Panarama Place by Ilan Godfrey
Hillbrow is the inner city residential neighborhood of Johannesburg, South Africa. It is known for its high levels of population density, unemployment, crime and poverty. In the 1970s it was an Apartheid – designated ‘whites only’ area but with the removal of the Group Areas Act, it gradually became a cosmopolitan area of mixed races. Many whites left Hillbrow after poorly controlled and restricted political demonstrations in the late days of Apartheid, taking along with them their wealth and places of employment. Owners of the tower blocks abandoned their buildings in the 1990’s, leaving corrupt rogue landlords to retrieve what rents they could from disadvantaged tenants, then disappeared. Utilities were left unpaid, allowing the buildings to deteriorate and fall into disarray, accelerating the pace of urban decay. Common media and suburban representation of Hillbrow is one of pervasive physical decline. Although the portrayal of Hillbrow as a neighborhood characterized by widespread physical decay has some validity, there is also a good deal of mythology.

Today Hillbrow has become one of the most dangerous parts of the city of Johannesburg where crimes – mainly driven by xenophobia – are on the rise. Of course there is reason for this, criminals and illegal immigrants come from other regions of Africa to take advantage of South Africa’s economic stability and make areas of Hillbrow their home. As a result making it more difficult for the local people that live there as they hope to find opportunity in the city and in many cases it allows them to be closer to work. Even though this is apparent in certain areas, speaking to some of the locals, they described it as being a good place to live as it has improved their way of life. Coming from rural areas or townships they see Hillbrow as a place of opportunity.

However there are plans in place to improve the area and there may be hope for this once popular suburb, now largely in a state of decay. It has become a challenge for the new government to resolve the problems that are occurring and make the living conditions for the local people there more desirable.

Ilan Godfrey (b. 1980) is a photographer born in Johannesburg, South Africa, currently based in the United Kingdom, London. He holds a first class BA (hons) degree in Photography (2006) and a MA (hons) degree in Photojournalism with Merit (2007) from The University of Westminster. He is the recipient of The David Faddy Scholarship and the Ivan Kyncl Memorial Photography Placement. His work is held in several private collections and has been exhibited in numerous group exhibitions in London, including the Getty Gallery, Atlantis Gallery, Gallery West, Tom Blau Gallery, Guardian Newsroom Gallery and at the Photoplus Expo, New York. Ilan has won a number of awards including, 1st prize in the 1st annual West Photo Photography Award 2007 and a selected winner in Magenta Flash Forward 2007.

Selected Awards:-·Winner - 1st annual Westphoto Award, 2007, Selected Winner - Magenta Flash Forward Award, 2007, Nominated for the World Press Photo Masterclass, 2007, Ivan Kyncl Memorial Photography Graduate Placement, 2007, Finalist in The British Journal of Photography/Nikon Endframe Competition, 2007, Finalist in the AOP Student Awards, 2007, The David Faddy Scholarship, 2006

Selected Publications Include;-2007 -The British Journal of Photography, New Shoots Magazine, The Sunday Times Magazine, Care International Annual Report

Selected Group Shows Include;-· The Ian Parry Award, The Getty Gallery, London, (Living with Crime – ‘new series’, 2007), AOP Student Awards, AOP Gallery (Rowley Way and Panarama Place, 2007), The Observer Hodge Award, Farringdon Newsroom, London, (Panarama Place, 2007), 1st annual Westphoto Award, Calumet Photo, London, (Rowley Way, 2007), Best of Graduate Show, London Gallery West, (Panarama Place, 2006) Graduate Show, Atlantis Gallery, London, (Panarama Place, 2006), Care International, “I Am Powerful” Campaign, Photoplus Expo in New York, (Angola, 2006), The Ian Parry Award, Tom Blau Gallery, (Louis Botha Avenue, 2005), The Ian Parry Award, Tom Blau Gallery, (Living With Crime, 2003)