The Art of Resistance

The Art of Resistance shows how art and artists resist post-Apartheid gentrification and the resulting displacement in Woodstock, a central neighbourhood of Cape Town, South Africa.

It does so first by offering a detailed exploration of the history of gentrification in South Africa through a close historical overview of Woodstock and its demographic shifts over time. In so doing, the book draws important connections between post-Apartheid legislation, government changes, and gentrification's rise. These findings provide important context for understanding how artists expose injustices associated with gentrification and the displacement it causes. As Ah Goo finds, although artists often have contradictory and conflicting roles in gentrification, they are nevertheless able to contest and combat it through multiple, sophisticated artistic practices and strategies that challenge it directly, question prevailing discourses around it, and propose alternatives to it.

The ultimate aim, of course, is to protect the long-standing community of Woodstock and to ensure that its members are able to continue enjoying the benefits of living in the centre of town. As such, Ah Goo's findings offer lessons for urban contexts across the globe - that is, for anywhere where local communities find themselves increasingly priced out of their neighbourhoods by urban development practices that do not adequately prioritize affordability.