Menged Merkato (Excerpt): Stop motion animation using mixed mediums, 03'49"

Acquisition: Utah Museum of Fine Arts

Based on Emanuel Admassu's Essay "Menged Merkato", an architectural analysis and historical journey of the largest open-air market in Africa, located in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Markato was developed during the Italian occupation of Addis Ababa to segregate the markets of the locals and the newcomers.

Unlike the earlier circular formation which centered the royal palace, Merkato was built on a grid which allowed for a dispersed flow facilitating dynamic interactions and exchanges. This video reflects this new identity's continuos resistance to change but also its resistance to stillness in the course of major political shifts.

"Imagined Borders: Gwangju Biennale", Gwangju, South Korea

Exhibitions

Photo by Timothy Schenck

City Stories: The High Line