Dr.Valerie Nur
Towards an Epistemology of Craft
Abstract
Until now, artisans in Africa have hardly been considered from a mobility perspective. Mobility studies focus mainly on nomads, migrants, and people in search of work, but not on artisans who offer their craft services on the road. Moreover, artisans in Niger rely on a broad kinship network during their travels, within which knowledge, practices, and materials are exchanged, modified, and enhanced. The places and routes of learning and exchange can be understood as hubs of technology and knowledge transfer. Rather than limiting African craftsmanship to material culture, a mobile perspective on artisans reveals an epistemology that is practiced and further developed within an exclusive professional community spread over long distances.
Date: 30th of November 2023, 12:00-13:00