Matthias Krings – författare

This book takes a critical look at contemporary digital forms of African popular cultural production, examining how they articulate relationships between Africa and Europe, and between Africans and Europeans.

The current state of African popular arts has been made possible by two major media transformations—mass media liberalisation and increased internet connectivity across the continent. With increased globalisation, encounters between Africa and Europe have become more dispersed, dynamic, persistent, and mutable. However, these emerging relationships are haunted by a difficult past, the harrowing systems of enslavement and colonialism, historically framed by false narratives. Through detailed analysis of cinema narration, video films, comedy skits, social media performances, and lip-sync impressions, the contributors reveal how African creators remix and revise European cultural forms whilst asserting their own agency and resistance. The collection demonstrates how digital platforms have become sites of counter-hegemonic cultural production, where African artists negotiate complex postcolonial relationships through creative appropriation and transformation.

Essential reading for scholars of African studies, cultural studies, media studies, and postcolonial theory, this volume offers fresh insights into how contemporary African popular culture engages with European influences whilst maintaining distinctive African voices and perspectives. This book was originally published as a special issue of Journal of African Cultural Studies.

This book takes a critical look at contemporary digital forms of African popular cultural production, examining how they articulate relationships between Africa and Europe, and between Africans and Europeans.

The current state of African popular arts has been made possible by two major media transformations—mass media liberalisation and increased internet connectivity across the continent. With increased globalisation, encounters between Africa and Europe have become more dispersed, dynamic, persistent, and mutable. However, these emerging relationships are haunted by a difficult past, the harrowing systems of enslavement and colonialism, historically framed by false narratives. Through detailed analysis of cinema narration, video films, comedy skits, social media performances, and lip-sync impressions, the contributors reveal how African creators remix and revise European cultural forms whilst asserting their own agency and resistance. The collection demonstrates how digital platforms have become sites of counter-hegemonic cultural production, where African artists negotiate complex postcolonial relationships through creative appropriation and transformation.

Essential reading for scholars of African studies, cultural studies, media studies, and postcolonial theory, this volume offers fresh insights into how contemporary African popular culture engages with European influences whilst maintaining distinctive African voices and perspectives. This book was originally published as a special issue of Journal of African Cultural Studies.

Dis.Ordering Distribution explores the intricate relationship between distribution and production, drawing on empirical evidence from two vibrant centers of cultural production: Africa and Asia. Delving into how cultural entrepreneurs engage with global distribution platforms and the resulting impact on the creation of cultural artifacts, the analysis reveals that digital platforms are not merely end-point distribution tools but are also reshaping production processes.

The first section, “Infrastructures, Formats, and Rules”, examines the triad of infrastructures, formats, and rules, highlighting their historical significance and their role in shaping consumer behavior through distribution platforms. The second section, “Distribution as a Force Shaping Production” focuses on memes as a case study to illustrate the close link between distribution and production and how memes as a ubiquitous element of contemporary media culture, exemplify how distribution influences production. The final section, “Cultural Entrepreneurs in the Platform Business” brings attention to the physical spaces within a platform-dominated environment. It discusses how cultural entrepreneurs, such as artists and musicians, leverage their networks and data collection methods to promote their work, emphasizing the continued importance of local production and distribution sites.

This volume provides a comprehensive analysis of how digital platforms are transforming cultural production and distribution.