"To enter one's living room is merely to see what is wished to be seen."

Bona—the front portal of our archive—embodies the principles of hospitality, self-representation, and ideology. It draws inspiration from the intricate ornamentation of the front rooms in Tswana homes, where curated displays of perceptibility act as metaphors for both welcoming and storytelling. This section of our platform invites you to engage with the intersectional, community-led approach that defines our project. Here, we present the project, its methods, intentions, and, most importantly, the individuals and communities who shaped and contributed to its realization.

"It's from underneath the bed. My mother made it. It is not complete, but it is deeply cherished."

Tsena—an invitation to come inside, to share, and to bear witness. At its heart, this portal invites you to experience some of the treasured bio- and geo-based artefacts from Makgobistad, spanning vessels to huts, along with the stories and conversations that surround them. This space resists the static objectification often found in museums, where artefacts are severed from their custodians. Instead, it envisions how digital tools can amplify rural voices and materiality, redefining legibility and value in the practice of archive-making.

“See what is being shown, but look with intention”

Sheba—The back mirrors the dynamic essence of the backyard in rural homes, a space reserved for innovation, experimentation, and everyday ingenuity. Reflecting the rich interplay between this space, the front, and the core, the back presents three thoughtfully curated reflections on the project’s workshopping with mycelium, clay, and the construction of a temporary mud-hut laboratory (hut-lab). This laboratory is envisaged as a site of experimentation within the village, allowing us to explore rural materials as a bridge and portal between past and present, traditional and contemporary.