Location: Ethnological Museum of the University of Zurich and online.
In the frame of the exhibition: "Make a Living of old shoes - street traders in Tansania as experts of the city", curated by Dr. Alexis Malefakis.
By Reinhold Bidner, Patrick Bourgeat, Georg Hobmeier, Christian Knapp, Karl Zechenter.
Idea: Reinhold Bidner, Patrick Bourgeat, Tobias Hammerle, Georg Hobmeier, Christian Knapp, Sonja Prilic, Karl Zechenter
SOLE CITY is a cooperation of gold extra, the tansanian photographer Link Reuben and the Ethnological museum of the Völkerkundemuseum der Universität Zürich
The exhibition is part of the Manifest 11 Zürich Parallel Events.
SOLE CITY is dealing with the experiences of street traders in Daresalaam, Tanzania. Expecially nowadays when mostly fear is driving the interactions of foreign cultures and societies, it seems vital to present a project, which starts an intercultural dialogue at a basic and understandable level: What moves people in seemingly far away cultures? Which motives suddenly sound well-known, which differences are made understandable? A good starting point for this game and this dialogue are the street traders in Daresalaam. How do they make their living? How do they thrive and survive?
The documentery game SOLE CITY puts yourself in the position of the daily life of a steet trader, who attempts to sell shoes in the streets of Tanzanias Capital. Additional dynamics of society, like the knowledge of places, people and situations, are added to the game. Slipping into this role means mediating direct impressions of the daily life and emcourages an understanding of the complex social and economic situations of African boom countries and with that - a more diversifying world. Through the focus on the very mundane street trade, the players are engaged to become aware of the diversity of the African daily life, success and failure, the anger about high rents and much more. Starting from within this microcosmos, surprising insights in the Tanzanian society and global, economic and interpersonal contexts are possible. To make causes visible instead of discussing final effects, such es the "refugee crisis", constitutes the necessary commitment of art in the humanitarian situation of today.
SOLE CITY is part of the exhibition "Make a living from old shoes" and builds on the research of the curator Dr. Alexis Malefakis, who has been intensively engaged with the situation of street traders. Sole City will be presented as an installation in the exhibition and, at the same time, be accessibile as an online game for mobile devices.
Game Design: Team
Development: Christian Knapp
Graphics: Reinhold Bidner
QA: Patrick Borgeat
Production: Georg Hobmeier
Photografie: Link Reuben
Sound: Karl Zechenter
Advice: Tobias Hammerle, Alexis Malefakis, Sonja Prlic
Technical support at the Ethnographic Museum: Wolfgang Wohlwend
Testers: Mirjam Klebel, Juan A. Romero, Bartholomäus Traubek, Karla Spiluttini, Lev Ledit, Lucas Norer, Doris Prlic, Sonja Prlic, Raimund Schumacher and many others.
