Ke Nako: 40 days in Africa
- © by: ADA/APA-OTS/DeSt
More than 12.000 people visited the Ke Nako container in the Museumsquartier in Vienna.
On July 18th the Ke Nako container in the Museumsquartier in Vienna opened its doors for the very last time. The Austrian Developmen Agency (ADA) installed this container in the course of the successfull initiative Ke Nako - Africa now! For a manifold respresentation of Africa in Austria. Between the 8th of June and the 18th of July approximately 12.600 visitors experienced a virtual tour of Africa. Films, Photographs, Literature and Music portrayed the many faces of Africa.
- © by: ADA/APA-OTS/DeSt
A manifold picture of Africa in Austria was presented to visitors.
The many faces of Africa
Whether film making in Burkina Faso, young designers in Senegal, strong women on Radio Mozambique, urban life in Kenya, young footballplayers in Cape Verde, art in Ehtiopia or youth theatre in South Africa. The container offered a varied picture of daily routines, lifestyles, urban life and leisure. "The success of the exhibition "Better together", which has been touring Austria for the past two years, has been extended with the Ke Nako initiative. 12.600 visitors in only 40 days show how much interest there is to discover Africa beyond the day to day clichés of wars and catastrophes." says Brigitte Öppinger- Walchshofer, the executive director of the ADA.
The exhibition was accompanied by the performances of various artists - ranging from singers and poets to dance groups, bands and performers. One highlight was the performance of Otto Lechner & Windhunde just before their journey to Eastern Africa.
- © by: ADA/APA-OTS/DeSt
The exhibition was accompanied by the performances of various artists.
The initiative
Ke Nako Africa - Africa now! is an initiative in the whole of Austria to change the picture of Africa. Around 300 events and performances took place before and during the 2010 Football World Cup and were attended by more than 184.000 guests. Events included public viewing opportunities in Vienna and Innsbruck and festivals in Linz, Graz and Salzburg. The Austrian radio station Ö1 presented more than 150 radio broadcasts around the topic Ke Nako - Africa now!
The focus on Africa was initiated and coordinated by the Austrian Development Agency, the Afrika Vernetzungsplattform (avp) and the Vienna Institute for International Dialogue and Cooperation (VIDC). The initiative gained more than 100 partners. "It is a great joy for me that the initiative Ke Nako - Africa now! was able to join so many different players/ stakeholders together." comments Brigitte Öppinger-Walchshofer, "because only by working together closely it was possible to spread the modern, positive and manifold picture of Africa in the whole of Austria. An important aspect of development cooperation is raising the awareness for development and cooperation on a fair basis. Special thanks to the Museumsquartier in Vienna, without its support it would not have been possible to gain the interest of so many people for development cooperation."
