Greenpop was funded by UNESCO-IFPC to undertake their dream of an art and environment project aptly coined, “Conservation Conversation Corners”.

Here, disused public corners in two African cities – Livingstone, Zambia and Johannesburg, South Africa – were transformed using public participation, mural art, public seating, sculpture, and indigenous plants – into spaces of connection and of conversation around the incredible biodiversity that makes each city so unique and special. Three artists were selected for each leg of the project including South African up-cycler Heath Nash, Zambian sculptor Owen Shikabeta and Zambian painter Mwamba Chikwemba – all three involved in the Livingstone leg – as well as South African installation artist Mbali Dhlamini (involved in the Johannesburg leg, in place of Heath Nash).

The artworks and artists invited people into the space to break down barriers across countries, disciplines, people, and nature, turning these urban corners into a functioning, colourful places of interaction – serving to physically, visually and conceptually link the two African cities, while sparking conversation around our relationship with the natural world.

Over the three weeks spent in each city, community members were encouraged to contribute to the creation of the artwork and numerous participatory workshops were held to draw out each artwork’s main theme.