Artist Statement

The wall installation examines the legacy of mining in Johannesburg and how this industry has had a geographical, social and economic influence on Johannesburg. The works engage with how historical ghosts of Johannesburg’s past still influence urban living today. It also deals with the anxieties of Joburg living, where one’s sense of equanimity is constantly being tested. Physical computing components such as servo and DC motors are attached to found objects and fictious characters of the artwork. These characters and objects move backwards and forwards, spin endlessly and shudder on the ledges they stand.

• Colleen Alborough is a multimedia artist and printmaker living and working in Johannesburg, South Africa. As an artist she is interested in the intersection between traditional art media and digital technologies. Thematically, her creative work explores the relationship between sense and place: namely, how a place can influence a person’s sense of self and wellbeing. Alborough’s current body of work comprises wall installations that include physical computing and electronic components such as Arduino boards, servo motors and sensors. Alborough is based at Arts on Main, Johannesburg, working full time as an artist and creativity coach. She is represented by Galerie Seippel in Köln, Germany.  galerie-seippel.de/colleen-alborough; art.co.za/colleenalborough/

Supported by the National Arts Council