Broken Narratives and Blurred Recollections: [Re]Constructing Sharpeville's Broken Memorial Landscape
My project critiques the memorialisation of the Sharpeville massacre, and proves how the memory of the massacre has been vandalised – narratively and physically – pre- and post democracy. I argue that the blatant erasure of these narratives is an act of violence against the victims, and the surviving community of Sharpeville.
The broken narratives I investigate (amongst many) include:
- The alleged number of people who died versus oral accounts insisting it was more.
- Narratives of alleged mass graves of victims who remain unaccounted for.
- The flow of blood to the Dlomo Dam.
- The erasure of Top Location from historical narratives.
Through use of Catherine Dee's 'Hypothetical Design' as a methodology, I speculate on ways to begin repairing the narrative and the memorial landscape.
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My journey into architecture began in Grade 9 when we were asked to design accommodation for international visitors during the 2010 World Cup. This is what sparked my curiosity about the industry. What has sustained me though, is my interest in public spaces; The who, why, when and how public spaces have changed over time - especially given the history of South Africa - continues to intrigue me.
why did you choose to study architecture?
Cindy Langa
representing
University of Johannesburg