THE African Alliance for New Design -a neoteric collective of designers looking to establish a fresh wave of African Modernism- is holding a one week design exhibition from Sunday the 1st of May 2016 to the 8th of May 2016, at A WhiteSpace, Ikoyi as part of activities slated for Open House Lagos showcasing the outstanding architecture of the city.
AAND is an initiative by three dynamic architects – Tosin Oshinowo, Seun Oduwole and Papa Omotayo- who seek to explore and promote the value of good design. It was birthed out of a desire to define a new narrative where architecture goes beyond mere building and function, to investigation of the social and psychological impact of architecture on our environment.
AAND aims to drive this initiative by informing society on the time tested role of architects as protectors of the built environment and visualisers of the future. AAND seeks to create dialogue and improve communication between professionals, students and the public on the importance of good design.
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According to Tosin Oshinowo, co-founder AAND, ‘We are a group of Architects who are aligned in terms of aesthetic language, urbanism, culture, product design and other topics of interest. We have come together to form AAND to bring and create awareness about the growth of creativity within the profession that is not fully being acknowledged in the wider public realm in Nigeria’.
Speaking further on AAND’s philosophy, Seun Oduwole explains that ‘ African Modernism is a vehicle to change our environment for the better, to improve life conditions, socially and economically, culturally and politically, to enhance equal opportunities for everyone through successful built work, open spaces and infrastructure’.
The exhibition features a selection of built and design works from cmD+A, MOE+ Art Architecture and SI.SA, three exciting design led practices. There are plans by the Alliance to hold a design workshop for students later in the year, as part of its aims to add value to the next generation of architects.
The AAND exhibition is supported by Open House Lagos, The British Council and AWCA.