The Building Africa exhibition was crafted to tell compelling stories about political institutions and identities across the continent, using architectural landmarks such as presidential palaces, courts, parliaments, schools, sports stadiums, airports, and the African Union building. The exhibition explored how these structures shape political landscapes. Curated by Kuukuwa Manful, assistant professor of architecture at Taubman College, and Julia Gallagher, professor of African politics at the University of London, the exhibition was shown at the Brunei Gallery in London from Jan. 10 to March 16, 2024.
The curators took a collaborative approach to designing and displaying the exhibition, commissioning design teams from Ethiopia, South Africa, and Ghana to craft installations that initially debuted in Addis Ababa, Johannesburg, and Accra. These installations provided a lens into local responses to iconic buildings, highlighting the nuanced interplay between architectural concepts and public sentiment and invited audience feedback. The three successful Africa-based installations were then reinterpreted and adapted to the United Kingdom location through an exhibition design by Kuukuwa Manful.
Building Africa stemmed from research findings from the African State Architecture project led by Gallagher, which mapped political institutions and identities in eight African countries through the exploration of architecture. Funded by the European Research Council (ERC), the project was part of the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation program. The exhibition was reviewed by the Architects Journal and Transnational Architecture Group.
