upcoming events


Book Publication: Things don’t really exist until you give them a name
Forthcoming early 2018
In collaboration with Mkuki na Nyota Publishers, Dar es Salaam.
Dummy versions of the book have already been launched in Dar es Salaam in September 2017, and the big print is expected soon. Stay tuned!

past events


Exhibition: Simulizi Mijini
30 June – 30 September 2017 at DARCH

Multimedia exhibition gathering works by Cloud Chatanda, Tellervo & Oliver Kalleinen, Patrick Mudekereza, and KUNSTrePUBLIK with Jan van Esch, along with stories and audio explorations of urban heritage in Berlin and Dar es Salaam by the Simulizi Mijini team.
On display at DARCH! Old Boma, Sokoine Drive, Dar es Salaam
More information on the exhibition here!

Mobile App Launch: Urban Narratives for Android
30 June 2017
At once an archive and a city guide, the Urban Narratives app explores the city’s diverse histories from below. Contents provided by the research program Simulizi Mijini, by the creators of Street Level, and more to be added through the section “Submit your own story”. The app is freely available for Android devices, and we are working on an iOS version.
More information on the app page.
Download the app for Android on Google Play!

Opening of DARCH: The Dar es Salaam Centre for Architectural Heritage
30 June 2017
The adventure to renovate the old Boma and create a public-interest institution in Dar es Salaam has finally launched! The fully restored building opened its doors on June 30th in Dar es Salaam, showcasing a permanent exhibition on the history of the city and a temporary multimedia inquiry into the contemporary voices of the city’s heritage.
More information about DARCH opening in this post, and about the Simulizi Mijini exhibition here.
Visit DARCH’s brand new website!

Exhibition: Juxtaposing Narratives
17 March – 2 April 2017
ZK/U Berlin – Siemensstr. 27, 10551 Berlin
Introducing the works of 10 international artists on urban culture and heritage, during their residency at Nafasi, Dar es Salaam and ZK/U, Berlin.
More information here and here. Read a review on Berlin Art Link.

Magazine Launch: BaunetzWoche #485: Dar es Salaam Not Yet Fixed
30 March 2017
A special issue of the weekly Berlin-based magazine focusing on Dar es Salaam, edited by Stephan Becker. Collaboration with ANZA Magazine and Simulizi Mijini
Download the Querformat magazine!

International Conference: Urban Heritage Activism
16-17-18 March 2017

09-18h at the TU Berlin
Hardenbergstr. 16-18, 10623 Berlin
More information here
Facebook event

Publication: Talking Cities: Urban Narratives from Dar es Salaam and Berlin
16 March 2017
This storybook is a special collaboration between architecture and urban design students from Ardhi University and TU Berlin during two month-long summer schools in Dar es Salaam and Berlin. Published by the Universitätsverlag der TU Berlin. Edited by Diane Barbe, Richard Besha, Anne-Katrin Fenk, Rachel Lee & Philipp Misselwitz.
More information on the publications page.
The book is available online on the TU Verlag’s website!

Magazine Launch ANZA #8: Unintended Consequences
16 March 2017
A special collaboration of the quarterly Dar-based magazine looking at the evolution of planning in Dar es Salaam. Collaboration with BaunetzWoche and Simulizi Mijini
19h30 – 22h at BücherBogen
Stadtbahnbogen 593, 10623 Berlin
Facebook event
Issue #8 on the ANZA website

Call for Abstracts: Urban Heritage Activism
Deadline: 18 December 2016
Call for contributions by artists, activists, academics from all corners of the world for a conference and publication.
Download the call for abstracts (PDF)

Research and Editorial Trip
October 2016

Rachel Lee and Diane Barbé
Dar es Salaam, Tanzania

Summer School: Berlin Edition
29 August – 17 September 2016
Fieldwork, roundtables, research and workshops on the theme of urban heritage and postcolonial narratives.
Organised by the Habitat Unit (TU Berlin) in collaboration with Ardhi University.
16 students from Dar and Berlin.
Moabit / Wedding, Berlin.
Read more

Movie Night: Urban Narratives
Friday 29 July 2016
Speisekino #12 at the ZK/U, food at 19:30, movies at sundown
Program: Shoeshine (2013, dir. Shivji) and Dar Noir (2015, dir. Mwapachu)
with guests from the residency program from Dar es Salaam
Read more

Exhibition: Institut für Architektur Jahresende Austellung
Friday 22 July 2016, 13:00 – 23:00
Presentation of student projects for the research/design studio on urban heritage in Moabit, Berlin.
Habitat Unit / TU Berlin
IFA, TU Berlin (Ernst Reuter Platz)
Read more 
Facebook event


International Conference: Decolonizing the Academy
April 21-22nd, 2016
Diane Barbé and Rachel Lee spoke about teaching architecture and relating to the city, about oral history and heritage, about the role of the research in postcolonial studies, and the challenges of transnational cooperation.
Hosted by the Centre for African Studies, University of Edinburgh
Read more

International Symposium: Reconfiguring Urban Heritage From Below
1 April 2016
An inquiry into heritage politics and cultural identity from Istanbul to Johannesburg. Introducing a take-away storybook resulting from the Dar es Salaam summer school.
Curated by Habitat Unit in collaboration with DARCH
Hosted by the British Council, Dar es Salaam
Read more

Summer School: Dar es Salaam edition
10 March – 1 April 2016
A collaboration between TU Berlin / Ardhi University saw students from architecture, urban design, town and regional planning conducting fieldwork in Dar es Salaam to collect narratives of heritage under its many aspects –formal or informal, built or imagined, shared, contested, divisive, disappearing.
From Mikocheni to Kinondoni, Dar es Salaam
Read more

residency dates



At Nafasi Art Space

• September-October 2015
Umesh Maddanahalli

• January-February 2016
Nadin Reschke

• April-March 2016
Alex Roemer

• June-July 2016
Tellerva + Oliver Kalleinen

• November 2016
KUNSTrePUBLIK


At ZK/U

• March-April 2016
Cloud Chatanda

• May-June 2016
Paul Ndunguru

• May-June 2016
Patrick Mudekereza

• June-July 2016
Rehema Chachage

• July-August 2016
Michelle Monareng

Things don’t really exist… order the book now!

Things don’t really exist… order the book now!

Things don't really exist until you give them a name: the edited volume by Lee, Barbé, Fenk & Misselwitz (2018) is now ready for ...

Urban Heritage Activism conference: reviewed on Transbanana!

Urban Heritage Activism conference: reviewed on Transbanana!

Architect and urbanist Margarethe Müller reviews the Urban Heritage Activism conference in ISG journal.

Talking Cities reviewed!

Talking Cities reviewed!

The storybook Talking Cities: Urban Narratives from Dar es Salaam and Berlin, was reviewed on Carol Anande's blog.

BOOK LAUNCH: THINGS DON’T REALLY EXIST UNTIL YOU GIVE THEM A NAME

BOOK LAUNCH: THINGS DON’T REALLY EXIST UNTIL YOU GIVE THEM A NAME

Artists, scholars and urban activists debate the question of heritage in cities across the world, from Dar es Salaam to Berlin in this ...

Simulizi Mjini, exhibition opening at the Old Boma, Dar es Salaam

Simulizi Mjini, exhibition opening at the Old Boma, Dar es Salaam

The Simulizi Mijini exhibition is on display at the Old Boma until 30 September 2017!

Opening of DARCH, The Dar es Salaam Centre for Architectural Heritage!

Opening of DARCH, The Dar es Salaam Centre for Architectural Heritage!

The Old Boma opens its doors on June 30th, 2017, a project initiated by DARCH in collaboration with AAT, the Dar es Salaam city ...

Talking Cities: Urban Narratives from Berlin and Dar es Salaam, out now!

Talking Cities: Urban Narratives from Berlin and Dar es Salaam, out now!

Where is the link between an immigrant from Lebanon opening a falafel shop in Berlin, and a man who has lived in Dar es Salaam for ...

Juxtaposing Narratives Exhibition reviewed on Berlin Art Link

Juxtaposing Narratives Exhibition reviewed on Berlin Art Link

Juxtaposing Narratives is the exhibition of the Simulizi Mijini project, introducing the reflections of artists and researchers on ...

BaunetzWoche #485 out now: Dar es Salaam Not Yet Fixed

BaunetzWoche #485 out now: Dar es Salaam Not Yet Fixed

The latest issue of BaunetzWoche, which focuses on the urban complexities of planning and development in Dar es Salaam, is now out and ...

ANZA Magazine #8 – Unintended Consequences – Out Now!

ANZA Magazine #8 – Unintended Consequences – Out Now!

Following the lovely and successful launch event of the 8th magazine, we are now pleased to announced that ANZA is available in kiosks ...

Exhibition Opening and Cultural Programmation: 16-26 March 2017

Exhibition Opening and Cultural Programmation: 16-26 March 2017

Complimenting an international conference which will take place at the TU Berlin, on March 16-17 2017 (speakers and program available ...

Speakers Announced – Berlin Conference on Urban Heritage Activism, 16-17 March 2017

Speakers Announced – Berlin Conference on Urban Heritage Activism, 16-17 March 2017

Speakers and cultural events announced for the Simulizi Mijini international conference 'Urban Heritage Activism', organised in ...

Call for abstracts – Conference in Berlin: Urban Heritage Activism

Call for abstracts – Conference in Berlin: Urban Heritage Activism

We’re very happy to share the call for contributions for the forthcoming conference, ‘Urban Heritage Activism’ which ...

ANZA 8, in collaboration with Simulizi Mijini and BauNetzWoche

ANZA 8, in collaboration with Simulizi Mijini and BauNetzWoche

The eighth edition of ANZA magazine will be produced in collaboration with BauNetzWoche, a weekly publication based in Berlin, and with

The archive – a collection of narratives now online!

The archive – a collection of narratives now online!

We have put together a collection of urban narratives in a dedicated platform hosted by MOD institute. You can explore how residents ...

Simulizi Mijini at the IFA Ausstellung: in pictures

Simulizi Mijini at the IFA Ausstellung: in pictures

During the IFA Ausstellung, we presented the works created through Simulizi Mijini project (art, research, architecture studios) since ...

Simulizi Mijini at Speisekino Moabit #12 (ZK/U)

Simulizi Mijini at Speisekino Moabit #12 (ZK/U)

Two films will be shown about contemporary Dar es Salaam at the weekly Speisekino of ZK/U, in Moabit, July 29 2016, in partnership with

Simulizi Mijini at the IFA Jahresende Ausstellung

Simulizi Mijini at the IFA Jahresende Ausstellung

Simulizi Mijini will be presented at the Institut fur Architekture's end of the year exhibition at the TU Berlin, on Friday July 22nd, ...

Simulizi Mijini at the Decolonizing Conference in Edinburg

Simulizi Mijini at the Decolonizing Conference in Edinburg

Rachel Lee and Diane Barbé presented the Simulizi Mijini project at the Decolonizing The Academy conference, held at the University of ...

Reconfiguring Urban Heritage from Below: Symposium Program

Reconfiguring Urban Heritage from Below: Symposium Program

This is the full programme for the symposium which took place on April 1st, 2016 at the British Council in Dar es Salaam. International

Artist Hangout at Nafasi with Tellerva and Oliver Kalleinen

Artist Hangout at Nafasi with Tellerva and Oliver Kalleinen

This Tuesday, June 14th, the German-Finnish couple of artists will host a hangout at Nafasi Art Space in Dar to present some of their ...

Cloud Chatanda: artists hangout at Nafasi Art Space

Cloud Chatanda: artists hangout at Nafasi Art Space

Cloud Chatanda hosted an artist hangout at Nafasi at the end of May, just after his 6-week residency at the Zentrum für Kunst und ...

Simulizi Mijini on Bagamoyo News

Simulizi Mijini on Bagamoyo News

The news blog Bagamoyo News published an article about the Simulizi Mijini Symposium, which took place on April 1st 2016, in Dar es ...

Cloud Chatanda at the ZK/U

Cloud Chatanda at the ZK/U

Cloud Chatanda discusses his work in RBB24's evening program where the history and works Zentrum für Kunst und Urbanistik (ZK/U) are ...

International Symposium, April 1 2016 – all speakers announced!

International Symposium, April 1 2016 – all speakers announced!

Simulizi Mijini will host an international symposium on the 1st of April on the theme: Reconfiguring Urban Heritage From Below.

Nadin Reschke: End of Residency show

Nadin Reschke: End of Residency show

Find out more about Nadin Reschke and her work here! She will host an event to close her residency at Nafasi Art Space on March 2nd.

Nadin Reschke: artist talk at Nafasi Art Space

Nadin Reschke: artist talk at Nafasi Art Space

In her artists talk on Wednesday, the 10th of February at Nafasi Art Space Reschke presented some of her latest community based art ...

KUNSTrePUBLIK at the Nafasi Artists Hangout

KUNSTrePUBLIK at the Nafasi Artists Hangout

During their visit to Dar es Salaam, the artists from ZKU hosted a "hangout" at Nafasi Art Space to connect with the local community ...

Impressions from Dar, by ZKU

Impressions from Dar, by ZKU

After a two-week visit to Dar es Salaam, the curators from ZK/U share their first impressions of the city.

Umesh Maddanahalli: End of Residency Show

Umesh Maddanahalli: End of Residency Show

Indian artist Umesh Maddanahalli will host a cookout to finish his residency and exchange with the audience at Nafasi Art Space.

Artists’ Hangout with Umesh Maddanahalli

Artists’ Hangout with Umesh Maddanahalli

  Find out more about Umesh Maddanahalli and his work here! He will host a cookout to explore Hindu heritage in Dar es Salaam on ...

Dar Heritage Days 2015: Impose/Expose Exhibition

Dar Heritage Days 2015: Impose/Expose Exhibition

In September 2015, a series of public events were held as part of the Dar Heritage Days on urban development and preservation to raise ...

Dar Heritage Days 2015: Public Forum

Dar Heritage Days 2015: Public Forum

In September 2015, a series of public events were held as part of the Dar Heritage Days on urban development and preservation to raise ...