The Fak’ugesi African Digital Innovation Festival is a celebration of the rise of digital arts in Africa. Watermans is delighted to partner with the festival to develop an exciting residency and bring back Market Hack for the second year.

The Fak’ugesi Arts Residency explores the creative relationship between hardware, software and art. It will once again bring together the best local and international creative technologists for festival goers to enjoy.

This year, the Wits Art Museum Basement Gallery will be transformed into an inspired ‘Fak’ugesi Lab’ for the entire three week duration of the festival. During this time, resident artists will engage visitors and run workshops with the public in the development of a final installation that responds to the theme: “Futurist visions of Johannesburg: uncovering place and space, physical and virtual responses to ‘now’ for African socio-cultural technologies of the future.”

The not-to-be-missed line up includes Ling Tan and Kasia Molga, two UK based creative technologists, who will join forces with Jepchumba and Nathan Gates, two Africa based creative technologists to collaborate on the development of this year’s theme.

Following the residency and exhibition at the Wits Art Museum, the residents will also take part in a two-week residency at Watermand as part of the annual Digital Performance Weekender Festival November 2015.

Ling Tan is a designer, maker, coder and trained architect who will be exploring the modes of interaction between the people and the spaces of Braamfontien using wearable and mobile technology.

Also from the UK is Kasia Molga, a media artist and environmentalist. Molga will be working with the intersection of art, science and technology in a bid to challenge our relationships with the city with its green and man-made spaces.

Jepchumba, who orginates from Kenya, will be feature as the resident “African Digital Artist”. With a background in digital art, online development and social media stratagy, Jepchumba will examine how young people envision themselves in the creative futures of the city, join her at the musuem to “Meet Your Future Selfie”.

South Africa based Nathan Gates joins the Artist Residency line-up as the second African artist. Gates’ interests include the domestication of knowledge at the hands of digital technologies. During the residency he will explore processes of creation in thinking about the future of Johannesburg.

Tegan Bristow at the Digital Arts Division at Wits and Irini Papadimitriou, Head of New Media Arts Development at Watermans have developed this year’s residency with support from the SA-UK Seasons 2014 & 2015, a partnership between the Department of Arts and Culture and the British Council.

Watermans returns to Johannesburg this year with Market Hack, and exciting street event in the vibrant area of Braamfontein.

Curated in partnership with Wits University, Market Hack is a street event that was introduced in 2014 as part of the Fak’ugesi Festival, in partnership with British Council Connect ZA’s Innovation Month and A MAZE Johannesburg. Located near Neighbourgoods Market, it is an open, collaborative, cutting edge making and technology event bringing together South African & UK makers, designers, artists and the public in Johannesburg.

Taking place right at the heart of the vibrant and welcoming Neighbourgoods Market meeting point in Braamfontein, Market Hack engages passersby, participants and visitors in a day of creative electronics demonstrations, making activities, learning and networking.

The Market Hack is all about making user-developed technologies more accessible. Audiences will discover creative technology projects; explore intersections of art; design, craft and technology; meet makers, designers and engineers and chat with them about their work. Participants can take part in fun activities and learn about creative technology processes on street level to make/hack/create and work together.

Have a look at last year’s Market Hack here:http://creativeconomy.britishcouncil.org/blog/14/10/05/conductiver-inks-blinking-leds-and-great-food/

http://fakugesi.co.za/