Text Prompts and Diffusion Modelling
The project explores how artificial intelligence (AI) can be enhanced to respond to indigenous African architecture and design future landscapes of memory. The project begins by reflecting on digital tools that help bridge the gaps between space, memory, and accessibility, such as Google Street View. Mohau recognises the importance of accessibility to historical sites and compares the accessibility of Nelson Mandela’s House, which offers a curated virtual tour, with the Irish House Museum, which is inaccessible to the public. The potential of digital innovation to enhance accessibility to memorials choose the Fish Keitseng Monument in Botswana as a case study. Highlighting not only its significance but also how indigenous knowledge system can be used as a design approach. The monument holds historical significance as a former underground transit system for the African National Congress (ANC) Cadres. However, the project faces a challenge as the AI model does not recognise the cultural practices and indigenous materials used in African architecture. The research raises vital questions about the representation of African cultures and the risk of cultural erasure if these tools are not appropriately engaged. The project holds the potential to influence future approaches to memory preservation and cultural representation, promoting inclusivity and the recognition of diverse heritage. Working with methodologies that permit effective engagement with AI in creative architectural production.
