If you’ve driven into the centre of Cape Town recently, you’ll have noticed a giant artwork of former president Nelson Mandela plastered on the Civic Centre.
This image forms part of the Nelson Mandela Legacy Exhibition, which was officially opened on the Concourse Level of the Civic Centre on Sunday, 30 June 2013.
The City of Cape Town has declared 2013 a special year to celebrate and honour the former president, and will adopt a new set of values and principles to underpin its governance, modelled on his example.
The Cape Town Honours Nelson Mandela programme is a special Mayoral project formed to pay tribute to the country’s first democratically-elected president; to expose a new generation to his legacy; and to engage Cape Town residents in developing a new moral code for governance in the city. It has the blessing of the Nelson Mandela Centre of Memory.
At least 25 000 learners will be given the opportunity to see the exhibition, while a series of focus group discussions will be convened to discuss Mandela’s legacy and complete the text for the City of Cape Town pledge – a new value statement for the City.
“Mr Mandela’s greatest gift to South Africa was to provide a template of leadership to which we should all aspire. His generosity of spirit formed the bridge that all South Africans used to cross from our divided past to an inclusive future. He transcended race, he transcended class and he transcended geographic, cultural and political divisions,” says Executive Mayor Patricia de Lille.
“The qualities that he personally brought to the hard tasks of achieving our democracy, of creating our Constitution, establishing the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, fostering education and combating HIV and Aids are qualities that the City of Cape Town is committed to emulating,” she adds.
The multimedia exhibition will showcase Mandela’s relationship with Cape Town, and will contain photographs by Benny Gool and Adil Bradlow.
The giant artwork on the Civic Centre was conceived by Abie Collins and Alberic Vollmer of Dreamfuel Media, and drawn by Linsey Levendall. It was drawn on A3-sized paper before a high-definition scan was produced to upscale it and cut it into 660 separate pieces for separate windows. A team of abseilers took four days to complete the task of putting it into place.
