Bárbara Rousseaux will present at the next Sociology Seminar Series.
Date: Thursday, 25 September 2025 | Time: 14:00 – 15:00
Venue: RS251, 2nd Floor, Robert Sobukwe Block, Braamfontein Campus East,
University of the Witwatersrand
RSVP/Enquiries: Johannes.Machinya@wits.ac.za
Abstract
The histories of Cape Town and Brasilia are permeated by the idea of hope. In the 15th century, King John II of Portugal named the southern tip of Africa Cabo da Boa Esperança (Cape of Good Hope). Centuries later, Brazil’s new capital was branded Capital da Esperança (Capital of Hope). Across these geographies, hope functioned as a foundational premise of urban settlement, though always limited to the few. This presentation explores how archivists in both cities destabilise these legacies. The term “archivist” is discussed and expanded to include tour guides, heritage practitioners, historians, genealogy consultants, artists and others who listen, care for, and share stories that challenge o cial accounts of modernity, beauty, and tourism in both cities. The research follows their interventions in public space, such as walkabouts and photography installations, and considers how these reshape meaning in the cities. In each context, archivists expose epistemic injustices while recon guring public memory. The following question arises: can such practices help repair cities scarred by forced removals, exclusion, and trauma? Placing South Africa and Brazil in dialogue through relational comparison and juxtaposition reveals points of convergence and divergence. Drawing on interviews, site visits, and analyses of shifting semiotic landscapes, this presentation shows how archivists not only address these injustices, but also recon gure urban landscapes in ways that open possibilities for new forms of hope.
Speaker Bio
Bárbara Rousseaux is an Argentine economist, researcher and writer based in Johannesburg. Throughout her career, Bárbara has worked across disciplines and coordinated cultural projects, human rights initiatives, and worked as an arts journalist. She currently works at the Joburg Contemporary Art Foundation (JCAF) as Project Manager for Latin America and Managing Editor for the JCAF Journal. Bárbara is the co-founder of drift, a literary agency that represents African authors in Latin America and Spain. She is also the co-founder of Writers’ Block, a Johannesburg-based arts writing collective. Her texts on contemporary art, lm and politics have been published by Africa is a Country, Sunday Times, Mail & Guardian, Le Quotidien de l’Art, ArtThrob and others.
