‘Infrastructures of Freedom’ celebrates the communities and individuals involved in solar lighting projects facilitated by the LightUp programme. The installation, which envisions a holistic approach to developing infrastructure that articulates citizenship, highlights LightUp’s drive to rethink infrastructure in informal settlements on a technological and implementation level, addressing pressing issues of gender-based violence, economic empowerment and climate change.

It asks the question: how can infrastructure symbolise a sense of citizenship in democratic South Africa? It is both about technology and the process of planning, implementing and maintaining infrastructure.

Trained community members install solar lighting on the facades of homes, represented in the installation by the solar jars, while the stories and songs in this installation represent the local public who have been active agents in fighting public lighting inequality.

Light becomes performative, providing a safe network for people to access and create opportunities, fostering agency and a sense of freedom at night.

LightUp addresses public lighting inequality in informal settlements, advocating for decentralised wall-mounted solar lighting technology. It has installed 1400 lights across Khayelitsha.

Stephanie Briers co-founded LightUp in 2022 as a spin-off of her doctoral research that developed the concept of wall-mounted solar lighting as an alternative to high-mast lighting.

Andrew Earl is a researcher studying co-design processes for energy transitions in low-income communities and is a member of LightUp. He previously exhibited at Light Art in 2021 with Allan Chen, showing an interactive sound and light installation titled ‘The Willow Room’.

Additional LightUp members: Noah Schermbrucker (co-founder), Xolelwa Maha, Yael Borofsky, Victoria Mdzanga-Fanaphi, Keyaam Dutoit.