The mobilities of visual artists: the case of South Africa
The mobilities of visual artists: the case of South Africa
Creative industries and talent have traditionally clustered in a handful of global cities. Yet, recent developments, including digital technologies and the COVID-19 pandemic are reshaping these spatial dynamics. Drawing on 30 interviews this paper considers the moblities of visual artists in South Africa and whether they need to locate in the established centres to realise their ambitions. It explores how these entrepreneurs choose a ‘home base’ for their operations and demonstrates how they mobilise three forms of mobility (temporary, mediated, virtual) to access resources, overcome barriers and work towards sustainable livelihoods.
mobility, locational choice, visual artists, creative labour, South Africa
Hracs, Brian
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Booyens, Irma
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Comunian, Roberta
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Brydges, Taylor
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7 July 2025
Hracs, Brian
ab1df99d-bb99-4770-9ea1-b9d654a284dc
Booyens, Irma
00ff97ef-c39b-448e-9161-1c835d9997e8
Comunian, Roberta
a12e992b-aa04-4dd8-93a4-f7e2639095ef
Brydges, Taylor
c943fc31-67de-4bd7-83b5-d9881820a266
Hracs, Brian, Booyens, Irma, Comunian, Roberta and Brydges, Taylor
(2025)
The mobilities of visual artists: the case of South Africa.
Environment and Planning A.
Abstract
Creative industries and talent have traditionally clustered in a handful of global cities. Yet, recent developments, including digital technologies and the COVID-19 pandemic are reshaping these spatial dynamics. Drawing on 30 interviews this paper considers the moblities of visual artists in South Africa and whether they need to locate in the established centres to realise their ambitions. It explores how these entrepreneurs choose a ‘home base’ for their operations and demonstrates how they mobilise three forms of mobility (temporary, mediated, virtual) to access resources, overcome barriers and work towards sustainable livelihoods.
Text
Pre-Press Manuscript - May 13th 2025
- Accepted Manuscript
More information
Accepted/In Press date: 1 April 2025
Published date: 7 July 2025
Keywords:
mobility, locational choice, visual artists, creative labour, South Africa
Identifiers
Local EPrints ID: 501132
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/501132
ISSN: 0308-518X
PURE UUID: 7aee1285-7c4a-4ff8-b447-b6cfb539d982
Catalogue record
Date deposited: 27 May 2025 16:35
Last modified: 10 Jul 2025 01:47
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Contributors
Author:
Irma Booyens
Author:
Roberta Comunian
Author:
Taylor Brydges
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