promote African design to local and international
editors and distributors,
initiate or strengthen links between designers,
groups of craftsmen, and small businesses,
confirm or reveal existing talents in Africa,
introduce the international audience to African
creativeness and contemporaneousness.
With the help of a panel, presided by Samuel
Sidibé, Director of the National Museum
of Mali in Bamako, the curators Céline
Savoye and Michel Buisson gathered a unique
selection of interior and urban objects addressing
and responding to present day lifestyles in
Africa.
Alongside the exhibition is
planned a series of talks by Ethiopian designer
Fasil Giorghis,
currently leading a restoration project in
Axum, and Kenyan artist Magdalene Odundo (other
speaker to be confirmed). A bilingual catalogue
(French/English) with texts by Chab Touré,
Dion Chang and Karim Sergoua and the designer’s
biographies has been published to accompany
this show.
Created in two sets to tour
in the South (Africa) and North (Europe and
America), Design Made
in Africa London tour is coordinated by Christine
Eyene, independent curator, with the support
of AFAA and Prince Claus Fund, among other
sponsors. The show will then go to Montréal
and New York in 2006.
Illustrated Talk:
Cultural heritage & development
- the case of Aksum, Ethiopia - an illustrated
talk
by Ato Fasil Georghis.
Monday 31st October, 7:00pm; Room B102 (Brunei
Building, SOAS)
Aksum is an ancient city in the northern part
of Ethiopia, with the earliest known urban
civilization in the country. The famous stelae
and archaeological sites of Aksum are a world
heritage site. Currently Aksum is one site
in a cultural heritage project for several
locations in the country.
How can the preservation of cultural heritage
play a role in poverty alleviation and economic
development?
The speaker will discuss the issues based on
his present experience in Aksum and elsewhere
in Ethiopia.
