Can you dream of living only outside of the banlieues in the future? The creators of The Banlieue du TURFU are saying that ‘it is a dream of astronomical proportions blooming inside each of us’
Makan Fofana, the founder of the Turfu explains how the idea of this space came out:
“Originally, the Banlieue du TURFU was like the ozone layer: a space, mostly in my mind, which allowed me to contemplate and dream of a pink sky, while protecting my gaze from cosmic rays. I wanted to explore new dimensions of existence, even if it meant losing my faith, my skin color, my identity, where I began, where I ended, or my neighborhood …
Humanity dreamed of freedom before conquering it, it dreamed of the moon before bouncing off its surface. With my first book DU CHAOS NAÎT LA CRÉATION (FROM CHAOS CREATION IS BORN), I call for a collective dream, one of rekindling the poetic flame stifled by pessimistic narratives and other prejudices about life in the suburbs.”
Part of the Banlieue du TURFU project aims to actively craft alternative narratives around the banlieues.
A central part of this work consists of capturing the various narratives and values that emerge from the workshops (called Hypercubes) to find compelling metaphors, objects, spaces that can help transform the way the banlieue is seen and understood.
A collection of some of the elements that have emerged so far, together they form the TURFURIST archipelago. These elements are; the lagoon, the oasis, the ephemeral capital, the nomad, protective sneakers, the internet of Chichas(Hookas) and the kebap.
To learn more about the Turfu check this link.