ZAMBIA IS THE PLACE - THE PLACE FOR SPACE

IN 1964, STILL LIVING THE DREAM OF THEIR RECENTLY GAINED INDEPENDENCE, EDWARD MAKUKA NKOLOSO CREATED THE ZAMBIAN SPACE PROGRAM IN AN AIM TO CATCH UP TO THE USA AND SOVIET UNION IN THE SPACE RACE.

HIS GOAL WAS TO FLY TWELVE ASTRONAUTS, INCLUDING ONE GIRL AND TEN CATS TO MARS. HE WAS CONVINCED THAT HE COULD BEAT THE UNITED STATES TO MARS AND PLACE ZAMBIA AT THE FOREFRONT OF THE TECHNOLOGY FRONTIER.

ONLY A FEW OPTIMISTS SUPPORTED THE PROJECT, BUT UNFORTUNATELY FINANCIAL AID NEVER CAME. THE UNITED NATIONS DECLINED THEIR SUPPORT, AND ONE OF THE ASTRONAUTS, A 16 YEAR OLD GIRL FELL PREGNANT AND HAD TO DROP OUT OF THE PROGRAM.

CHRISTINA DE MIDDEL HAS RE-TOLD THIS HEROIC INITIATIVE, THAT TURNED INTO YET ANOTHER EXOTIC EPISODE OF AFRICAN HISTORY, SURROUNDED BY WARS, VIOLENCE, DROUGHT AND HUNGER. 

ORIGINALLY A PHOTOJOURNALIST DE MIDDEL HAD ALWAYS BEEN ATTRACTED TO ECCENTRIC LINES OF STORY. ALWAYS TRYING TO AVOID TELLING THE SAME SUBJECTS IN THE SAME WAY. 

SHE NOW WORKS ON PERSONAL ART PROJECTS AND IN 2012 CREATED A HISTORICAL NOVELLA WITH HER ARTISTS BOOK, THE AFRONAUTS ABOUT WHAT COULD HAVE BEEN.

THE AFRONAUTS IS BASED ON THE DOCUMENTATION OF THE IMPOSSIBLE DREAM THAT ONLY LIVES IN PICTURES. DE MIDDEL BEGINS BACK AT THE REAL FACTS THAT TOOK PLACE 50 YEARS AGO AND REBUILDS THE DOCUMENTS ADAPTING THEM IN HER PERSONAL IMAGERY.

IT IS INTERESTING THAT DE MIDDEL WAS NOT TEMPTED TO SEIZE UPON THE MORE HUMOROUS DOCUMENTED EVENTS, THE DESIRE TO INCLUDE TEN CATS IN THE PROGRAM, THE TRAINING SIMULATIONS INVOLVING SWINGING ON ROPE - IN WHICH NKOLOSO WOULD CUT THE ROPE TO PROVIDE A SENSE OF WEIGHTLESSNESS.

THE BOOK IS A MASH UP OF HER PHOTOGRAPHS, SIMULATED DOCUMENTS, FOUND PHOTOGRAPHS AND HER OWN ARTWORK. THE WEAVING OF THESE ELEMENTS CREATES A COMPLEX READ AND A SOMEWHAT CONFUSING MESS, PERHAPS SIMILAR TO ATTEMPTING TO UNDERSTAND NKOLOSO'S ORIGINAL SPACE PROGRAM.

 

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