Afrofuture brings together a diverse cast of characters, events, objects, and organisations into a single programme. From the artists and technologists of MakerFaireAfrica to “The Afronauts”, Christina de Middel’s speculative photographic series on Zambia’s failed 1960s space program, the exhibition challenges traditional craft-centric assumptions about African design. The exhibition documents the spread of design into every facet of everyday life as well as into strange territory, as in the sculptural fantasies of the Kane Kwei workshop’s bespoke coffins.
According to Galilee, “As the design world expands its reach beyond aesthetics to encompass networks, strategies and unexpected tactics, Africa becomes an urgent critical voice in the global conversation. In the Afrofuture we imagine the African Union as the world’s most powerful economic zone, we imagine DIY space travel and biomorphic militarized Kwazulu vervet monkeys. We present Chinafrica state TV, futuristic instruments and contemporary African pulp fiction.”
As in Hacked, Afrofuture constructs many opportunities for audience participation. The beginning of the week already saw the Galactic Zine Sweatshop, a two-hour mission to illustrate a science-fiction magazine written on Facebook by multiple authors. The rest of the week offers chances to try Nigerian fabric upholstery, watch a networked cellular Congolese music performance, and build a scale bridge between Africa and Europe as part of Project Heracles. The rest of the week offers chances to try Nigerian fabric upholstery, watch a networked cellular Congolese music performance, and discuss the future of communications with James Bridle.
Afrofuture culminates at 18.00 on Friday, April 12 in a collaborative building of a scale bridge between Africa and Europe. This event is the physical manifestation of Project Heracles, a call for ideas launched by Domus in 2011. Joseph Grima, the editor-in-chief of Domus, will inaugurate the workshop at la Rinascente during the finale of Afrofuture. Find the full program here.
Project Heracles Bridge Building Live
Piazza Duomo, Milan
Friday 12 April
18:00 - 19:00
View gallery