24 on 24, 7 on 7, always on again. Somewhere in the Namib Desert the song ‘Africa’ by Toto plays “until the end of time”. And thanks to an artist who put a special installation on solar energy on the plain sand, making the famous song on an ultimate repeat.
Max Siedentopf appropriately named his installation ‘Toto Forever’. The work consists of seven white blocks on the sand. Six blocks with speakers on it, connected to a seventh where an MP3 player shows off. There is only one song: ‘Africa’ by Toto, in an infinite loop, echoing over a fabulous desert landscape on the continent that is so romanticized in the song.
“I wanted to give the song an optimal tribute and also physically show ‘Africa’ in Africa,” explains the 27-year-old Namibian artist. “The Namibian desert, the oldest desert in the world, seemed the perfect place for me. The installation works on solar batteries – so that Toto can keep going “until the end of time”. Some people in Namibia love it, others say that it is possibly the stupid sound installation ever. I think it’s a great compliment anyway.”
Although the artist aims for eternity, the ‘Toto Forever’ installation will sooner or later have to put the thumbs for the nature that surrounds it. “Most parts of the installation are as sustainable as possible. But the harsh environment of the desert will eventually take the installation,” says Siedentopf.
Fans who want to see the installation up close will have to put their best foot forward. Even though there is a map on the website of the installation, the concrete – remote location is not communicated. Start searching in the desert. But those who do their best will suddenly hear the unmistakable tones of the classic from 1982 in the distance. “It must be a bit of a real treasure”, says Siedentopf. “One that can only be found by the most dedicated fans of Toto.”
