S-Bend Mural

The S-Bend Mural covers a 3000m2 wall along Louis Botha Avenue, cutting through the suburbs of Yeoville, Observatory, and Upper Houghton. The mural aimed to tell some of the stories of movement and migration in Johannesburg, and how the city has developed over time.

Key themes which informed the mural were:
● Historical transport routes, from sub-Saharan Africa to mining town Johannesburg
● The changing nature of transport
● Historical and contemporary landscape and architectural features
● The Alexandra Bus Boycotts
● The surrounding natural landscape

The wall forms part of the upgrades carried out for the Department of Transport’s Rea Vaya Bus Rapid Transport infrastructure.

The mural design invited input and collaborations from City, history and heritage consultants, public workshops, and a team of 14 visual artists (from fine art to graffiti and street art) who implemented the final design.

The combination of styles and backgrounds allowed for a unique skill exchange and learning opportunity. The variety of compositions and stylistic techniques employed in the mural is reflective of the diverse-and-layered character of Johannesburg and its inhabitants.

The artists involved in the design and conceptualisation phase include Anser NineOne, Breeze Yoko, Dreda, Ekse, Jestr, Mars, Maja Maljevic, Mein, Page33, Plank, Sandile Radebe, Vivien Kohler and Zesta. During implementation, the collective was assisted by ArtMyOrangeGrove local artists.