ABSTRACT

In this contribution, I trace the fake and fabrication in the production of contemporary African urban space. Reflecting on the dispossession and displacement of vendors in Kumasi, Ghana, as part of the city authorities’ “modern” market project, I argue that these narratives demonstrate a fabrication of modernity where local authorities impress Westernized design, space, and aesthetics as if this is a singular and inevitable urban future, despite vendors’ ubiquitous commercial operations otherwise. I also argue that this modernity is fabricated through material design projects like the “modern” market, built through global financing, Western imported materials, and technologies that enable local authorities to render their own narrow and aspirational vision of “modern” space as the singular urban future.

摘要

在这篇文章中，我追溯了当代非洲城市空间生产中的虚假和捏造。作为城市当局“现代”市场项目的一部分，加纳库马西的供应商被剥夺和流离失所，我认为这些叙述展示了现代性的制造，地方当局在那里给西化的设计、空间和美学留下了深刻的印象，仿佛尽管供应商的商业运营无处不在，但它是一个独特且不可避免的城市未来。我还认为，这种现代性是通过“现代”市场等材料设计项目制造的，通过全球融资、西方进口材料和技术构建而成，这些技术使地方当局能够将他们自己对“现代”空间的狭隘和理想愿景呈现为单一的城市未来。