Christianna and Lauren
Hi everyone!
As we are nearing the end of our adventure in South Africa (😢), you will notice that our blog posts will have a greater number of collaborators. Christianna and Lauren will be starting our reflections with today’s first activity, Constitution Hill, followed by Juneau and Damien reflecting on our Graffiti tour through the precinct of Maboneng in Johannesburg!
Constitution Hill brought a variety of emotions, as we learned about resilience, pain, empowerment, and so much more all in one area. The exhibits have been renovated from a prison complex used to hold and dehumanize both criminals and significant political prisoners. Today, it serves as an informational museum, as well as the highest constitutional court of South Africa. This court was where the constitution was written when South Africa became a democracy in 1994, and it is still used today to settle constitutional matters in the country. The art and its symbolism throughout the building was striking. For example, the glass and media boxes in the courtroom symbolize transparency, and the bricks of the previous building still visible represent the country’s acknowledgment of the past. Such visual representations were inspiring and meaningful, showing the true commitment of the country to bringing justice to its citizens.
Following our tour of the courtroom, we entered the women’s jail, which was built in 1908 to house segregated inmates. One moment from this part of the tour that was truly impactful was an impromptu conversation with a lovely lady named Palesa Musa, who was a former prisoner here in the women’s jail. She introduced herself to us, and gracefully told us a snippet of her experience in the jail. Palesa was only 12 years old when she was arrested. She was in Winnie Mandela’s house learning how to use an AK-47 in an effort to help protect her country (South Africa). She went onto describe her personal account of living in the cells; how it was typically 8 to a room and some would even sleep in the hall. She also told the story of one of her cell mates names Yvonne Ntonto Mhlauli. At 22 years old, Yvonne was arrested for walking hand in hand with a white gentleman (it is important to note that at the time it was illegal for mixed races to have intimate relationships with one another). Though Yvonne was arrested and spent several years in incarceration, the gentleman she was walking with was never arrested nor faced any form of punishment.
What was strikingly powerful about this moment was Palesa’s presence in the courtyard throughout the day. She had no agenda, no tour she had to partake in, her only purpose seemed to be basking in the sun while other’s were touring the former prison. As a class, we later discussed how Palesa sitting in the place that oppressed not only her but numerous other women throughout history is a form of resistance in itself; showing that she now holds power over the former apartheid system in an effort to reclaim her story.
We also explored the Old Fort, which first served as a military fort for the Dutch and later became a jail, housing inmates such as Nelson Mandela and Joe Slovo.
Prison Number 4 was the main prison in the Constitution Hill area. Being the first maximum prison in Johannesburg (est. 1893), roughly 80% of the incarcerated were political prisoners while only 20% were criminal prisoners. We spent time going over (what was described as) the most extreme form of punishment, solitary confinement.
In the isolation cells, one would spend 23 hours a day with 2 mats, 2 blankets, and 2 buckets, living off of a rice water diet. An official sentence lasted 30 days, however some would spend over a year in these cells. On the back of the doors, one can view different carvings and marks that have been etched into the paint.
This is called “prison graffiti”, a form of self expressionism. On Robben Island, we learned about the power of creativity and how it was utilized as a form of entertainment and maintaining sanity during incarceration, but more importantly how using art can be a form of resistance in itself.
Juneau and Damien
This is a perfect segue to our second part of the day which was a graffiti tour through Maboneng in Johannesburg!
When we got to the area, our tour guide Ayanda and artist Tim (aka Grazer) introduced themselves and briefed us on the history of Johannesburg and its ties to street art. Art and self expression were two things that were aggressively censored during Apartheid. This is because it was the main ways people were given hope and strength to persist in the face of adversity. With each place we have gone to, we have been enlightened on different ways Black South Africans expressed themselves through song, religion, art, and in Maboneng, Graffiti and street art.
We were able to see art from artists like Cerbastian, Karabo Poppy, TK, Sweet Potato, Family of Friendly Monsters, Freddy Sam, DBONGZ, and our very own Grazer (Tim). Art was something that revived this city. From 1989-2003, Johannesburg faced an era of great urban decay where people were leaving the city and little to no maintenance was done to it. Street art and graffiti, while having a bad reputation, truly transformed the area of Maboneng and Johannesburg, making it an attractive location for all ages. Here is just a taste of all the art we experienced.
The vibes of Maboneng were so exciting with many colorful characters, dancing, music, and deep meaningful conversations. We got a glimpse into to the powerful sense of community deeply rooted in the area. A major theme that was apparent here was the urge to make art accessible. As our guide Ayanda stated, art is for everyone, and should be available to everyone. Art studios scatter Maboneng that allow self-taught artists to hone in on their skills without having to worry about the cost of art school. These help artists put themselves out there and get recognized by local businesses to create bigger murals in the community.
This is something that really spoke to me (Juneau) being a self-taught artist myself. I loved being able to pick Tim’s brain about his artistic journey. He was very shy and humble and admitted he preferred to be behind the scenes. However, everything we discussed only made me respect him more as an artist and creator. Tim answered all my questioned and was interested in knowing more about my own creative endeavors.
As for my favorite part, I love visiting Curiosity which is Johannesburg’s first design-led backpacker hostel. Curiosity has a large history of housing traveling artists and preserving the diverse culture of Maboneng. I would love to come back and spend a week here completing an artist residency and leaving my mark, like many others have, at Curiosity.
My (Damien) favorite aspect of the guided tour was not a specific area, but a piece of art. This mural of a hummingbird spoke to me because hummingbirds have been a major part of my childhood. Its vibrancy reminded me of how lively the streets were, with multiple people coming up to have friendly conversations out of the blue. The sense of community I found walking through Maboneng is something I will treasure.
We will see you tomorrow in Soweto!
SMCVT South Africa 2024 
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