HOPE #6: How technologically advanced is Africa? A Conversation with Russel Hlongwane and Amy Louise Wilson

The winners of the first S+T+ARTS Prize Africa will be on show at the Ars Electronica Festival in Linz 4 to 8 September. With this prize, the European Commission honours projects that contribute to the positive development and digital transformation of the cultural sector in Africa. South African artists Russel Hlongwane, Amy Louise Wilson and Francois Knoetze will receive an award for their artistic research project ‘Dzata: The Institute of Technological Consciousness’. The project consists of a video, written text, sculptural masks, costumes, tools and a series of workshops for young people. From the perspective of a fictional research institute and its archives, they look at centuries-old technological practices from all over Africa. In addition to fictitious artistic components, the project is based on the real research of Clapperton Chakanetsa Mavhunga, Professor of Science, Technology and Society at MIT in Boston. ‘Dzata’ takes up Mavhunga's concept of a mobile laboratory, which is based on the historical practice of African transcendentalists who travelled from kingdom to kingdom to gather knowledge. The project offers an alternative view of Africa's technological history by presenting Africa not only as a recipient of technology, but as a fertile ground for scientific innovation and invention.Find out more about the festival here: https://ars.electronica.art/hope/en/Follow Ars Electronica on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/arselectronica/