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Jess M

The City Project Collective

Having studied at UCT, I am well aware that the Michaelis kids are, well, let's say a little different. Perhaps it's a mark of being an art student, in the Mother City noggal. Recently, almost 200 screen-printed popped up around the city, solemnly declaring three date: 05/10/2009 , 07/10/2009, 10/10/2009. And nothing more. Intrigued at another example of guerrilla marketing, I wanted to know what it all meant. But as usual, had no way of discovering the hidden intention. That was until a friend, and Michaelis kid, updated her Facebook status with the dates.


The project, it turned out, was a set assignment that challenged second-year Fine Arts students to produce an '“impermanent and socially-conscious” performance or public sculpture piece at allocated sites around Cape Town's city bowl'. Although the students were originally grouped into pairs for the assignment, the students struggled to see how just two of them could create a powerful impact on a landscape as large as a city. After many late-night, caffeine-fueled discussions they realised that perhaps 29 could do it better. Perhaps not. But together, they stood a better chance of being seen. And so the City Project Collective was born.


Their final idea was to form a mass protest march, but not the kind with vuvuzelas, chants and vibrant energy. Rather, they settled on a silent, solemn march that slowly wound it's way through the different points in the city. Painted in gray clay at the first stop outside the National Gallery in Gardens and dressed alike, on the specified dates they stopped at the different sites for ten minutes, holding silent poses before mutely moving on to their next destination.


The march captivated the imagination of not only the city's dwellers but the press as well. To find out more info, click on over to this blog. Also, check out the pictures here






Photos: Niklas Zimmer

Tags: arts, city, collective, fine, guerilla, marketing, project, protest

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Janet Botes | ecojunki Comment by Janet Botes | ecojunki on October 22, 2009 at 10:00pm
AMAZING and inspiring!!
Jess M Comment by Jess M on October 19, 2009 at 9:13am
:) Really impressive! I wish I had had the chance to see it in action
Philippus Johan Comment by Philippus Johan on October 19, 2009 at 12:43am
that is so awesome
Neill Le Roux Comment by Neill Le Roux on October 17, 2009 at 9:45am
Awesome concept! well done!
Caitlin Fay Smith Comment by Caitlin Fay Smith on October 16, 2009 at 12:52pm
wow .... this is brilliant!
Tracey-Lee Scully Comment by Tracey-Lee Scully on October 16, 2009 at 12:37pm
Brilliant - would be nice to see more of that. Well done Michaelis!

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