All of the works presented are underpinned by a quest to address questions of material culture and everyday aesthetics \u2013 in short, questions of design. The objects show that design in Africa is understood on a much more inclusive level than in Western societies \u2013 and they are proof that this understanding can produce innovative new approaches to design.<\/p>\n
The cultural historical foundations of \u00bbMaking Africa\u00ab come from a retrospective look at early postcolonial Africa. Back in the 1960s, photographers such as\u00a0Seydou Ke\u00efta<\/strong>\u00a0and\u00a0Malick Sidib\u00e9<\/strong>\u00a0or the\u00a0South African magazine \u00bbDrum\u00ab<\/strong>\u00a0showed a continent beyond wars, crises and catastrophes. The architecture produced during those initial years of independence also epitomizes the emergence of a new era of self-confidence that dissipated over the following decades. These historical documents run through the entire exhibition where they are systematically paired with contemporary works. These comparisons demonstrate how the young generation often consciously refers to this early body of work and creates a link to the positive sentiment of this past era.<\/p>\n Chris Saunders, Lethabo Tsatsinyane fotografiert f\u00fcr\/photographed for Dazed Magazine aus der\/from the \u00bbSmarteez\u00ab series, 2010 photo: courtesy PAPA Photographic Archival and Preservation Association, Kapstadt \u00a9 Chris Saunders<\/p><\/div>\n The exhibition is accompanied by a 352-page publication, which offers a first-ever comprehensive overview of African contemporary design with contributions by\u00a0Okwui Enwezor, Koyo Kouoh Edgar Pieterse\u00a0<\/strong>and\u00a0Mugendi M\u2019rithaa.\u00a0<\/strong>A second part of the publication shows all of the exhibits in a comprehensive catalogue of objects and contains summaries of interviews conducted in the exhibition\u2019s research process.<\/p>\n An elaborate events programme will be held throughout the duration of the exhibition. It will feature talks, symposia, workshops and film screenings. Among the guests are curator Okwui Enwezor, photographer Iwan Baan, the founder of Lagos Photo Festival Azu Nwagbogu and designer Cheick Diallo.<\/p>\n The exhibition was curated by\u00a0Amelie Klein<\/strong>, Curator at the Vitra Design Museum,\u00a0together with the internationally renowned curator\u00a0Okwui Enwezor<\/strong>\u00a0and supported by the Kulturstiftung des Bundes (German Federal Cultural Foundation).\u00a0Following its premiere at the Vitra Design Museum, the exhibition will be presented at the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao from autumn 2015.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n www.design-museum.de<\/a><\/p>","protected":false},"featured_media":9959,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"exh_abstract":"It\u2019s time to move on from talk of the \u00bbDark Continent\u00ab. A major exhibition by the Vitra Design Museum in spring 2015 sheds new light on contemporary design in Africa.","exh_gallery":"Vitra Design Museum ","exh_city":"Weil am Rhein","exh_country":"germany","exh_startdate":"20150314","exh_enddate":"20150913","exh_caption":"M\u00e1rio Macilau, \u00bbAlito, The Guy with Style\u00ab, aus der \u00bbMoments of Transition\u00ab Serie, 2013, Fotografie, \u00a9 photo: M\u00e1rio Macilau, courtesy Ed Cross Fine Art Ltd, London","exh_slideshow":"0","exh_sidebarposts1":"0","exh_sidebarposts2":"0","exh_sidebarposts3":"0","exh_sidebarposts4":"0","exh_relatedcontent1":0,"exh_relatedcontent2":0,"exh_relatedcontent3":0,"exh_relatedcontent4":0,"exh_relatedcontent5":0,"exh_relatedcontent6":0,"exh_relatedcontent7":0,"exh_relatedcontent8":0,"_thumbnail_id":9959,"_exhibition_photo":9959,"_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"tags":[],"exhibition-type":[6],"opportunity-type":[],"class_list":["post-9928","exhibition","type-exhibition","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","exhibition-type-exhibitions"],"core_raw":{"post_title":"[:en]Making Africa - A Continent of Contemporary Design[:de]Making Africa - A Continent of Contemporary Design[:fr]Making Africa - A Continent of Contemporary Design[:]","post_content":"[:en]It\u2019s time to move on from talk of the \u00bbDark Continent\u00ab. A major exhibition by the Vitra Design Museum in spring 2015 sheds new light on contemporary design in Africa.\r\n\r\nOn the basis of a wide variety of examples, \u00bbMaking Africa\u00ab shows how design is accompanying \u2013 and even promoting \u2013 economic and political change on the continent and engaging in a close dialogue with related disciplines, such as the fine arts, graphic design, illustration, film, photography, architecture and urban planning. A central role is played by the new media, which made this shift in perspective possible in the first place.\r\n\r\n\u00bbMaking Africa\u00ab presents a plethora of work cutting across a wide variety of media, such as the eyewear sculptures by Kenyan artist Cyrus Kabiru<\/strong>, the furniture of Cheik Diallo<\/strong> from Mali and the photography of Mozambican M\u00e1rio Macilau<\/strong> and Nigerian J.D. \u2019Okhai Ojeikere<\/strong>. It shows the architecture of Francis K\u00e9r\u00e9, David Adjaye<\/strong> and Kunl\u00e9 Adeyemi<\/strong>, remarkable cardboard city models by Bodys Isek<\/strong> Kingelez<\/strong> and animation art by Robin Rhode<\/strong>, a South African based in Berlin.\r\n\r\nAll of the works presented are underpinned by a quest to address questions of material culture and everyday aesthetics \u2013 in short, questions of design. The objects show that design in Africa is understood on a much more inclusive level than in Western societies \u2013 and they are proof that this understanding can produce innovative new approaches to design.\r\n\r\nThe cultural historical foundations of \u00bbMaking Africa\u00ab come from a retrospective look at early postcolonial Africa. Back in the 1960s, photographers such as Seydou Ke\u00efta<\/strong> and Malick Sidib\u00e9<\/strong> or the South African magazine \u00bbDrum\u00ab<\/strong> showed a continent beyond wars, crises and catastrophes. The architecture produced during those initial years of independence also epitomizes the emergence of a new era of self-confidence that dissipated over the following decades. These historical documents run through the entire exhibition where they are systematically paired with contemporary works. These comparisons demonstrate how the young generation often consciously refers to this early body of work and creates a link to the positive sentiment of this past era.\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_9958\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"550\"]![\"07_Making_Africa_Saunders\"](\"http:\/\/3.230.254.106\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/12\/07_Making_Africa_Saunders.jpg\")
<\/a><\/a> Chris Saunders, Lethabo Tsatsinyane fotografiert f\u00fcr\/photographed for Dazed Magazine aus der\/from the \u00bbSmarteez\u00ab series, 2010 photo: courtesy PAPA Photographic Archival and Preservation Association, Kapstadt \u00a9 Chris Saunders[\/caption]\r\n\r\nThe exhibition is accompanied by a 352-page publication, which offers a first-ever comprehensive overview of African contemporary design with contributions by\u00a0Okwui Enwezor, Koyo Kouoh Edgar Pieterse <\/strong>and\u00a0Mugendi M\u2019rithaa.\u00a0<\/strong>A second part of the publication shows all of the exhibits in a comprehensive catalogue of objects and contains summaries of interviews conducted in the exhibition\u2019s research process.\r\n\r\nAn elaborate events programme will be held throughout the duration of the exhibition. It will feature talks, symposia, workshops and film screenings. Among the guests are curator Okwui Enwezor, photographer Iwan Baan, the founder of Lagos Photo Festival Azu Nwagbogu and designer Cheick Diallo.\r\n\r\nThe exhibition was curated by Amelie Klein<\/strong>, Curator at the Vitra Design Museum,\u00a0together with the internationally renowned curator Okwui Enwezor<\/strong> and supported by the Kulturstiftung des Bundes (German Federal Cultural Foundation).\u00a0Following its premiere at the Vitra Design Museum, the exhibition will be presented at the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao from autumn 2015.\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\nwww.design-museum.de<\/a>[:de]It\u2019s time to move on from talk of the \u00bbDark Continent\u00ab. A major exhibition by the Vitra Design Museum in spring 2015 sheds new light on contemporary design in Africa.\r\n\r\nOn the basis of a wide variety of examples, \u00bbMaking Africa\u00ab shows how design is accompanying \u2013 and even promoting \u2013 economic and political change on the continent and engaging in a close dialogue with related disciplines, such as the fine arts, graphic design, illustration, film, photography, architecture and urban planning. A central role is played by the new media, which made this shift in perspective possible in the first place.\r\n\r\n\u00bbMaking Africa\u00ab presents a plethora of work cutting across a wide variety of media, such as the eyewear sculptures by Kenyan artist\u00a0Cyrus Kabiru<\/strong>, the furniture of\u00a0Cheik Diallo<\/strong>\u00a0from Mali and the photography of Mozambican\u00a0M\u00e1rio Macilau<\/strong>\u00a0and Nigerian\u00a0J.D. \u2019Okhai Ojeikere<\/strong>. It shows the architecture of\u00a0Francis K\u00e9r\u00e9, David Adjaye<\/strong>\u00a0and\u00a0Kunl\u00e9 Adeyemi<\/strong>, remarkable cardboard city models by\u00a0Bodys Isek<\/strong>\u00a0Kingelez<\/strong>\u00a0and animation art by\u00a0Robin Rhode<\/strong>, a South African based in Berlin.\r\n\r\nAll of the works presented are underpinned by a quest to address questions of material culture and everyday aesthetics \u2013 in short, questions of design. The objects show that design in Africa is understood on a much more inclusive level than in Western societies \u2013 and they are proof that this understanding can produce innovative new approaches to design.\r\n\r\nThe cultural historical foundations of \u00bbMaking Africa\u00ab come from a retrospective look at early postcolonial Africa. Back in the 1960s, photographers such as\u00a0Seydou Ke\u00efta<\/strong>\u00a0and\u00a0Malick Sidib\u00e9<\/strong>\u00a0or the\u00a0South African magazine \u00bbDrum\u00ab<\/strong>\u00a0showed a continent beyond wars, crises and catastrophes. The architecture produced during those initial years of independence also epitomizes the emergence of a new era of self-confidence that dissipated over the following decades. These historical documents run through the entire exhibition where they are systematically paired with contemporary works. These comparisons demonstrate how the young generation often consciously refers to this early body of work and creates a link to the positive sentiment of this past era.\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_9958\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"550\"]<\/a> Chris Saunders, Lethabo Tsatsinyane fotografiert f\u00fcr\/photographed for Dazed Magazine aus der\/from the \u00bbSmarteez\u00ab series, 2010 photo: courtesy PAPA Photographic Archival and Preservation Association, Kapstadt \u00a9 Chris Saunders[\/caption]\r\n\r\nThe exhibition is accompanied by a 352-page publication, which offers a first-ever comprehensive overview of African contemporary design with contributions by\u00a0Okwui Enwezor, Koyo Kouoh Edgar Pieterse\u00a0<\/strong>and\u00a0Mugendi M\u2019rithaa.\u00a0<\/strong>A second part of the publication shows all of the exhibits in a comprehensive catalogue of objects and contains summaries of interviews conducted in the exhibition\u2019s research process.\r\n\r\nAn elaborate events programme will be held throughout the duration of the exhibition. It will feature talks, symposia, workshops and film screenings. Among the guests are curator Okwui Enwezor, photographer Iwan Baan, the founder of Lagos Photo Festival Azu Nwagbogu and designer Cheick Diallo.\r\n\r\nThe exhibition was curated by\u00a0Amelie Klein<\/strong>, Curator at the Vitra Design Museum,\u00a0together with the internationally renowned curator\u00a0Okwui Enwezor<\/strong>\u00a0and supported by the Kulturstiftung des Bundes (German Federal Cultural Foundation).\u00a0Following its premiere at the Vitra Design Museum, the exhibition will be presented at the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao from autumn 2015.\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\nwww.design-museum.de<\/a>[:fr]It\u2019s time to move on from talk of the \u00bbDark Continent\u00ab. A major exhibition by the Vitra Design Museum in spring 2015 sheds new light on contemporary design in Africa.\r\n\r\nOn the basis of a wide variety of examples, \u00bbMaking Africa\u00ab shows how design is accompanying \u2013 and even promoting \u2013 economic and political change on the continent and engaging in a close dialogue with related disciplines, such as the fine arts, graphic design, illustration, film, photography, architecture and urban planning. A central role is played by the new media, which made this shift in perspective possible in the first place.\r\n\r\n\u00bbMaking Africa\u00ab presents a plethora of work cutting across a wide variety of media, such as the eyewear sculptures by Kenyan artist\u00a0Cyrus Kabiru<\/strong>, the furniture of\u00a0Cheik Diallo<\/strong>\u00a0from Mali and the photography of Mozambican\u00a0M\u00e1rio Macilau<\/strong>\u00a0and Nigerian\u00a0J.D. \u2019Okhai Ojeikere<\/strong>. It shows the architecture of\u00a0Francis K\u00e9r\u00e9, David Adjaye<\/strong>\u00a0and\u00a0Kunl\u00e9 Adeyemi<\/strong>, remarkable cardboard city models by\u00a0Bodys Isek<\/strong>\u00a0Kingelez<\/strong>\u00a0and animation art by\u00a0Robin Rhode<\/strong>, a South African based in Berlin.\r\n\r\nAll of the works presented are underpinned by a quest to address questions of material culture and everyday aesthetics \u2013 in short, questions of design. The objects show that design in Africa is understood on a much more inclusive level than in Western societies \u2013 and they are proof that this understanding can produce innovative new approaches to design.\r\n\r\nThe cultural historical foundations of \u00bbMaking Africa\u00ab come from a retrospective look at early postcolonial Africa. Back in the 1960s, photographers such as\u00a0Seydou Ke\u00efta<\/strong>\u00a0and\u00a0Malick Sidib\u00e9<\/strong>\u00a0or the\u00a0South African magazine \u00bbDrum\u00ab<\/strong>\u00a0showed a continent beyond wars, crises and catastrophes. The architecture produced during those initial years of independence also epitomizes the emergence of a new era of self-confidence that dissipated over the following decades. These historical documents run through the entire exhibition where they are systematically paired with contemporary works. These comparisons demonstrate how the young generation often consciously refers to this early body of work and creates a link to the positive sentiment of this past era.\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_9958\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"550\"]<\/a> Chris Saunders, Lethabo Tsatsinyane fotografiert f\u00fcr\/photographed for Dazed Magazine aus der\/from the \u00bbSmarteez\u00ab series, 2010 photo: courtesy PAPA Photographic Archival and Preservation Association, Kapstadt \u00a9 Chris Saunders[\/caption]\r\n\r\nThe exhibition is accompanied by a 352-page publication, which offers a first-ever comprehensive overview of African contemporary design with contributions by\u00a0Okwui Enwezor, Koyo Kouoh Edgar Pieterse\u00a0<\/strong>and\u00a0Mugendi M\u2019rithaa.\u00a0<\/strong>A second part of the publication shows all of the exhibits in a comprehensive catalogue of objects and contains summaries of interviews conducted in the exhibition\u2019s research process.\r\n\r\nAn elaborate events programme will be held throughout the duration of the exhibition. It will feature talks, symposia, workshops and film screenings. Among the guests are curator Okwui Enwezor, photographer Iwan Baan, the founder of Lagos Photo Festival Azu Nwagbogu and designer Cheick Diallo.\r\n\r\nThe exhibition was curated by\u00a0Amelie Klein<\/strong>, Curator at the Vitra Design Museum,\u00a0together with the internationally renowned curator\u00a0Okwui Enwezor<\/strong>\u00a0and supported by the Kulturstiftung des Bundes (German Federal Cultural Foundation).\u00a0Following its premiere at the Vitra Design Museum, the exhibition will be presented at the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao from autumn 2015.\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\nwww.design-museum.de<\/a>[:]","post_excerpt":""},"acf":{"video_url":null,"Dachzeile":null,"short_teaser":null,"modul_1":null,"modul_4":null,"modul_5":null,"modul_2":null,"modul_3":null,"weitere_shortcodes":null,"teaser":null,"smys":null,"image_only_slide":null},"yoast_head":"\n