The making of a 1980s Space Laser Light show in Mogadishu, Somalia.

How I discovered that the world had changed through a light and space slide show in a most unlikely place

It was the mid 80s and soon the world would see the end of the western influence in the developing countries. In Eastern Africa, like in the Middle East, the westernized elites were all but ignorant of the coming social and political earthquake that would topple them in the next decade or two.

But, that year, the question which was the main concern for the French cultural center was of a more frivolous kind. They were seeking a new type of entertainment show to offer to their workers for the holiday season, around fall or close to Christmas that would not be the perennial magician’s tour or the visit of the same favorite singer.

At the time I lived in Rome. I was told that the French cultural center in Eastern Africa were looking for something new and exciting.

Not realizing what I was getting myself into, or the difficulty of a project full of hidden constraints and risks, I proposed to bring a laser light and the associated electronics to set up a light show, something that had never been done before. But I was not even sure that the event would be funded and I stopped thinking about it.

Two months later, I received a telegram from the French Cultural Center telling me that the show was on, that the idea has been accepted. I was delighted by the response. Now I had to design the effects…