Photo Mixtape №.4
a cultural exploration of Morocco, North Africa
Have you ever thought that the human race has been around for more than 6 million years? Yet the anatomically modern human was only found 200.000 years ago in African lands. Since then, we have been evolving — physically, physiologically, genetically, culturally, and in every other possible way that you can think of.
One of the most important trace of human race’s existence and our civilisation, I would say, is culture. As we live our lives, we breathe culture to anything that we see, touch, say, and do. In fact, our language, tradition, gestures, behavioural attitude, and relationship emerge from the existence of culture. Oxford dictionary defines culture as “the manifestations of human intellectual achievement regarded collectively”. Cultures are developed differently by every tribe and race, flourishing marks and unique touches in every region of this planet.
As a product designer, it is important to see how the culture evolves, not only in our own region but also worldwide. Imagine an elephant. On one part of the world, elephants are regarded as a ‘tool’ to help farmers with their crops; on the other part, elephants are exploited for circus and entertainment purposes. Yet on another part of the world, elephants are considered as sacred animals.
To be able to create sustainable and relatable experience, it is important to see multiple perspective and not only seeing, we must be able to feel the cultural experience itself, beyond our own understanding.
For me, travel is essential to keep my mind opens to new knowledge and informations. That’s what I love about travel, you can learn new things while having lots of fun. Whether it is hiking up the mountains or visiting the traditional village or even trying out the local foods, the first-hand interactions will the nature/ the people will give you deeper ideas about their culture.
In this case, Morocco will be the right country to represent such a vibrant and rich culture.
My trip to Morocco last October was pretty much a life-changing trip. It was like taking a walk back in history. Step your feet into this country and you will feel all of your senses being turned on.
Your eyes will be filled such coloured-tiled mosaics and patterns that you’ve never seen before. Your ears will listen to eccentrically yet magical ambiences and noises all around you. Your fingertips will touch thousands of new textures: from the tiny particles of sand in Sahara desert to the rustic antiques at the local souks. Your mouth will taste the richness of middle-eastern authentic herbs that are perfectly combined together and the softness of the traditional slow-cooked lamb dish called tagine. Finally, your nose will smell such earthiness scents, a gateway to ancient cities and one of the earth’s most unique culture.
It’s not easy to describe Morocco with words, really. This time, I’m going to let the pictures speak as you embark the vibrance of Moroccan culture through its local markets, colourful tiles, and aesthetic corners of a coffee shop on top of a hill.
It is chaotic, but yet, a good kind of chaotic — an aesthetic mess I would say. You will find beauty in between disorganisations (pretty much against our values as product designers to always be organised or to have a structured thinking but believe me. It’s magical to see such beauty in chaos). Sometimes, having the courage to combine contrasting ideas might be useful to produce a good kind of complexity.
Then, travel back in time to the prehistoric vibes in Sahara Desert when there’s nothing but sand dunes and groups of camels. But even where there’s nothing there, you could actually find the alluring shadows in between the sand dunes when the sun hits the horizon. Then you will see that such minimalistic view could have such rich interpretations. There’s also beauty in nothingness. And sometimes, adding nothing maybe is the solution to a problem.
To support the experience, do not forget to play the song below as you scroll down to the pictures. (believe me the song is the key to a fulfilling experience!)
All pictures are taken by Fujifilm X-T1 and iPhone camera. If you do like this #PhotoMixtape, don’t forget to leave 👏🏻 and comment down below!
