Validation and the Vernacular

Matri-Archi(tecture)

This MA episode is the 8th in the archive. This episode follows a visual photo series and so we would urge you to visit the original article in order to get a full experience of the theme at hand. The analog photo series was captured by photographer Lehlohonolo Ndlovu who is also part of the MA collective. This episode is directed on the very personal experience of the author having cut all of her hair off as a self-statement reminding her and fellow women of colour around her of the need to unapologetically assert oneself in space in a way that detaches from the validators system of Western Cannon beauty ideals. This experience and story is used as an extended metaphor to describe the need for African and other marginalised spatial agents to do the same in the spatial sphere: to avoid the need for Western validation at all costs when developing African cities and engaging in educational exchange. This episode is narrated by the thoughts of MA researcher, Khensani de Klerk and was originally published on April 30th 2017.