The artwork to commemorate the Weinberg family of activists is a focal piece of a neighbourhood park in Savoy which was named in honour of the Weinberg Family of activists in 2014. Commissioned by the City Directorate of Arts & Culture, produced as a collaboration of Drew Lindsay and Hannelie Coetzee.
Over generations of struggle, the Weinberg family of white democrats made a significant contribution to a free South Africa. Eli Weinberg (1908 – 1981), his wife Violet (1916 – 1993) and daughter Sheila (1945 -2004) faced imprisonment, bannings and attacks on their home.
In 1965 all three were imprisoned; Eli and Violet for Communist Party activities, and Sheila for painting ANC slogans. Sheila’s brother Mark died in that year aged 24, at a time when both parents were in jail.
Eli Weinberg began working as a professional photographer in 1926, and ran a successful studio for many years, continuing even whilst under house arrest.
Apart from his studio work, he photographed some of the most iconic moments of the anti-apartheid struggle, including the Pondoland Uprising, the Defiance Campaign, Congress of the people in Kliptown, and forced removals from Sophiatown.
Monument to the trade unionist and photographer Eli Weinberg (1908 -1981) and his family.
Two main elements to the artwork:
1) Plinth topped with a portrait of Eli and Violet Weinberg
2) Facing onto the plinth, an old-fashioned camera, through which to view the portraits of Eli and his wife Violet. Inside the camera are portraits of the Weinberg children, Mark and Sheila. The main portraits are made of tiny porcelain tiles - like the pixels of a photograph deeply set into the concrete.
The sculptures are cast in concrete. The portraits are made of porcelain mosaic tiles, deeply set into the concrete. Robust manufacturing techniques were applied to ensure solid structures.
The artwork to commemorate the Weinberg family of activists is a focal piece of a neighbourhood park in Savoy which was named in honour of the Weinberg Family of activists in 2014. Commissioned by the City Directorate of Arts & Culture, produced as a collaboration of Drew Lindsay and Hannelie Coetzee.
Over generations of struggle, the Weinberg family of white democrats made a significant contribution to a free South Africa. Eli Weinberg (1908 – 1981), his wife Violet (1916 – 1993) and daughter Sheila (1945 -2004) faced imprisonment, bannings and attacks on their home.
In 1965 all three were imprisoned; Eli and Violet for Communist Party activities, and Sheila for painting ANC slogans. Sheila’s brother Mark died in that year aged 24, at a time when both parents were in jail.
Eli Weinberg began working as a professional photographer in 1926, and ran a successful studio for many years, continuing even whilst under house arrest.
Apart from his studio work, he photographed some of the most iconic moments of the anti-apartheid struggle, including the Pondoland Uprising, the Defiance Campaign, Congress of the people in Kliptown, and forced removals from Sophiatown.
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