Summer Vibes
I am sure some of our subscribers were worried about the ode to Dakar, Senegal, that was surely coming after our month-long sojourn back in our ‘happy place.’ Relax, it will not be.
As much as Dakar is an overload of sensory experiences and it remains one hell of an exciting place to spend a month, it too faces many of the pressures felt all over the world. It balances between preserving its uniqueness in the face of pressures from globalizing/homogenizing forces and rising inequality. It now boasts art galleries, culinary settings/experiences, boutique hotels and concept stores rivaling the best anywhere on the planet.
Dakar attracts a young, cosmopolitan and moneyed African Diaspora to its shores and their demands grow the next IT place. The disposable incomes set their agendas and those result in places and experiences that could be at home in Miami’s South Beach or art district. This is great but the potential cost of burying the essential Senegal vibe in the quest towards achieving the global glitz, is huge. After all, it is that which brought the attention in the first place - and once it is gone what comes next? The tension we heard articulated is between remaining authentic and true to the Senegalese spin on things and yet also participate in the considerable amounts of money to be made by servicing the attention from the Afropolitans streaming into the city of Dakar.
Having said all that, we remain so impressed with the innate creativity on display every day and all day by ordinary Senegalese people making ends meet with artistry, design, an overwhelming aesthetic of beauty and in how they chose to navigate the world, in the products and art they concoct out of seemingly thin air and how they weave community amidst what at first glance appears ‘just chaos.’ Somehow it all works with a magic cocktail of patience, spirituality and a belief that God will provide.
Somehow it all works with a magic cocktail of patience, spirituality and a belief that God will provide.
When asked to explain our gallery in Atlanta we often referenced that its location in Sweet Auburn is similar to Dakar’s oldest ‘quartier’ of Medina. Like Medina, Sweet Auburn is old in the context of Atlanta’s history.The difference though is while Medina heaves with dense population and frenetic activity of people hustling for a dime, Sweet Auburn is much more laid back and has yet to define its economic pulse and base in today’s Atlanta. We are happy to be located in Sweet Auburn and to be able to provide a point of interest and relevance for visitors to and inhabitants of the area.
In our month in Dakar we have sought out designers, creators and artists whose products will be on view and sale at aKAZI with which we want to provide a whiff of the huge African Diaspora with which Sweet Auburn has been, is and will always be connected.
This brings us to our continued collaboration with the Thrd Space Salons at Haugabrooks which seek to (re) build culturally relevant, intellectually stimulating, and environmentally sustainable communities. They are wonderful partners for aKAZI as our missions are really synergetic.
The next salon entitled “All About that Paper Boi: Creating Healthy and Environmentally Sustainable Communities” will be held on Sunday, August 8 from 2:00 to 4:00 pm at Haugabrooks which of course houses aKAZI.
With that in mind we have added works from Sadio Diallo to the Transient Permanence Collection and we invite you to come at any time, on Sunday August 8 and please be on the lookout for an invite to celebrate the first anniversary of aKAZI @ Haugabrooks during the month of September.
As always we look forward to welcoming you to aKAZI at Haugabrooks.
Until we meet very very soon,
Anja & Jumbe