Afrofuture, a unique collaboration between Milan Design Week and high-end Italian department store La Rinascente, kicks off this week.
The ambitious project showcases some of the hottest African design around, including elaborately designed coffins from Kane Kwei’s workshop in Ghana and Kenya-based artist Cyrus Nganga Kabiru’s incredible eyewear sculptures
Curated by Beatrice Galilee, former architecture editor of Icon Magazine and chief curator of the 2013 Lisbon Architecture Triennale, Afrofuture brings together African "makers, thinkers and dreamers".
“In Afrofuture we imagine the African Union as the world's most powerful economic zone,” says Galilee. "We imagine DIY space travel and biomorphic militarised KwaZulu vervet monkeys. We present Chinafrica state TV, futuristic instruments and contemporary African pulp fiction".
In April this year Afrofuture Now! was hosted at La Rinascente, a pan-African evening of quick-fire talks by 10 of the continent’s leading designers, technologists and innovators. To warm up, Pool spoke with Afrofuture advisor Nana Ocran, former editor-in-chief of Time Out's guides to Lagos and Abuja, to find out exactly what Afrofuture is all about.
What’s the concept behind Afrofuture?
Afrofuture is an experimental showcase of innovation, thinking, dreaming and discussion of new and evolving stories around African design and invention. It’s a new but evolving narrative that seems to have been kickstarted by the continent’s technology boom.
Afrofuture is part of Milan Design Week. Why focus on Africa? Why now?
As a writer focusing on African pop-cultural stories I’ve been aware of the level of ingenuity that exists within the continent, and of how so much of what exists below the radar in different African regions is evolving and influencing mainstream and global making, thinking and invention.
Does fashion’s love affair with Africa extend to the design world?
Not yet but I think it will do. It seems natural that more and more creative sectors – fashion, music, publishing, film, art – are all going to see themselves as obvious elements of Africa’s wide range of design stories.
In design terms is there such a thing as an “African Aesthetic"?
Tricky one that. Design aesthetics in Africa, as far as products, architecture and interiors go, depend on the region you’re looking at – but it’s still relatively new to think of the continent as a strong contender in design outside of fashion or objects made from raw materials for display. Africa’s take on design is actually as freewheeling and complex as its infinite number of people.
Which African countries are you particularly drawn to in terms of their design talent, and why?
Kenya’s a definite. The energy around the iHub, ‘Silicon Savannah’ and organisations like the girl-power-esque AkiraChix for female techies is something I’d like to explore further. I’ve also got Ethiopia on my radar. It doesn’t get nearly enough press as far as creativity goes, but I think Addis Ababa might become as much of a talked-about city as Nairobi, Lagos, Joburg or Accra because of the youthful energy of festivals like Addis Foto, which seems to be a perfect hub for photographers, visual artists and designers to share ideas.
If there was one piece of work by an African designer you could buy what would it be and why?
If I could, I’d splash out on Ethopia Melinium Pavilium in the historical Gondar city. It’s a wonderful fusion of Japanese and Ethiopian design by architect Fasil Giorgis and Japanese architects Atelier Tekuto. It’s used as a cultural centre but I might selfishly turn it into a personal writing retreat.
If we can’t get to Milan Design Week how can we learn more about Afrofuture – before, during and after the event?
Head straight over to www.afrofuture.com for the full programme or join in the conversation at @afrofuture
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