Johannesburg as Imaginarium: Discussing public art and placemaking in the city

On 11 March 2026, the French Institute of South Africa (IFAS) and the Goethe-Institut Johannesburg hosted a public discussion titled Johannesburg as Imaginarium: Public Art and Placemaking in the City at the Goethe-Institut Auditorium. The evening brought together artists, researchers and cultural practitioners to reflect on how public art and cultural initiatives shape the experience and imagination of the city.

The conversation explored how Johannesburg is represented, transformed and inhabited through artistic interventions, urban research and creative practice. Panelists discussed the role of artists and cultural workers in engaging with public space, as well as the opportunities and constraints of placemaking in a city marked by inequality, mobility and rapid urban change.

The panel featured Stephen Hobbs, artist and co-founder of the Trinity Session, Dr Kim Gurney, senior researcher at the Centre for Humanities Research, University of the Western Cape, co-founder of Keleketla! and cultural practitioner Malose Malahlela, and architect, urbanist and founder of Urbanworks, Thireshen Govender. The discussion was moderated by researcher, curator and writer Dr Anthea Buys, Postdoctoral Research Fellow with the SARChI Chair: South African Art and Visual Culture, University of Johannesburg.

The event formed part of an ongoing collaboration between IFAS and the Goethe-Institut to support dialogue on art, urbanism and cultural practice in Southern Africa.