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Marco Cianfanelli’s majestic The Messenger greets passing traffic and pedestrians from the southwest corner of the park. The sculpture – nearly six metres in height – was created from 12 identical laser-cut steel sections that were then welded together in a radial formation and bolted to the concrete plinth. The sculpture is designed so as to extend an equal greeting in all directions, and each out-stretched hand contains a distinct and emblematic figure of a different kind of Johannesburg resident – a clever encapsulation of the idea that the city belongs to all who live in it.
Artwork rationale: The figure is abstracted, yet still recognisable as a gesturing figure. The radial symmetry allows the sculpture to “greet” the public from any direction.
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A culmination of research gathered over many years, the Online Johannesburg Heritage Register is being launched on Nelson Mandela Day 18 July 2025.
Among the many heritage sites featured is Chancellor House, the downtown offices of Mandela and Tambo Attorneys in the 1950s. After having been vacant and shuttered for more than a decade, this iconic building is being revived and brought to life once again as offices for the Community Development Department, which oversees the City’s Arts, Culture & Heritage Services.
