Author Description

A group of scholars studied the various manifestations of public space using the example of the booming capitals Brazzavile and Kinshasa. BRAZZaville-KINshasa, viewed as one metropolis in this study, is systematically documented through everyday phenomena such as "Architectural Manifestations of the Diamond Trade," "The UN Presence," "The River Congo," "Street Children," "Mobile Phone Advertising," "Conflicts over Property Ownership," and so on. This visual indicators of urban identity are collected like an inventory and recorded on maps of the city that enable one to crisscross BRAKIN in one’s mind. Somewhat like an ideal guidebook, the publication is designed to help the reader through present-day BRAKIN and at the same time serve as a prototype for discussions of indicators of public space. BRAKIN: Visualizing the Visible is a research project of the Jan van Eyck Academie, Maastricht, initiated and directed by Wim Cuyvers, with Tina Clausmeyer, Dirk Pauwels, and Kristien Van den Brande as researchers.