Good Evening all, its History and Theory Tuesdays 😀😀

Todays post will be a follow up of our last weeks topic, Afrofuturism and in particular its relation with architecture.....

To remind you of what we posted last time.......

While discussing amongst our group members, different outlooks were forwarded when defining what futurism, african architecture and afro futurism meant to them. Ideas that challenge the whole concept, ideas that took out different merits and concepts have been raised.That being said, todays post will some how be different to the previous ones as it aims to start further discussions by raising ideas from differnet sides to its relation with architecture......

Perspective 1 To some, afrofuturism is about more than simply referencing the past. They believe that Africa has finally reached a point where it can develop appropriate solutions to its own problems, rather than import ill-fitting designs from the west. Afrofuturism in design, and in general, is about aspiration for excellence, aspiration for intelligent engagement with our continent, for the purpose of overcoming our own challenges. It is people in these African contexts saying: Why do we have to wait for somebody to do it for us?

Perspective 2 Futuristic thinking involves the everyday life of ours where we contemplate anything ahead of us. even planning our route to school.
so there may be some mental scale to which we refer while judging an idea in calling it futurestic or not but its non the less futurestic.
This scale i mentioned may refer to how fast, how big, how cheap or any other solution regarding the use of resources. so when a solution stands out in a new or enhanced way , we acknowledge it as futuristic. so i think the same goes for africa, the scales are set by the rest of the world. so as africa isnot measuring up to it, we called it premitive. But i feel the change between now and yesterday, and now and tomorrow is also futuristic. Maybe we have to redefine the scale, or measure up to it for us to be seen as equals, if thats what we want.

Perspective 3 It makes sense that science fiction and film directors would look at structures as a way to comment on society: they’re the building blocks of our environments, and often define the ways in which we relate to each other. Consider the incredible architecture that came out of post-colonial Africa in the ’60s and ’70s, the subject of a fascinating retrospective at the Vitra Design Museum in 2016. Buildings with incredible, futuristic facades and daring shapes, proudly stretch over the cityscape of newly independent nations, and are imbued with optimism and references to vernacular design.

If science fiction is a means of discussing present-day anxieties and issues via the future, then it only follows that the architecture and design of our fantasies can make a massive impact on how we see our present day.

Perspective 4 For the most part, we’ve been told as a people we don’t make it into the future. We’ve been told that we’re further behind on the arrow of progress. Afrofuturism doesn’t take that as a fact. Black people aren’t automatically seen as making it to the future. It’s not normally a domain that was meant for us. But we’ve already made it into the future, we’re already creating the future, we’re already building the future. Afrofuturism is one tool to help us think creatively about old issues to ensure our existence. There’s people actually on the ground using afrofuturism as a tool to work on issues and improve communities. we see cities making plans for certain communities, or the city itself 40 or 50 years into the future, but who gets to contribute to those plans? Who gets to say what the future for a community is going to be?

It’s really exciting and it’s really promising that people are literally taking on the work of building new worlds. We’re already creating the future.

As you may have noticed these ideas were raised to open a sort of dicussion amongst ourselves and peers. And we will also keep floating new perspectives and ideas with respect to other professions as well. so please share us your views at @Bemnet_Ye_Etu
@DagmawitA
@redi_H
So that the discussion can have a broader reach and impact.