Do the banlieues have a place in the future?
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IMAGES DE LUIS CLARA GOMES AKA MOULLINEX
Banlieue
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refers to the suburbs of a large city in France, however the term banlieue tends to imply low-income housing projects
du
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of the
TURFU
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means future in a form of french slang called verlan which consists of flipping the syllables of a word
Is a future worth living in only possible outside the banlieues ?
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The Banlieue du TURFU is a dream of astronomical proportions blooming inside each of us.
Originally, the Banlieue du TURFU was like the ozone layer: a space, mostly in my mind, which allowed me to contemplate and dream of a pink sky, while protecting my gaze from cosmic rays. I wanted to explore new dimensions of existence, even if it meant losing my faith, my skin color, my identity, where I began, where I ended, or my neighborhood ...
Humanity dreamed of freedom before conquering it, it dreamed of the moon before bouncing off its surface. With my first book DU CHAOS NAÎT LA CRÉATION (FROM CHOAS CREATION IS BORN), I call for a collective dream, one of rekindling the poetic flame stifled by pessimistic narratives and other prejudices about life in the suburbs.
Makan Fofana, 2021
THE BDT TODAY
The Banlieue du TURFU is a collaborative effort to challenge how the banlieues are seen by its inhabitants and outsiders. This work has taken many different forms, a book, an interactive podcast, performances and workshops. Tomorrow it may take the form of a movie or a design school, who knows!
During the second half of 2020, the BDT team became residents of the New New program. The aim of the residency was to push what inclusive digital spaces could look like. During those five months the team organized several workshops in the Paris region to look at the representation of banlieues in digital spaces like online gaming platforms.
This work has enabled us to widen our network and mature our approach. Although much remains to be done, the TURFU appears to be bright.
During the second half of 2020, the BDT team became residents of the New New program. The aim of the residency was to push what inclusive digital spaces could look like. During those five months the team organized several workshops in the Paris region to look at the representation of banlieues in digital spaces like online gaming platforms.
This work has enabled us to widen our network and mature our approach. Although much remains to be done, the TURFU appears to be bright.