Air Afrique #2
270 x 270 mm, 162 pages (with sticker sheet and 3D glasses)
Paris, France (English and French language)
First published 2023
Editor-in-chief: Amandine Nana
Creative directors: Lamine Diaoune and Djiby Kébé
Design director: Axel Pelletanche
Named after the prominent pan-African airline started in the 1960s, Air Afrique is an exciting arts and culture title ‘dedicated to contemporary Afro-diasporic arts, knowledge and conversations’. Square in format with an understated modernist design, the magazine takes its cues from in-flight magazines of old, positioning itself as the heir to (the now defunct) Air Afrique's own Balafon magazine, of which there’s plenty of rich archival material interspersed within.
Alongside the beautiful visuals, you’ll hear from artists, thinkers and creatives on the airline’s lasting influence, plus plenty on how the notion of heritage plays an intrinsic role in the creative expression and aspirations of Africa and its diasporas.
Voyage is at the heart of this sophomore issue, featuring astrophysicist Fatoumata Keba on the cover, whose interview inside is complemented by insights into Zambia's space program in the 1970s. Elsewhere, the team head to Abidjan—where Air Afrique was once headquartered—to meet the airline's former employees; the Sahara via Mauritian director Med Hondo's cinema; and Salvador to celebrate Afro-Brazilian festivities.