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Johannesburg Regeneration Fuelled by Public Art

Date uploaded: July 29, 2009

At the end of July 2009 the Johannesburg Development Agency (JDA) officially launches its most ambitious investment in public art to date.

At a cost of R1 Million it’s a bargain, says Lael Bethlehem, chief executive of the JDA, especially given the calibre of artists involved. “Over the past few years, as part of our urban regeneration programme, we set aside 1% of each year’s budget for public art,” she explains. “These public art works have done more than anything else to shift people’s thinking about the inner city...Art makes us relate a little differently to the city, it restores people’s sense of affection for the city of Johannesburg and becomes part of our common identity.”

Read more on the Times Johannesburg website