Asculpture, titled Twenty Years Ago, by Cape Town-based artist Christopher Swift, commemorates the twentieth anniversary of the release of Nelson Mandela from Robben Island prison, and is created out of mesh from the original prison fences and supported by scaffolding.

The light sculpture, comprising four 6-m-high numbers, 2-0-1-0, was floodlit at its display during June, at the Apartheid Museum, in Ormonde, Johannesburg, creating a moving contrast to the realities of both past and present, and highlighting the significance of 2010, says Swift.

“The twentieth anniversary of Nelson Mandela’s release from prison signifies the beginning of the end of apartheid and the road to a democratic and free nation of which he was to become the first President, four years later,” he explains.

Using an imaginative selection of build- ing and construction materials, Swift believes that the piece will symbolise building a better South Africa.

On a visit to Robben Island, Swift came across fencing that was being discarded as part of a revamp of the island. On learning that it was the original fencing that surrounded the prison, he realised the heritage value of this fence that was being discarded and then received permission to remove it.

Although many people assisted Swift in achieving this aim, he says that he would not have been able to accomplish it without the assistance of scaffolding company SGB-Cape and the Apartheid Museum.

SGB-Cape provided Swift with more building materials and provided a team to help erect the structure.

“It was an honour for SGB-Cape to be approached by Swift for this project,” says SGB-Cape MD Kobus Visagie. “It was also a welcome change to our usual work relating to power stations, petrochemicals plants, construction and building projects, maritime repairs and other industrial instal- lations.”

Meanwhile, realising that the fence had the potential for more than the raw material for artwork, Swift partnered with two other socially conscious people and formed the Robben Island Art Company & Trust (RIACT).

The remainder of the Robben Island fencing was donated to RIACT, which now aims to use the fencing to provide employment and skills development in recycling, as well as generate funds to be donated to worthy causes. RIACT will be responsible for the fence and creating artefacts from it for sale.

All the mate- rials used in the project are disposable either in the short or long term, so using materials destined for the trash pile and putting them to use again is a strong message, says Swift.

The artist is currently arranging a twin installation in Berlin, Germany, to com- memorate the reunification of East Germany and West Germany, linking Germany and South Africa in their dual twentieth-year celebrations.

The Cape Town-based artist was one of the winners of this year’s Spier Contemporary Art Awards.