TEACHING RESEARCH PROJECT, SS 2016
Prof. Dr. Philipp Misselwitz, Dr. Rachel Lee, Diane Barbe

Simulizi Mijini: Mapping Urban Narratives

This design research studio is part of Habitat Unit's ongoing Simulizi Mijini / Urban Narratives research project (2016-18) that is funded by the German Cultural Foundation with partners in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, and Berlin, Germany, from the fields of urbanism, art and publishing: www.urbannarratives.org.

Using the data collected at the Summer School in Dar es Salaam (March 2016) and conducting further research in Berlin Moabit we will address the issue of conceptualising, mapping, visualising and communicating heritage "from below" in different cultural and geographical contexts. We will work at the intersection of artistic, urban and design research, attempting to transcend the traditional scale of national heritage to address a more diverse range of sites and practices in the cities. Collaborating with cultural partners (ZK/U), scientific experts (GIS Labor) and interface designers we will design participatory tools to map intangible and tangible heritage. Familiar modes of representations like mapping, plotting, diagramming, photomontage, film/video and sound recording will be elaborated and/or combined to construct and work with contemporary 'sense of place' and develop a new participatory approach to defining and mapping heritage.

The final output will be a collaboratively produced online 'map' of heritage in Dar es Salaam. The methods and tools used to produce the map will be tested and refined in the Summer School with students from Ardhi University in August/September 2016 and make a contribution to redefining and deepening our understanding of heritage and value in the two cities. To fulfill the requirements of the Research and Design Studio students will be required to participate in August in the summer school with visiting Tanzanian students (wissenschaftliche Vertiefung).