The exhibition makes the point that design in Africa follows a paradigm that is fundamentally different from that of western and westernised societies, an approach that evidently leads to innovation and a rethinking of design aesthetics and material culture in general. It also looks back at the postcolonial era: a brief period of optimism and hope for African peoples after they gained their independence from European colonialists (mainly during the 1960’s-70’s) that soon dissipated into the violent conflicts and civil wars of the following decades. In the exhibition’s well-designed sculptural set that partially looks like a stylish boutique, historical documents from Africa’s postcolonial period enter into a dialogue with contemporary exhibits — to demonstrate how a young generation of a diverse and widely misrepresented continent is not only well aware of its past, but also knows how to transform it into new and exciting work that can have an impact on a global scale.

{YatzerTip} After the Vitra Design Museum, the exhibition will travel to the Guggenheim in Bilbao, Spain (October 2015 - February 2016).