Interview With Table Mountain

In response to the title of Les Ateliers’ document for applicants for the 2012 atelier in Paris, A visual perspective on cities, Revealing and staging the metropolitan landscape, Landscape as a metropolitan actor, I have decided to Interview Table Mountain, our famous mountain at the tip of South Africa. This might seem strange or absurd, but Table Mountain has witnessed my city’s development, from beginning to present. It is our most famous metropolitan actor, and an ever present backdrop. Table Mountain has a defined amphitheatre of the city centre further reinforcing the concept of the mountain being on the stage, with the population and buildings as the audience, occupying different seats in the amphitheatre. Everyday, Table Mountain performs breathtaking scenes in dramatic lights of the sunrise and sunsets, rain or cloud.

It is a landmark, around which we orientate ourselves, a background to our lives, and a place we associate with home.

I have chosen a casual magazine interview style for this document, not to dumb the message down, but to really think about an alternative position, to get into the head of our landscape actors that are in my view the most precious place-making elements of any city.
Table Mountain is able to talk directly to his audience, making them aware of the extent to which he has directed the building of the city, as well as his future plans for a more inclusive Cape Town.

Having worked extensively in the film industry in Cape Town and abroad, being passionate about cities, heritage and how people live, as well as currently working as a professional artist and architect, I have found this interdisciplinary project refreshing. 
Subsequently, This interview was performed at the Fugard Theatre As part of the Potter Talks on the 8th May, and you may view this performance here: