The Dark City 24 Nov 16-15 Jan 17 - Hariwe & Wood, Jono & Chalmers, Dirk

The Dark City is a collaborative project that looks at the inner-city phenomenon of so-called 'bad buildings', abandoned buildings that have been written-off by their owners and 'hijacked' by squatters. Approximately one in 17 (or 6%) of buildings in the Joburg inner-city have been classified as 'bad buildings' and estimates suggest that anywhere between two and eight thousand people live in deplorable conditions in these neglected places.

In 2014 architect and visual artist Hariwe set about studying the complex cycles of decay surrounding these so-called 'bad buildings', choosing in particular to focus on a building in Doornfontein dubbed Dark City. The crumbling windowless building housed almost 250 residents who lived in a structure with no toilets, no electricity, no waste removal, one tap, two storeys flooded with water and three piled high with rubbish.

During the course of his three year study Hariwe visited the building on a weekly basis to interview tenants and propose new methods of researching the cycle of urban renewal and decay, offering an alternative approach to how life in these buildings is considered. He also invited photographer Jono Wood and cinematographer Dirk Chalmers to document the building and its residents.

This exhibition is the culmination of three years of work and study in the Dark City building. Visitors to the exhibition are greeted with an immersive experience, that makes use of photography, film, documentation, sketches, archival material and conceptual installation, and challenges the wider public experience of Joburg's bad buildings. Softcover. English. Dark City. 2016. 153 pp profusely illustrated. Good pocket sized guide/exhibition. Book No: 2507032