Manifesto
The Accelerator of the Imagination
TO’GUNA: (togu = shelter, na = big, great or mother, therefore toguna = great shelter)* The sacred shelter under which the elders of the Dogon community from Mali, in West Africa, gather to discuss and exchange ideas. Through a ritualized process of discussion, it creates a physical, social, and psychological space for open communication.
TOGUNA WORLD is a groundbreaking digital native laboratory at the intersection of art, dream theory, and foresight. The platform unites the realms of art and technology to amplify diverse voices and actively engage communities across the world in the radical reimagining of our world. The initiative introduces a novel approach to envisioning desirable futures through the lens of “The Sanctuary of Dreams”, a set of hybrid mixed-media art installations that support a powerful future-dreaming ritual conducted within a metaverse dream-world. Serving as an innovative Think/Dream tank, “The Sanctuary of Dreams” provides an inclusive and expansive arena for profound cross-cultural discourse on the future.
Rooted in the belief that only by transcending the limitations of our present condition and embracing the limitless possibilities of our imagination can we create a world where justice, equity, and shared prosperity prevail, TOGUNA WORLD is divided into three sections:
PLAY: An online art gallery, articulating a playful and prospective vision of the African continent through immersive art, film, and interactive games.
X-PLORE: A series of thought-provoking essays and online conversations designed to inspire and stimulate the mind of a new generation of thinkers and doers into positive action.
FEEL: An online store, offering a mix of playful and unique items inspired by an enchanted vision of the African continent.
TOGUNA WORLD is the culmination of 10 + years of research, spent creating works and hosting cultural experiences in and outside of the African continent, as a means of interrogating its future. Blurring the lines between art, technology, and foresight, its vision was developed through a series of future-dreaming rituals organized in 2019 in Kenya as part of the African Crossroad and in Ghana, as part of the Year of Return. Over 800 dreamers from the worlds of art, design, technology, science, agriculture, religion, and tech took part in the preparatory workshops.
The Babalawo
TOGUNA is the brainchild of Pierre-Christophe Gam.
A polymath artist and researcher deeply invested in the radical reimagining of our world, his practice sits at the intersection of art, technology, and foresight. Born and raised in France, with roots in Cameroon, Chad, Egypt, and Congo, Pierre-Christophe Gam trained as an interior architect at the École Nationale Supérieure des Arts Décoratifs in Paris and at Central Saint Martins in London. A fellow at the MIT Open Doc Lab, Pierre-Christophe Gam sees himself as carrying on the great tradition of the Griots of West Africa, the keepers of communal memories. He crafts stories that draw from ancient myths rooted in Africa's pre-colonial heritage and brings them to life through interactive, physical, and virtual spaces that foster learning, connection, and imagination.
His work has been shown at the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao, the Vitra Design Museum in Weil am Rhein, the Addis Foto Fest, and the Unseen Photo Festival in Amsterdam, among others.
What's up Dreamers?
Thank you for your interest in contacting The TOGUNA team. Due to the high volume of emails received, we are unfortunately unable to respond to each one individually, but rest assured that we read everything and will reply as soon as we can to follow-up on ideas, stories and insights that catch our eye.
CONTRIBUTORS:
We are always looking for engaging contributors around the world. We welcome targeted, relevant and concise information and pitches for a global dream “awaken” audience. We will follow-up if your ideas fit any stories we are working on. Please refrain from sending through high-res images and content with very large file sizes as these tend to clog up our email inboxes
Please introduce yourself and share your story ideas here: stories[at]togunaworld.com.
INTERNSHIPS:
At this time, we are seeking Lagos, Joburg, Addis Ababa, London and US based interns in college or university with graphic, video, photography, writing and/or journalism experience and training.
Please introduce yourself here with a CV, writing samples and story ideas interns[at]togunaworld.com