Mufulira – The Place of Abundance is a zine produced in relation to Afrextract research project for the inaugural Bakashimika International Photo Festival in Lusaka, which took place June 2025.
Afrextract is looks at “Environmental Histories of Resource Extraction in Africa: Understanding Cultural and Political Responses to Environmental Transformation”, led by historian Iva Pesa.
When I joined Iva and her fellow researchers I was prepared to set up a small exhibition during two project workshops in the Copper Belt, and as part of the Bakashimika Festival. While these presentations did take place, the production of this zine and the edit of a film registration of a performance were the most pleasantly surprising outcomes. The registration of the performance, which is based on fieldwork interviews can be seen here. It was eveloped and performed by Suzyika Chizenge Nyimbili.
The backdrop for the reproductions of the zine is an embossed aluminium printing plate, which results from Zambian artist Stary Mwaba‘s Black Mountain Art Studio. More on that in an Afrextract blog post soon.
The zine was produced in Zambia in an edition of three, only for the festival. The reproduced version differs slightly from the exhibited one. The small colour prints were made on metallic paper in aluminium (silver) and yellow copper (gold) tones.
Efforts have been made to find and contact the poets who wrote the poems. Should you know them, please let me know.