[applied] Foreign Affairs is a laboratory investigating spatial, infrastructural, environmental and cultural phenomena in rural and urban Sub-Saharan Africa. A series of talks introduces students to the spatial diversity and cultural vibrancy of the contemporary African condition, followed by workshops which focus on the status and potential of a specific region. Each lab centres on a distinct question and clear mission and culminates in a field trip through which rural growth patterns, urban prototypes, visionary art spaces, and relational mappings are produced. The outcome of each lab is presented in different formats and contexts, both on the African continent and in Europe. [a]FA is performed in collaboration with international guests, teaching staff of the IoA, and with partner universities. [a]FA is commissioned by NGOs, cultural institutions, artist collectives and individuals.

The field lab (September 2016) has been a follow up to the [a]FA IMMUNA I lab which investigated the dynamic territory of Immuna´s coastline, a small fishing village located at the Atlantic Ocean of Ghana´s Central Region. We identified the transition zone between land and water and speculated on the relationship of natural forces and manmade interventions. We mapped the beauty and threats of the kinetic power of the ocean, trying to capture its spatial, environmental and social impact on the village and its wider context. We expressed our findings in diverse media. Since December 2015 we have been working on a web-platform, to gather all work produced so far by all parties involved: [applied] Foreign Affairs, IoA (Baerbel Mueller) / Urban Strategies and Theory of the Landscape/Living Spaces, IoA (Andrea Börner) / Department of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences, School of Biological Sciences, College of Agriculture and Natural Sciences, University of Cape Coast, Ghana (Dr. Denis Worlanyo Aheto) / Studio 3 + 3 Accra (Gideon Djakumah)

Based on the findings by these partnering units, [a]FA IMMUNA II identified parameters for future strategies and potential implementations in the fields of planning, infrastructure, architecture, economic upgrading and environmental awareness. Thereby alternative, soft tourism served as programmatic backbone.

this is an ongoing project with an already selected team