari till early April 2010 she lived and worked in this exciting metropolis. She conducted a research on so-called shebeens, originally an illicit bar or club where excisable alcoholic beverages were sold without a licence during the apartheid regime. Together with local artists and filmmakers she realized a City One Minutes, a short and personal video portrait of Johannesburg.
