La ville en terre au Mali

Abstract

Taking the problematic status of “urban heritage land” in Mali as its starting point, this text considers the possibility of a new patrimonial gaze. This approach centers new principles of heritage in a material perspective rooted in a specific place and culture. The Malian case asks us to consider numerous remarkable urban heritage sites that would not survive except as permanent construction sites. That is, the longevity of fragile architectural structures would not be possible without constant repairs. The role of the construction site invites us to consider urban heritage as a phenomenon that is dependent on intangible cultural production. A consideration of the immaterial side of urban heritage allows us to observe the changes that are inherent in the perpetual reestablishment of cultures. This understanding of heritage allows us to track an ontological reversal anchored in the specificity of a localized culture. What are the ontological foundations of Malian urban heritage in earth? Moreover, does this “new heritage” open the doors to the Other of contemporary architecture? And do these new considerations of urban heritage engender a new gaze on contemporary African cities, and in particular, the process of informal urbanization?

Keywords

• urban heritage
• architecture
• appropriation
• ontology
• urbanization/urbanisation