Delaney's sculptures transforming Johannesburg

The Wilds is in the midst of Johannesburg's contrasts. One side of the park is bordered by the tree-lined Killarney suburb and affluent Houghton, home to Nelson Mandela during the final years of his presidency as the country's first Black leader. The other side borders a transition into the bustling, sometimes broken-down areas of Berea and Yeoville. “What I found at the wilds that I spent a couple of years fixing the park and planting and weeding and restoring the infrastructure. We did a lot of work and we couldn't get people to go back and then I had this idea of making laser cut steel sculptures. First of a set of 67 owls, and then later on the kudu and the giraffe and then all those big pieces. And it's that which turned the wilds around. Because those become draw cards and we live in an era now of the photograph. It's all about the photo that you take. Particularly if you could be in the photograph and next to something which is a landmark and public art is a landmark,” explains Delaney.

Delaney first encountered The Wilds as an overgrown, deserted park while walking his puppy Pablo — named after Picasso — in 2014. Since then, he has repaired and painted benches, pruned plants and attracted volunteers and donors to help turn it into a buzzing meeting point. The special ingredient might be the sculptures that now draw mums with babies, yoga enthusiasts and schoolchildren from nearby apartment blocks.

Delaney last week unveiled a second urban park regeneration in Killarney, where a 3-metre-high (9.8-foot) bright orange gate features a sculpture of a raptor perched on a native aloe plant, encouraging passers-by to enter and explore. “We've got this wonderful gate that we've unveiled today, and we hope that that will stand the test of time. We want residents to feel very welcome in this space and where possible to continue to keep it as a vibrant space and yet keep the noise levels down, because it's in the heart of of residential, at the same time, you can walk your pets in here, you can come express yourself, read a book. It's extremely safe, it's well-contained,” explains Jenny Moodley, Johannesburg City Parks and Zoo communication officer.

Johannesburg is considered one of the world's most dangerous cities, based on crime data. Much of Johannesburg's street art and public works reflect South Africa's former life under the white minority rule of apartheid and the efforts at reconciliation after that divisive system ended. Delaney's work strives to do something simpler for residents in a city where dirty, uninviting sidewalks and safety concerns make it rare for the average person to take a stroll. “When you come upon a piece of art where you least expect it, it's like magic. You immediately smile, and you wonder, you ask questions: how did this happen? What's the story behind this? Who are the people who put this here?" says Johannesburg resident, Nadia Nicholaaspar. "It makes you think, well, somebody or a group of people love this place enough to put this effort into it, so I'm going to love it too. I'm going to be a little bit more respectful."