In the urban zone, what does it mean to see but not approve? And, consequently, who is being seen; who is approving?
Unmapped explores the social settings of Kampala, Addis Ababa, Dar es Salaam, Kigali, Kinshasa and Nairobi, and how changes in the political and economic landscape influence or inspire a creativity of survival in the inhabitants of the unplanned areas of these cities.
A creativity of survival is seen, for example, in the bicycle knife-sharpeners; in the express fashion designers; in the mobile nail salons that use a portable stool and set up anywhere in the city, and in the creation of smaller towns and alternative markets outside of the capital.
People have taken to navigating changes in the political and economic landscape of their cities or towns. However, the impact of these changes are often unrecognised or unrewarded. KLA ART 014 reflects on how people adapt creatively, noting the journeys and triumphs of the urbanite.
What is the impact of such changes in the urban social setting? And how are these modifications visually reflected within the city?
How can the artist uncover or highlight these changes, and, in so doing, what does it mean to activate the presence of the unmapped in the city?