Panel Discussion: Behind “Tales of a Nomadic City”

Join us for an insightful panel discussion that dives into the intriguing research and concepts behind Tales of a Nomadic City. This fascinating VR exhibition focuses on Nouakchott, the capital of Mauritania, a city that has transformed dramatically—growing from a mere 500 residents to over a million in just fifty years!

Our host, Christian Vium, who is one of the exhibition's curators, will guide us through a captivating exploration of how cities can expand without formal planning, while addressing the challenges and opportunities that arise. Key topics of discussion will include:

• The dynamics of nomadic culture and its modern-day implications 🌐
• The experiences of young individuals living in bustling African metropolises 🌆
• Potential exchanges of knowledge between Mauritania and European contexts 🌉

We are excited to welcome:

• Christian Vium: An associate professor of anthropology at Aarhus University, Christian specializes in multimodal anthropology and urbanization in Africa. With two decades of research experience in Nouakchott, he is the principal investigator for the project “Revisioning the African City” (Independent Research Fund Denmark, 2024–2028), which seeks to synthesize anthropological research from powerful urban environments like Nouakchott, Nairobi (Kenya), and Cape Town (South Africa).

• Morten Nielsen: A social anthropologist whose work spans Mozambique, Scotland, USA, and Denmark, Morten focuses on socially sustainable urban development. His extensive ethnographic research in Mozambique since 2004 looks into housing and urban planning in Maputo, alongside analyzing the socio-economic impact of Chinese infrastructure projects in the region.

Stay tuned for additional panelist announcements! 🎤