Ghetto Beats Beyond Identity & Style
BLOND NEW VOICES
Today's African DESIGNERS share an unfliching reverence for the past. By tapping into the prolific artisanal knowledge of the continent in decidedly novel ways, their work acts as a bridge from the contemporary world into the past, succoring ancient traditions in the process.
Contemporary African design is growing in global popularity. African designers are not simply consumers of Western creativity and product but extraodinary and resourceful producers. Their methods and aesthetics reflect their rich and varied cultures with design that is deeply rooted in heritage and retells the African story by challenging common perceptions of the continent.
Trought still a young industry, design in Africa is thriving. Designers across the continent are embracing their African context, trought both aesthetic and material choices. Increasingly, Africans are using design to solve Africa's problems- which is much more effective than well meaning (thought often ill-considered) social design from the West-and beginning to reach into the luxury design market. Design has the potential to transform the continent and from our research at Design thinking we are seeing that transformation happening more and more at grassroots level.
In comparison to western design, which is greatly influenced by minimalism, African design has its own sense of style, humor, and cultural history, which local designers are bringing into the modern design arena. As the world's eye turns to Africa, it is the designers born on the continent who are best able to represent and capture its culture, quirks, myths, and metaphors, not established practioners looking in from afar. African designers-across the fields of product, architecture, fashion, and art-are fearless, and undaunted by industry trends and what they prescribe. A true sense of place, people, and originality is present in their work.
It is a challange to describe the different design styles and skills of Africa's 54 nations, and it would show a lack of insight to give a cross-continental definition. There are however, some characteristics of African design that should be celebrated: design that is revelant, contextual, resourceful, expressive and bold. Stereotypical notions of African craft and design don't seem representative of the new, exciting, and innovative work that can be found all over the continent. It is an exciting time to be a creative entrepreneur in the growing economies of Africa.
Neighbourgood Market
In Braamfontein, Johannesburg, the Neighbourgoods market is busy igniting the suburb's civic spirit. Artisanal foods, local music, and risign fashion brands all get an opportunity to impress the public; given the amazign turnout it would seem the community is leased with the input.
A NEW RESOURCEFULNESS
The creative designer in Africa is still a relatively fresh idea; it is only recently that design was introduced to the education system and shifted from simple crafting to the conceiving and manufacturing of intelligent products. But what designers may lack in professional experience and training, they make up for in inherent skill and resourcefulness.
Scarcity is a hard taskmaster, but it is also the mother of invention and if there is one thing that captures the essence of product design in Africa today, it would be the ability to turn scarcity into opportunity for a long time, product desig in Africa was only really considered as artifact and curiosity but now it is growing in scale and sophistificantion, and in global popularity. Design on an industrial scale is still rare and so much of the African product still has an artisanal element, though increasingly we are seeing innovative, sustainable, and solution-oriented design. African designers are imaginative, tech-savy producers who are able not only to compete on the global market, but also to guide its trends.
For the most part, the African design industy is still informal in nature and relies on craft skills. Industrial processes, as well as being relatively unavailabe, are subject to power outages (or lack a power supply altogehter), and the transportation infrastructure is inconsistent. This means that African products need to have low production cost and requirements, even when they aim for great impact. Innovation within these parameters is producing sensational work.
This lack of industrial processes contrasts dramatically with the rapid mass production of the developed world and leads to my firts point: resourceful African designers are salvaging, recycling, and upcycling the commodity waste from the "throwaway" economies of the more developed world. Thought this is sometimes out of necessity, it makes a poignant point about the consumer nature of firts world economies. The world is now eager for authenticity; the handmade as opposed to the mass-produced offers a fresh perspective, and a new understanding of luxury.
ORGANIZATION, COLLABORATION
African designers are often collaborators and they share, borrow, and form self-reliant collectives. Artisans with traditionall skills form cooperatives, and there has been a revival and modernization of craft processes. Old techniques are given a contemporary aestethic and the material culture of African endures. In creating hand-made ethical products, often in small quantities, there is an emphasis on the making process and the human connection.
One such social enterprise, Swaziland's Gone Rural, was founded to empower communities of rural women with artisanal skills and an understanding of bussines. Their hand-women products are made from recycled fabrics and sustainably harvested fibers.
Artist and designers are also organizing into groups dedicated to creative freedom, social activism, and skill sharing. Multidisciplinary groups, such as the Nest collective in Kenya are doing what they can to promote the power of art and design in their countries, often without government of foreign support. These collectives are finding their expression in less formalized arenas- not necessarily in museums, art expos, or institutions but in street art, comic books, or the more maverick creative festivals.
Today product are better represented than ever in local markets and inaugural design and fashion weeks have sprung up across African cities over the last decade.
SENSITIVY STRUCTURES
While the form of African Architecture , vary greatly, a persistent trend of sensitve design has grown to inform the diffeernt aprroaches. Social and environmental considerations are at the center of this burgeoning movement, as many new projects have begun to use local labor and materials.
CONTEXTUALIZING AFRICA'S DESIGN HISTORY
The conversations about contempory African Architecture often take place against the brackdrop of the tumultuous histories of Africa and its people's explotation by Western countries through colonial occupation and trade, and also as a site of violence and struggle in the postcolonial period. The complex nature of these backstories and the gamut of cultures that have left their mark-Arabic, Brazilian, Portuguese, Dutch, Belgian, French American and other influences have all been a significant part of Africa's design narrative- has made the question of what constitutes "authentic" African design all the more difficult to answer.
The mind-twentieth century saw the end of many colonial power structures and the growing pains if new governements. Indeed, the effects of this period are still resonating in the complicated, often violent, social and political struggles that have followed. Now African countries are facing new challanges as their economies and societies grow.
Contemporary Afro-European-American exchanges has been fueled by the establishment of a number of platforms like the South of North Network, a collaboration of Nordic architecs, whose seminar series has feutured digital dialogs with African architects and theorists.
An Afropolitan ideal is fuelling the enthusiastic urban planning of bold investors eager to mold African cities into the new global hotspost for technology, finance, culture, and bespoke urban lifestyles
BEYOND IDENTITY STYLE & EDUCATION.
Althought architecture is an aesthetic descipline, there are always social elements that contribute to the determination of forms. MASS DESIGN GROUP predicates its work on the scpecific social factors it finds en each region, creating buildings that integrate local communities and assure long-term functionality.
The Maternity Waiting Village in kasungu, Malawi was developed to improve upon existing programs intented to assist pregnant women toward the end of their terms. Replacing the old large hall-unventilated spaces conducive to infection with small houses modeled on the vernacular architecture of the region, the Maternity Waiting Village provides a more welcoming and homely aura while also protecting pregnant women against potential complications. The women's families are invited to stay on site, where education in postnatal care is also provided.
Local material and training programs, along with modular designs incorporatimg compressed earth blocks, are only two of the factors that encourage easy replication and maintenance of the village. With this succes under its belt MASS intends to use the village as prototype for future projects in Africa countries.
MASS,s Llima Primary School, deep in the jungle of the Democratic Republic of Congo, shares this emphasis on long-term maintenance. The construction phase involved the employment of more than 160 local residents, who were trained to use local materials effectively local material. Futhermore, two Congolese architects were invited to join as fellows, learning about high-impact sustainable building methods. Design as a space for broadening the educational horizons of the local children beyond subsistence farming, the school with its half-height walls and clerestory roof, offers a welcoming and comfortable place to learn.
Safaris, Resorts and Outreach: African Tourism Today.
Africa pulse is pumping faster than ever before, with a variety of new business fueled by creativity, passion and downright ethical sustainable practices.
Trought Africa organizations and companies are finding ways to make the most of their continent's unique natural and cultural enviroment, while giving back to thos who need it most.
The wining and dining side of Cape Town is exraordinary-wining especially! culinary marvel with refreshing approach to spatial design and sustainable agriculture. The farm producers olive, oil, wine, and many other goods, ad offers a variety of classes, dining, and accommodation options on site. It is certainly one of the top destinations for traveling gourmands.
It is easy to overlook the brave and pionneerign projects going on in the areas that tourist rarely, if ever, visit. While taking in the Cape's offerings, those interesed in finding out about local projects and meeting residents can head to Muizenberg Beach for a sufr: Waves for a Change is a brave new project teaching youths from aroud the Cape Flats how to surf. Of course it is so much more than surfing. Waves for Change is providing a therapeutic activity to support young people with histories of trauma and abuse, helping them to become counselors and mentors themselves.
On the opposite side of the country is a similar commuinity outreach program that opted for the land-based analog to surfing: skateboarding. Indigo Skate Camp is proving how effective a bit of passion can be for youths with little direction in life. By converting vacant spaces into skate parks, they have been contributing recreational spaces to underprivileged and rural locales and also giving kids the opportunity to excel and express themselve while having fun. Indigo Skate Camp is based in a zulu village in the Valley of Thousand Hills, a short drive to the east from Durban.
When you think of Africa, don't picture a broken continent waiting for handouts from their privileged neighbors, or an expanse of backward tribal life and untouched wilderness. Throughout the continent, organizations and companies are finding ways to make the most of their continent's unique natural and cultural environment, while giving back to those who need it most.
But, as with all ethical business ideas put into practice, these projects need smart tourists with interests and values that will increase demand for the existing initiatives as well as new ones, rather than those who simply want to follow the visitors who came before them-if not, we might as well be wilbebeest following the backside of the wildebeest on front, oblivious to what lies on either side of our narrow viewpoint. By stepping off the beaten track of convention, we can do our part to help homegrown African businesses thrive and the economies and ecosystems of African business economies and ecosystems.
GLOBAL TREADS
-As Fashion and Textil designers become more prominent in Africa, the world is gettign into the habit of looking to the continent for emerging designers. These fresh new voices gather much of their inspirations from traditional patterns and silhouettes, blending the past into fashion's future.
-Returning the gaze: An exercise in rediscovery a unique take on fashion is making its mark across Africa, spearheaded by a new generation taking inspiration from both familiar and unexpected sources.
-We are building Africa's modern reality for the international fashion scene, in terms of high-quality production and bold contemporary design made in Africa.
-The goal of Force is to produce high-quality Sport items produced in Africa countries so that local people can be trained and can learn from work exchanges.
-We are building Africa's modern reality for the international fashion scene, in terms of hight quality production and bold contemporary design made in Africa. I want to make Congolese proud of their achivements in the fashion industry ( improve their ) personal self-esteem. Without a doubt, the are several economic and infrastructural challanges: high-quality fabrics are hard to come by the manufacturing industries are underdeveloped and lacking in key machinery, and the market for designer clothing has also long been exposed to international brands. There are still no major African Brands that sell as well or are as well -respected as a Gucci or Channel might be.
-However, what the tree abovementioned labels signify are examples of African brands closign the gap on that elusive continental and global succes. Admittedly, they cannot yet compare to major international fashion brands in size- there is not even a clear indication that they mightgrow anywhere near that size. But perhaps bringing attention back to artisanal skill and the diversity of African culture, especially when it comes to creative inspiration. They are digging deep into the resources right in front of them, and through the use of their own sophisticated understanding of design , they are translating Africa's past and present into unique items, which entice both Africa can contribute to the international fashion and design scene. Inevitably, they also inspire the development of a creative economy around their brands, which includes photophes, stylists, fashion editors, writers, and makeup artist, many of whom could only work with either department stores or international brands thus far.
-The first thuth one must accept is that africa is not monolithic; there can be no singular story of African fashion. Whit its size its, 2,000 plus languages and manifold cultures, needs, and histories, Africa's creative expression could never be homogenous. There are many, many narratives: admittedly, the most well-known and oft-told being that of a poor infrastructure, which has crippeld many potential business. One could also tell a story of nations with the eyes fixed on the west for cultural inspiration and brands to aspire to. But perhaps the most exciting-the story these rising fashion brands are telling-is a story of rediscovery. Not a dark continent being "discovered" by travelling explorers, but rather a rediscovery of Africa by a generation of Africans long exposed to the global experience through the internet, travel, and other means, now looking at itself, its past, its present, its rituals, and recognizing the wealht of skill, inspiration, and opportunities for development. And, most importantly, they are recognizing that they have so much to offer to each other and the world.
THE INTERSECTION OF PHOTOGRAPHY AND MUSIC IN AFRICA
Togheter, young African musicians and photographers are exploring ways of using the advantage of each medium to establish new identities and cross divides: between fine art and pop culture, between the local and global. Most importantly the intersection between music and photography in Africa is a site of creative energy and inspiration.
African Art encompasses a range of social and political issues, such as civil war and the enduring history of colonialism. Yet, a celebration of pure aesthetics can be found even in some of the most passionate cultural critics-a restless interpaly that is opening up new questions for the contient as a whole.
Africa's art scene is explorign with artist, institutions, and events. Whit increasign investments and potent subject matter, the continent's art markets are providing too be huge draws fot the international scene.
Kommentare
Kommentar veröffentlichen