Cascoland Mafikeng 2010
together with Gitte Nygaard.
Dutch, South African and Kenyan artists collaborate in a practical research into temporary architectural and re-use possibilities for the Mmabatho stadium in Mafikeng, South Africa, during the 2010 World Cup.
The audience arriving at the Mmabatho Stadium is doing that for the most obvious reason- to watch a game of football. But instead of watching it from the stands, like audience normally does, they do it from the pitch, on big screens, during the World Cup PVAs(Public Viewing Area). That leaves the stands empty and visible- a template to fill with content, a massive billboard waiting to be used. We decided to use the PVA gatherings in Mafikeng to promote the activities/goals of Life Line, an NGO dealing with trauma and emotional counselling, and the most urgent topic- HIV and AIDS.
The messages were written both in English and in Tswana, the local language, and were manually(and slowly..) changed by a team of four local boys.
Another project we did during our time in Mafikeng, was to try and develop a low-cost and green alternative coffin, using the workshop of 'Operation Blanket' organization.
In SA, where currently almost one third of the population is HIV positive, death is a big part of every day life. Sadly enough, besides the shock and grieve, death is also an extremely costly business. In a twisted bond between tradition and social conventions, the funeral arrangements and the events that follow adds-up to a huge expense for the grieving family. The coffin is a major part of the funeral costs, normally made out of cheap materials designed to look expensive (chipboard covered with Melamine fake wood, heavy glossy coating, gilded plastic handles, synthetic linen etc). We designed a simple coffin made out of six plain plywood parts with a cotton linen, without further glueing and metal fastening. During a 2 day workshop we trained local boys to reproduce the coffin from existing templates.
