<I>Harare 2080 - Afro Imaginary Portrait</I>
date: label: Date
content: 2017
name: label: Created by
content: Simba Mafundikwa, American
label: Subject of
content: Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe, Zimbabwean, founded 1956
label: Subject of
content: Joina City, Zimbabwean, opened 2010
label: Subject of
content: Karigamombe Centre, Zimbabwean, constructed 1985
notes: label: Caption
content: Statement from Simba Mafundikwa: In this portrait, I imagined a future African city, Harare, that looks past the political and [economic] discourse. Over the last few decades, rural to urban migration has increased exponentially in Zimbabwe with many being forced to travel long distances in order to grow and sell their produce.
label: Caption
content: In 2080 the city is self-sufficient, sustainable and is both urban and agrarian. The sustainable architectural additions to the existing infrastructure draw inspiration from the local Zimbabwean culture and environment. Communal hubs around the city generate renewable wind energy and are spaces for residents to maintain communal gardens. The city will also generate renewable solar energy from a central photovoltaic structure in an attempt to reduce pollution and Harare’s carbon footprint.
label: Caption
content: Taking Olekan Jeyifous Africa 2081 series as a model, the workshop explored "portraits" of liberation and collective action and the ways we think about urban imaginaries. This urban portrait of Harare, Zimbabwe and linking to other sites in the African Diaspora, explores how the imagination, dreams of the future, and desire inform social movements and radical social practices embedded in the everyday life of cities.
label: Caption
content: This portrait was created during the Global Africa Lab workshop. We spent one week at Columbia University and 2 weeks in Zimbabwe.
label: Description
content: Two identical digital images with the title "Harare 2080 - Afro Imaginary Portrait" depicting a futuristic cityscape of Harare, Zimbabwe. One of the images is a Photoshop Document file (.psd) (2021.111.1), while the other (2021.111.2) is a derivative TIFF (.tif).
label: Description
content: In the images’ bottom left corner, a woman and two other individuals can be seen harvesting green plants. The woman wears a brown striped shirt, brown head wrap and carries a wicker basket on her back. Behind her, purple Jacaranda flowers can be seen in the distance. In the background, numerous buildings from the Harare skyline can be seen, three of which tower above the surrounding cityscape and distant vegetation. One of these buildings, the New Reserve Bank Tower, can be seen in the images’ center. Situated to the bank's immediate left, the Karigamombe Centre can be observed, identifiable by the distinctive white spire located at the top of the building. Further to the images’ right, the Joina City shopping mall also towers above the surrounding buildings. In addition to the skyscrapers, four (4) futuristic white towers can be seen protruding above the surrounding environs. Each consists of a central tower that terminates in an antenna at the top and is surrounded by a partially woven lattice facade. Also towering above the cityscape and horizon created by the distant vegetation are wind turbines.
place: label: Place depicted
content: Harare, Harare Province, Zimbabwe, Africa
topic: label: Topic
content: African American
label: Topic
content: Africa
label: Topic
content: Architecture
label: Topic
content: Black geographies
label: Topic
content: Design
label: Topic
content: Technology
label: Topic
content: Urban planning
setName: label: See more items in
content: National Museum of African American History and Culture Collection
label: Collection title
content: Rendering Visible
label: Classification
content: Decorative Arts, Craft, and Design
label: Movement
content: Afrofuturism
creditLine: label: Credit Line
content: Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Gift of Simba Malfundikwa
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of African American History and Culture
identifier: label: Object number
content: 2021.111.1-.2
objectType: label: Type
content: digital images
label: Type
content: digital media - born digital
objectRights: label: Restrictions & Rights
content: © Simba Mafundikwa
label: Restrictions & Rights
content: Permission required for use. Proper usage is the responsibility of the user.
physicalDescription: label: Medium
content: digital
label: Dimensions
content: H x W: 3558 pixels × 5120 pixels
label: Dimensions
content: File size (2021.111.1): 572.4 MB
label: Dimensions
content: File size (2021.111.2): 578.51 MB