International

^{Posted on Thursday, 27th September,2007}

Afrikan Tähti: Digging for Gold

Liza Grobler and Jeanne Hoffman

^{Afrikan Tähti: Digging for Gold is an interactive Visual Arts project based on the Finnish board game “Afrikan Tähti” (translated: “African Star”). The aim of this popular Scandinavian game (non-existent in Africa), is to find precious stones in different countries on the African continent. Whoever finds the “African Star” first , wins the game.}

^{In the original game, Cape Town is the halfway-stop. In our version thereof, we (as Capetonians) propose a real-life board game with Cape Town as both the starting and finishing point. In this case, the game will be played on Finnish turf.}

^{The project links urban development in South-Africa to art incentives in Finland and is a tongue-in-cheek attempt by two South Africans to build a visual and interactive game that might provide a contemporary glimpse into our dark continent of minerals and savages…}

^{The work consists of a public “explorer” route through the town of Rauma. An aerial perspective of the route would reveal it to be in the shape of the African continent (as is the case in the original board game –see image above). The route begins and ends at a space within the Lönnstrom Art Museum.}

^{At “START/FIN(N)ISH” (in the museum) there will be a few gold digging suggestions:}

^{1) The Castle of Good Hope guarded by a row of cement mixers.}

^{2) The postcard image of Table Mountain unplugged: scaffolding and pirate flags.}

^{3) A makeshift graveyard in Durbanville – an Afrikaans suburb of cluster housing.}

^{4) A map of Rauma (Finland) for plotting out the European adventure.}

^{5) Postcard books that provides a condensed overview and add new routes to old tricks.}

^{The route through Rauma will be clearly marked by yellow-and-black Cape ‘07 arrows (re-cycled and re-produced) - Cape Town’s first (and possibly last) “grand-scale art event for Africa”. Various gems will be pointed out on route - ranging from art museums to remotely interesting porcelain figurines in private homes - as these could easily be missed.}

^{Albeit by suggestion, our aim is to SAVE THE CAPE ARROW  by putting Cape ’07 on the international map and raising awareness of this endangered species. We hereby present to you…on a characteristically shoestring budget: “The African Stars of Cape ’07”!} 

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