Fire Walker

Far more than being about a single artwork, this book participates in the myriad conversations and debates on the meaning of public art. Essays by Mark Gevisser, Mpho Matsipa, Alexandra Dodd, and Jonathan Cane and Zen Marie prise open critical questions about public space in Johannesburg; Oliver Barstowís interviews with the various collaborators on the sculpture?from the commissioning agent to the steelworker?reveal the complexities and challenges of creating such a massive work in so short a time (construction and installation took a mere six weeks); and the extraordinary images by John Hodgkiss of the making of the sculpture, alongside two evocative photo essays on fire walker vendors (by Ben Law-Viljoen) and old city monuments (by Alastair McLachlan), suggest the metaphorical power of Fire Walker as well as the fragile hold of street vendors over their small share of city space.