African Imperialism Analysis
Imperialist stereotypes about Africa have created a preconceived idea about characteristics of Africans and their capabilities. Africans and technology are concepts which aren’t associated with one another as Africa is popularly depicted as a stagnant never-developing continent. “Africa has long been identified by the singular historical outlook of the West characterised by notions of divisive ethnicity, poverty and war...the Western media have continued to represent Africa as inferior, chaotic and barbaric” (Kellner 2007:1).
“The idea that African artists can work with technology in the form of video, new media and installations often falls outside the essentialist stereotypical view of what constitutes Africa and its imagined lack of technological …show more content…
The glasses literally obstruct and changes his view of the world, which is the connotative meaning. This may reference the “obstructed view” which Imperialist modes of thought have constructed through the creation of stereotypes about Africans, and how they do not show full perspective of African …show more content…
It looks at all things and can also look at itself and recognise the “other side” of its seeing presence in what it sees” (Merleau-Ponty cited in Njami 2012:23). Kabiru directly references and subverts “the colonial gaze”. His goal is to no longer to avoid and/or hide from it but to embrace it “[b]y reappropriating their own bodies, African artists negate stereotypes and turn them into realities. The black body is black because it is asserted as such. In this way it is not just the body matter that becomes a signifier, but the way in which the artist presents it. The body becomes a metaphor” (Njami 2012:24).
“We have to inspire design to be more than utilitarian, to be more than functional. We need to inspire useless design, just for the sheer effort of inventing and creating things, as a way of innovating” (Enwezor 2015:23). Kabiru’s artwork Macho Nne 15 (Egyptian Poison) is a great example of “useless design”, because the main goal of glasses is to improve your sight; weather it is protecting your eyes from the sun or prescribed lenses which improve your vision. Kabiru’s glasses do not do either of the previously mentioned things, in fact; they distort your view of the world whilst wearing
“The idea that African artists can work with technology in the form of video, new media and installations often falls outside the essentialist stereotypical view of what constitutes Africa and its imagined lack of technological …show more content…
The glasses literally obstruct and changes his view of the world, which is the connotative meaning. This may reference the “obstructed view” which Imperialist modes of thought have constructed through the creation of stereotypes about Africans, and how they do not show full perspective of African …show more content…
It looks at all things and can also look at itself and recognise the “other side” of its seeing presence in what it sees” (Merleau-Ponty cited in Njami 2012:23). Kabiru directly references and subverts “the colonial gaze”. His goal is to no longer to avoid and/or hide from it but to embrace it “[b]y reappropriating their own bodies, African artists negate stereotypes and turn them into realities. The black body is black because it is asserted as such. In this way it is not just the body matter that becomes a signifier, but the way in which the artist presents it. The body becomes a metaphor” (Njami 2012:24).
“We have to inspire design to be more than utilitarian, to be more than functional. We need to inspire useless design, just for the sheer effort of inventing and creating things, as a way of innovating” (Enwezor 2015:23). Kabiru’s artwork Macho Nne 15 (Egyptian Poison) is a great example of “useless design”, because the main goal of glasses is to improve your sight; weather it is protecting your eyes from the sun or prescribed lenses which improve your vision. Kabiru’s glasses do not do either of the previously mentioned things, in fact; they distort your view of the world whilst wearing