Over the course of its
history, Mogadishu has been influenced by the diverse cultures of its various
rulers, residents and visiting traders; a combination of influences that strongly
informed the city’s subsequent social, cultural and physical characteristics.
However, Mogadishu’s pre-civil war architecture and built form largely owes its
morphology to the region’s former colonial power, Italy, the last of the
European powers to join the ‘scramble for Africa’.
Forgotten Pasts and
Distant Futures is an installation that charts the urban transformation of
Mogadishu, from the late 19th century to the first few decades of the 20th
century. The unique, site-specific presentation in Swiss Cottage Library – one
of London’s iconic modernist buildings – allows, for the first time, a broader
audience to engage with this aspect of the city’s history. The project is
designed and curated by P.E.A.R. co-editor Rashid Ali.
