Toguna
toguna-blinking-eye

REALITY IS A MOVING SEA WHOSE WAVES FOLLOW THE CONTOUR OF OUR IMAGINATION

toguna-blinking-eye

REALITY IS A MOVING SEA WHOSE WAVES FOLLOW THE CONTOUR OF OUR IMAGINATION

toguna-blinking-eye

REALITY IS A MOVING SEA WHOSE WAVES FOLLOW THE CONTOUR OF OUR IMAGINATION

toguna-blinking-eye

REALITY IS A MOVING SEA WHOSE WAVES FOLLOW THE CONTOUR OF OUR IMAGINATION

toguna-blinking-eye

REALITY IS A MOVING SEA WHOSE WAVES FOLLOW THE CONTOUR OF OUR IMAGINATION

Manifesto

The Accelerator of the Imagination

 

“The Secret to reality is that everything is just a dream and it is only when dreams are seeded onto the infinite soil of our imagination that they can manifest into our world.” Gam A Gam

 

Existing both as a physical and a digital installation, TOGUNA WORLD revolves around the Sanctuary of Dreams, a metaverse multi-user dream world, which combines art,music, and storytelling to facilitate a Future-dreaming ritual through which participants can envision desirable future scenarios guided by their innermost desires.

Named after the shelter under which the Dogon people of Mali, in West Africa, gather to discuss and exchange ideas, TOGUNA WORLD is an ever-expanding laboratory of dreams that serves as a forum for cross-cultural conversations on desirable futures, converging ideas and cultures from across the world, to imagine and shape the possibilities of tomorrow. The brainchild of polymath artist and future thinker, Pierre-Christophe Gam (aka Gam A Gam), the lab blends a mixed media Art installation, a metaverse dream world, a digital divination portal and a multimedia platform dedicated to the investigation of the future. 

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 the future, TOGUNA WORLD is designed to act as an accelerator of the imagination. It is rooted in the belief that in order to create the future we want, we must invest in our ability to imagine and dream beyond the internalized limitations of our present.

TOGUNA WORLD believes in a nature and community-centric future, based on solidarity, collaboration and kinship between humans and the natural world. A future where humanity wholeheartedly embraces its intrinsic bond with nature, existing in perfect balance and harmony with all other life forms. A future where technology serves to empower and enrich human lives, as part of diverse and thriving communities.

The End will Look like the Beginning –


The Babalawo

TOGUNA is the brainchild of polymath artist and future-thinker Pierre-Christophe Gam aka Gam A Gam.

Born and raised in France, with roots in Cameroon, Chad, Egypt and Congo, Gam A Gam trained as an interior architect at the Ecole Nationale Supérieure des Arts Decoratifs in Paris and at the central Saint Martin’s School of London. He is a 23/24 MIT Open Doc Lab fellow and the inaugural Artist-in-residence at the Penn Center for Inclusive Innovation and Technology.

At the heart of human existence lies the power of storytelling. Stories shape our understanding of the world, providing us with insights into the past, present, and future. In pre-colonial West Africa, griots were the keepers of communal memories, transmitting them through initiation songs and tales. Gam A Gam sees himself as carrying on this great tradition, crafting new tales that draw from ancient myths rooted in Africa's pre-colonial heritage. He brings these stories to life through interactive, physical, and virtual spaces that foster learning, connection, and imagination.

His work has been shown at the Guggenheim Museum of Bilbao, at the Vitra Design Museum in Weil am Reim, at the Addis Foto fest and at the Unseen Photo Festival in Amsterdam amongst 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

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All content on the site is the sole property of Pierre-Christophe Gam, unless otherwise noted, and may not be reproduced without our consent.

Web design: Pierre-Christophe Gam
Web developper: Ralph Gnonlonfoun