Fire Walker

2010's Fire Walker project was a steep learning curve for all involved. Artists William Kentridge and Gerhard Marx had conceived a remarkable 11m high sculpture that would tower above traffic in Newtown Extension 1. From artists' maquette to final product, this ambitious project had to be realised in just six weeks, and on a limited budget. The Library was called in by The Trinity Session to develop a construction methodology and manage the design and installation of landscaping, lighting and the sculpture itself.

The Library assembled a professional team which included an engineer who had the challenging task of managing the sculpture's use of large cantilevering panels, which were subject to severe wind loads. The construction methodology had to include scaling the maquette up eleven times and ensuring that the panels were assembled in a faithful representation of the artists' maquette. The engineer worked in collaboration with the artists to develop a total of six maquettes, until both aesthetic and technical requirements were satisfactorily addressed, which the team then carried through construction. Weight and structural issues were addressed through use of a wafer system of laser-cut plates fixed to an internal subframe structure.

On site, the team had to work on a traffic island amidst Johannesburg's busy road and foot traffic, and alongside groups of informal traders. Strict safety plans were put into place, and at times the city called in police to clear the site.

Despite the very real challenges involved in the creation and installation of a sculpture this large on a difficult site, the team was able to complete the project within the allotted six weeks and on budget while remaining faithful to the vision of the highly talented artists who created the original maquette.