Mvula

‘Mvula’ means rain in the language of the South African Xhosa. During a stay in their region, Clémence Althabegoïty worked with people who have trouble accessing water. As in many places, this vital resource has been turned into a commodity: wells and pumps have become private property. Yet, the skies supply people everywhere with rainwater. To remind us of this celestial offering and stimulate people to collect it, she designed ‘Mvula’ − an imagined symbolic and intricate structure directed at the sky. The design is open source, easily accessible and uses only basic materials, so it can be adapted to suit different local circumstances.