Shift African Aesthetics Into Design Spaces: Dr. Cornelia Lund

Shift African Aesthetics Into Design Spaces: Dr. Cornelia Lund

Author: with Beatrace Angut Oola June 2, 2021 Duration: 55:20
Meet the art, media and design theorist, curator and co-director of Fluctuating Images, a platform for media art and design, Dr. Cornelia Lund. Well-travelled and versed in the art and design world, Lund’s academic perspective and articulation substantiates and encourages validation of non-Eurocentric and Anglocentric theories and practices within the art and design framework. Lund’s intriguing analysis on recent contemporary African art trends explores music, art and design production; noticing the younger generation take up the notions of ‘post-coloniality’, reflecting African traditions, practices, techniques, and spirituality that may have been suppressed through colonialism, and combining this with a global sensibility. This has resulted in a “fresh aesthetic” and a strong global afro-centric move. Recently our host, Beatrace, has joined Lund as guest lecturer at the University of the Arts Bremen for the Deconstructing Colonialism course. Their collaborative work also goes further back to the design exhibition, Connecting Afro Futures: Fashion X Hair X Design at the Kunstgewerbemuseum Berlin. Lund describes this as a “revolution”, shifting African aesthetics into design spaces from ethnographical environments. 


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Hosted by Beatrace Angut Oola, FASHION | AFRICA | NOW moves beyond the runway to explore the intricate tapestry of style emerging from the continent and its global diaspora. Each episode is built on a simple, powerful idea: to understand where African fashion is going, you have to engage with the people who are actively shaping it, while honoring the deep cultural and historical currents that inform their work. You’ll hear from designers translating tradition into contemporary wear, historians unpacking the stories behind textiles, and business minds navigating the industry's unique opportunities and challenges. These conversations are less about trends and more about the systems, stories, and souls behind the garments. This podcast delves into the fusion of ideas across borders, examining how creativity intersects with entrepreneurship, cultural identity, and social commentary. It’s a space where the past is not just referenced but is in active dialogue with a dynamic present, all while asking critical questions about sustainability, ownership, and global influence. Tune in for a thoughtful, grounded exploration that treats African fashion as the serious, multifaceted global force it is-a living narrative being written stitch by stitch, conversation by conversation.
Author: Language: en-us Episodes: 24

FASHION | AFRICA | NOW
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