A critical analysis of the relationship between commemoration, meaning and landscape design in Post-Apartheid South Africa : Isivivane, Freedom Park - a case study

Abstract

This study is based on research undertaken in the context of a democratic, Post-Apartheid South Africa, over 20 years into democracy. At the dawn of democracy, the nation was seeking a new identity and for many South Africans it was to be an identity based on their African culture and tradition. The nation’s politicians were also seeking ways to commemorate people who had lost their lives in conflicts leading up to 1994, when South Africa held its first democratic elections. In attempting to achieve this, the Department of Arts and Culture initiated a number of legacy memorial and heritage projects. The purpose of this study is to investigate the effectiveness of landscape architecture in communicating the intent and meaning of Isivivane, one of these commemorative places, located in Freedom Park, Pretoria. To achieve this the study provides the phenomenological context to clarify and recognise how people comprehend and experience Isivivane; carries out an empirical analysis of Isivivane’s landscape features and their capacity to amplify visitors’ experience and provoke an emotional response that unlocks the significance and meaning of the place; draws on lessons gained from a literature review and a descriptive presentation of the Isivivane case study. The data indicate that Isivivane’s landscape features create a strong sense of place that intensify visitors’ experience and contribute significantly to their ability to interpret and understand of the meaning of the place. The study confirms that the landscape is a powerful tool in conveying meaning and commemoration and that it seems to have cross-cultural significance in the context of post-apartheid South Africa. The study also enhances an understanding of the conjunction between commemoration, identity and landscape design. It is hoped that it will prompt further research into the relationship of national identity, nation building and landscape architectural design at other Post-Apartheid projects, as well as research into the power relations associated with commemorative places in South Africa.