“This project draws inspiration from Dollar Brand’s album “Water from the Ancient Well” and Zimbabwe, as both Zimbabwe and Cape Town resonate around the idea of water. Additionally, a short segment of a poem in “Brother With Perfect Timing” initiated this research: ”“See the bodies fall like rain drops, Nurtured, Loved, Dust, Deep root intention, Now unveil The kavir desert blooms again Joyest Comes the golden flower The purple shrooms and sunset green Water Water Water From the ancient well”“ This poetic excerpt serves as a profound impetus for a comprehensive examination of the nexus between water and soil in Cape Town. With its long colonial history, Cape Town boasts a rich and complex hybridization of Western colonial planning and its indigenous topography. My research on Cape Town’s water crisis has led me to realize that the shortage of water is not merely a conflict but rather a reflection of deeply entrenched institutional segregation and disparity between wealthy and underprivileged residents. The privatization of water presents a conflicting notion. Since the sublime nature of water is deeply embedded in African culture, water is not something to be tamed but rather a respected element in nature that nurtures the African people. Water, as the embodiment of idleness, carries the idea of regeneration in indigenous culture, contrasting with the colonialist approach of water as a functional tool for segregation and profit. Reassessing the purpose of idleness entails re-evaluating the dynamic between work and labor. In most cases, things are subjected to labor, driven by capital rather than will. Conversely, work is associated with activities based on will, such as reading, drawing, and swimming. Once humans begin to perceive themselves as machines, they are dominated by the Tayloristic idea of mechanizing their environment and themselves. In this crisis driven by the capitalization of our environment, liberation aligns with idleness, which is regenerative, nurturing, and healing.”
