Banlieue du TURFU
Makan Fofana and Hugo Pilate in conversation with curator Yasemin Keskintepe
What is the Banlieue du TURFU, French for a neighborhood of the future? What would it look like? Evolved from the desire to challenge the preconceptions associated with the banlieue, this project set out to prototype how its inhabitants would imagine their neighborhood otherwise. This talk will delve into the ideas behind Banlieue du TURFU and shed light on how game design and storytelling are used as tools for empowerment. The artists will share insights into how they developed the multiverse of this project, from its onset to creation of the Internet of Chichas, which will be presented as part of the HYBRID Biennale in the Ecksalon Ost in the Festspielhaus.
The conversation will be held in English and French.
Makan Fofana: Minister of Magic in charge of the Banlieue du TURFU, he is the founder of L’HYPERCUBE, the laboratory which explores TURFU through design, fiction and imagination. His first book was published by TANA editions on the theme of science fiction and re-enchantment. Former Trappyblog journalist he is also the author of more than thirty articles on hood life. Makan is writing a thesis project on worldbuilding and her favorite dessert is white chocolate coconut Tiramisu.
Hugo Pilate Franco-american freelance service designer and program manager specialized in the creation of participatory experiences, Hugo Pilate has spent the past decade between corporate and artistic projects. In response to the pandemic, Hugo started exploring how online tools and games like Fortnite could be repurposed for cocreative purposes. In 2020, he started collaborating with Makn to use similar digital tools to collaboratively prototype the Banlieue du TURFU.
