The Kingdom, the Power and Forevermore
Zimbabwe Culture in Contemporary Art and Architecture
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 4603228 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Innocent Pikirayi (0000-0002-9598-7631, University of Pretoria, corresponding author) |
| Year | 2006 |
| Volume | 32 |
| Issue | 4 |
| Pages | 755-770 |
| Publication date | 2006-12-01 |
| Open Access | No |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Journal of Southern African Studies (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0305-7070 • E-ISSN: 1465-3893 |
| Publisher | Informa UK Limited (PUBLISHER • GB) |
| DOI | 10.1080/03057070600995681 |
| OpenAlex | W2102263823 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 13 |
According to Qassim Sultan, architectural heritage reflects the development of society, and its ability to adapt and meet functional and other needs.* This article was originally presented at conference entitled ‘Heritage in Southern and Eastern Africa: Imagining and Marketing Public Culture and History’, Livingstone, Zambia, 5–9 July 2004. I wish to thank the Journal of Southern African Studies (JSAS), and the British Institute in Eastern Africa for their invitation and financial assistance to attend the conference.1 1 Qassim Sultan is the current Director General of Dubai Municipality. His ideas are contained in a circular addressed to prospective participants of the ‘First International Conference on Architectural Conservation: Between Theory and Practice’ which was held in Dubai, 14–16 March 2004. It is manifest in monuments and public buildings, which create a sense of continuity between the past and the present. Scholars are increasingly interested in the way such sites evoke memories, define cultural identities and create a sense of belonging. Architectural heritage can become part of a community's expression of belief in its history, culture and self. This article explores such issues in relation to public buildings and holiday resorts constructed in Zimbabwe since the early 1990s, focusing on architectural styles inspired by the country's rich archaeological and historical heritage, which are discussed in the light of debates over ‘post-modernist’ architecture. The article argues that architectural heritage plays a critical role in contemporary Zimbabwe, as demonstrated by the range of functions served by these buildings. Yet for archaeologists this heritage poses challenging questions regarding the ways in which the past is represented. It is evident that the past ‘sells’, despite inconsistencies in its presentation, representation and interpretation. Indeed, the marketing of this heritage is largely for tourist consumption. Some buildings evoke ‘usable’ notions of the past, provoking inspiration and a sense of attachment or nostalgia. Other buildings express political power, economic control and ritual elaboration on the part of the postcolonial state
Aesthetics · Archaeology · Art · Cultural heritage · Cultural heritage management · Environmental ethics · Heritage tourism · Media studies · Political science · Politics · Sociology · Tourism · African history and culture studies · African studies and sociopolitical issues · History · Law · Urban and Rural Development Challenges · Architecture
‘Those who are not known, should be known by the country’
Consuming the Past
Great Zimbabwe in the Shadow of Robert Mugabe and the Zanu-PF
Heritage, semiotics and innovations
What Can Archaeology Do for Society in Southern Africa
The Challenges of Managing an Archaeological Heritage Site in a Declining Economy
The death of the Subject with a capital 'S' and the perils of belonging
Towards renaming South Africa Azania
Nation branding in Zimbabwe
Past imperfect, present tense
Unsettled spirits, performance and aesthetics of power
On Applied Archaeology, Indigenous Knowledge, and the Usable Past
Zimbabwe's national museums and monuments
| Citations per year | 0.76 |
|---|---|
| Citation span | 2009 - 2026 (18) |
| Highly cited | No |