Facing East: Chinese Urbanism in Africa
Wednesday, Jun 17, 20155:42 AM — Saturday, Aug 1, 20155:42 AMEDT
| Storefront for Art and Architecture, 97 Kenmare Street New York, NY
New York, NYRelated
Site manager on the construction site of the new light rail, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. (Photo by Daan Roggeveen; Image via storefrontnews.org).
Facing East Chinese Urbanism in Africa June 17th, 2015 - August 1st, 2015 97 Kenmare Street, New York Exhibition Opening: June 16th, 2015 Discussion with the Curators and Global Experts: 7 to 8 pm Opening Reception: 8 to 9 pm Storefront Members' Preview: 6 to 7 pm China's influence in Africa is growing quickly on many levels. All across the continent, Chinese companies are creating new highways, light rail systems, Special Economic Zones, and mass housing developments. Cities have received brand new skylines "made in China": designed by Chinese architecture firms, financed by Chinese banks, and built by Chinese contractors. From foundational elements such as concrete, window frames, and fire extinguishers, to decorative ones such as carpets and curtains, many of the basic items used to construct these skylines have been sourced directly from China. Facing East: Chinese Urbanism in Africa investigates the impact of Chinese development on fast-growing African cities. It is built around personal stories of individuals involved in the urbanization process, based on local interviews with over a hundred Chinese and African architects, politicians, entrepreneurs, journalists, students, developers, artists, and individuals who are involved in or touched by Africa's rapid process of urbanization. China's influence in Africa often goes even further than what we perceive through the lens of the built environment. Facing East allows visitors to experience the fascinating consequences of shifts in geopolitical power from the perspectives of those living it. The visitor is forced to make associations between narratives, navigate existing and new relationships, and attempt to tie these together to comprehend the next chapter of globalization: one in which many African cities are beginning to face eastward. Facing East is curated by journalist Michiel Hulshof (Tertium, Amsterdam) and architect Daan Roggeveen (MORE Architecture, Shanghai), based on their extensive research in six African cities. http://storefrontnews.org/programming/facing-east-chinese-urbanism-in-africa/Opening day will feature guest speakers Michael Speaks, dean of the Syracuse Unversity School of Architecture; Michael Su, visiting professor at the Pratt Institute School of Architecture; and Jeff Hou, professor and chair of the University of Washington Department of Landscape Architecture. They'll each talk about their own personal experiences of developing their architectural identities.
Opening day will feature guest speakers Michael Speaks, dean of the Syracuse Unversity School of Architecture; Michael Su, visiting professor at the Pratt Institute School of Architecture; and Jeff Hou, professor and chair of the University of Washington Department of Landscape Architecture. They'll each talk about their own personal experiences of developing their architectural identities.
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