The AfronautsDesign Indaba
In Zambia in the 1960s, a science teacher called Edward Makuka Nkoloso developed a space programme which he hoped would enable Zambia to beat the US and the Soviet Union to the moon.
Perhaps the most significant part of this extraordinary story, is that Edward was determined that a young Zambian women should be the first to reach the moon.
In his work The Afronauts, artist Aaron Samuel Mulenga has created a digitial image imagining the young people who were part of the programme.
The two figures, or afronauts, wear futuristic suits which include African patterns and designs.
Altough the mission did not succeed, as Aaron notes 'it helped the people of our country imagine life beyond their limits and literally encouraged us to reach for the stars.'
The work links the hope of Zambia's space programme with the the optimism of its past using the color copper.
As Aaron explains, copper is Zambia is known as the Country of Copper due to the large quantities of the mineral found there. Aaron also alludes to Zamba's rich history and the copper crosses used in ancient times as some of the first forms of currency.
The AfronautsDesign Indaba
Accompanying the digital artwork is a poem which tells a story of Zambian hope and belief, spanning the country's rich heritage, its recent struggles and its hope-filled future
