A conversation with reynaldo anderson march, 2018 dr. The museums galleries are currently closed in preparation for a building project that will replace the current building, located at 144 west 125th street between adam clayton powell jr. Afrofuturism, afropessimism and the politics of abstraction. Afrofuturism has been a part of black culture for years, especially in the music industry. Black science fiction sun, nov 6, 2016 3 pm floor three, susan and john hess family gallery and theater young women filmmakers from the african diaspora use time travel, technology, and ancient african mythology to explore alternative models of the future. The shadows took shape, an exhibition at the studio museum in harlem that runs through march 9, takes its title from a poem by sun ra and. Nov 27, 20 when you walk into the main gallery of the studio museum in harlems current exhibition the shadows took shape, which explores contemporary art through the lens of afrofuturist aesthetics, one. Afrofuturism as an extension of the black arts movement. It was coined by mark dery in 1993 and explored in the late 1990s through conversations led by alondra nelson. Afrofuturism, pastlessness, the studio museum of harlem and. Mar, 2018 on black panther, afrofuturism, and astroblackness. Jan 01, 2014 afrofuturism on display in harlem online. Ahead of the space is the place film programme at brooklyns bamcinematek, its curator and guardian contributor ashley clark run downs five of the best films going black to the future. Scot miller yet above all, the earth being for me the specificity of africa, as revealed by diop, and jackson, and van sertima, and its electrical scent in the writing of damas.
Despite its sudden explosion in popular culture, with exhibits and events at the new york public library, the harlem studio museum, and the whitney museum of american art, articles in the new york times, huffington post and ebony, and a plethora of recent books on the subject, afrofuturism is not a new phenomenon, but arguably as old as black. Exhibition at the studio museum in harlem examines afrofuturism from a. It is an african diaspora cultural and literary movement whose thinkers and artists see science, technology, and science fiction as a means of exploring the black experience. Great to finally see a book about afrofuturism in academic fine art. Opinion the afrofuturism behind black panther the new. Tales from afrofuturism and beyond, and my book afrofuturism debuted within days of one another. The shadow took shape, exhibition catalogue, by naima j. Nov 25, 20 the origins and impact of afrofuturism, with naima keith and zoe whitley, curators of the shadows took shape on at studio museum until march 2014. Forty years later, however, speculative fiction is still a genre of literature for which african americans have received little recognition.
Producing electronic music using the following hardware maschine studio korg kp3 korg electribe es1mkii korg microkorg korg monotron yamaha. Top 10 museums in harlem new york city tripadvisor. Born from the fire of his father and the passion of his mother, antonio valor, forged a commitment to bringing a new justice to big city. Afrofuturism can apply to the study of philosophy, metaphysics, or religion. Harlem stage exec, patricia cruz, revamps its programming. The shadows took shape, an exhibition in harlem looking at the. This special issue followed closely on the heels of kodwo eshuns book more brilliant than the sun. Thomas, who focused on her artistic career after retiring as a school teacher at the age of 69, chartered her own course as an africanamerican woman. The afrofuturism book club at the last bookstore launches on may 8. They expanded in dramatic fashion with the release of the wildly successful film black panther, the. While the movement may be traced back to the eclectic sun ra, the influence has trickled down to. The studio museum of harlem hosted an afrofuturism retrospective and seasonlong programming.
The guardian s ashley clark said the term afrofuturism has an amorphous nature but that afrofuturist films are united by one key theme. The realm of comic book art is just one iteration of afrofuturism, because comics are steeped fantasy and often deal with afam history in timeless scenarios. The studio museum in harlem held a major exhibit exploring afrofuturistic aesthetics from november 14, 20 to march 9, 2014. Feb 27, 2018 afrofuturism has been a part of black culture for years, especially in the music industry. When studio museum opened in 1968, it was the first black finearts museum in the country, and it remains the place to go for historical insight into africanam. The studio museum in harlem is the nexus for artists of african descent locally, nationally, and internationally and for work that has been inspired and influenced by black culture. Afrofuturism comes from mark derys 93 book flame wars, but the. Afrofuturism is intersectional, and, at its heart, about representation and fighting erasure through a kind of cultural activism. The ranks of the afrofuturist creators have grown considerably over the last 25 years.
Jun 22, 2014 for the most part, in contrast to 2001s race in digital space exhibition which traveled to the studio museum from the mit list visual arts center in cambridge, massachusetts, the shadows took shape had a decidedly analog feel. How a new generation is redefining african american identity and 2212. Collaboration the tropenmuseum aims to present topical sociallyrelevant themes and to introduce visitors to cultural diversity around the world. I should mention that the occasion for all this reflection on afrofuturism is the current exhibition at the studio museum in harlem. The studio museum in harlems the shadows took shape. Afrofuturism is a cultural aesthetic, philosophy of science and philosophy of history that explores the developing intersection of african diaspora culture with technology. Art show features works exploring what ifs of race relations, other worlds. It is a site for the dynamic exchange of ideas about art and society. Boulevard and lenox avenue in harlem, manhattan, new york city, with a new one on the same site. Negritude, the harlem renaissance, and the afrosurreal by d. Womack is a filmmaker, futurist and the author of post black. The shadows took shape, an exhibition at the studio museum in harlem that runs through march 9, takes its title from a poem by sun ra and surveys parallel developments of afrofuturism in the.
The look of afrofuturism in harlem the new york times. The fifth season is essential reading for every fantasy reader, and particularly those exploring essential works that exist at the intersection of afrofuturism and the fantasy genre. Feb 12, 2018 afrofuturism i seek to draw my audience from reality into a strange world that fuses space, big cats, serene landscapes and the african diaspora, david alabo told cnn. Afrofuturism as a speculative heresy, in the shadows took shape, ed. Afrofuturism, pastlessness, the studio museum of harlem.
Popular afrofuturism books meet your next favorite book. Alma thomas examines the evolution of an artist who created a highly personal style that expanded upon traditional abstract expressionist and washington color school practices through experimentations with abstraction, color, line and pattern. When you walk into the main gallery of the studio museum in harlems current exhibition the shadows took shape, which explores contemporary art through the. Afrofuturism, the movement that puts people of african descent at the center of futuristic and sciencefictional ideals, has gotten a new avatar in the form of singer janelle monae. On black panther, afrofuturism, and astroblackness. Those are the sorts of questions posed by the studio museum in harlem s exhibition the shadows took shape, opening thursday, and the theme of afrofuturism that it focuses on.
In film, afrofuturism is the incorporation of black peoples history and culture in science fiction film and related genres. This chapter seeks to answer that question through a history of afrofuturism as a critical term and a critique of the concept as deployed by black and white science fiction writers. Comprising elements of the avantgarde, science fiction, cuttingedge hiphop, black comix, and graphic novels, afrofuturism spans both underground and mainstream pop culture. Afrofuturism addresses themes and concerns of the african diaspora through technoculture and science fiction. Jan 24, 2014 the shadows took shape, an exhibition at the studio museum in harlem that runs through march 9, takes its title from a poem by sun ra and surveys parallel developments of afrofuturism in the. Whitney museum of american art 99 gansevoort street new york, ny 10014 212 5703600. Currently, there is an exhibition at the studio museum in harlem called the shadows took shape that explores afrofuturism. Afrofuturism i seek to draw my audience from reality into a strange world that fuses space, big cats, serene landscapes and the african diaspora, david alabo told cnn. How a new generation is redefining african american identity and the coeditor of beats rhymes and life.
There is, for example, a cultural studies library with thumbnailsize books on black history. Afrofuturism also appears in art, visual studies, and performance. Early voices in the afrofuturistic space include fiction writers samuel delany and octavia butler as well as musicians sun ra and george clinton. Reynaldo anderson is an associate professor of communication and chair of the humanities department at harrisstowe state university in saint louis missouri and serves as an executive board member of the missouri arts council.
The shadows took shape which i sincerely hope ill get a chance to see. The literary realm of magic realism overlaps often with afrofuturist art and literature. The shadows took shape, an exhibition at the studio museum in harlem that runs. Sep 27, 2012 with these two works, the comet and mules and men, viewed as protoafrofuturism, the black arts movement and afrofuturism share a common literary antecedent. Afrofuturism offers them an opportunity to escape reality and to show an alternative future which can inspire new generations. She is also the creator of the rayla 2212 sci fimultimedia series and author of 2212. It was coined by mark dery in 1993 1 and explored in the late 1990s through conversations led by alondra nelson. The day of the white doctor in 1964, isaac asimov imagined the world in 2014 rebecca j. Womack is a filmmaker, futurist, and the author of post black.
After mark dery coined the word afrofuturism in 1993, alondra nelson as a member of an online forum, along with other participants, began to explore the initial terrain and intellectual underpinnings of the concept noting that afrofuturism. Binti by nnedi okorafor, home by nnedi okorafor, the night masquerade by nnedi okorafor, who fears death by nnedi okorafor. The studio museum in harlem is an american art museum devoted to the work of artists of african descent. The shadows took shape is a dynamic interdisciplinary exhibition exploring contemporary art through the lens of afrofuturist aesthetics. The term afrofuturism was coined in 1995 by cultural critic mark dery in his essay black to the future. Whitney museum of american art 99 gansevoort street new york, ny 10014.
Whitley, new york, the studio museum in harlem, 20, 160 pp. Feb 24, 2018 the ranks of the afrofuturist creators have grown considerably over the last 25 years. This list of fantastic afrofuturism books to introduce you to the genre is sponsored by trazer. Apr 02, 2015 ahead of the space is the place film programme at brooklyns bamcinematek, its curator and guardian contributor ashley clark run downs five of the best films going black to the future. The ideas and practices related to afrofuturism have existed for most of the 20th century, especially in the north american african diaspora community. Sex and science fiction writing in the east village new york. The origins and impact of afrofuturism, with naima keith and zoe whitley, curators of the shadows took shape on at studio museum until march 2014. Those are the sorts of questions posed by the studio museum in harlems exhibition the shadows took shape, opening thursday, and the theme of afrofuturism that it focuses on. The shadows took shape the studio museum in harlem. Using afrofuturism and science fiction as a lens and octavia butlers novel kindred as inspiration, this workshop series explores how one can time travel with everyday tools such as memory, imagination, manipulation of language and perception, music, or crystals. Afrofuturism is a cultural aesthetic that combines sciencefiction, history and fantasy to explore the africanamerican experience and aims to connect those from the black diaspora with their forgotten african ancestry. Former associate curator naima keith, now deputy director of the california africanamerican museum, created many new exhibitions during her tenure, including ones focused on afrofuturism. The new york times named it a notable book for 2015.
For the most part, in contrast to 2001s race in digital space exhibition which traveled to the studio museum from the mit list visual arts center in cambridge, massachusetts, the shadows took shape had a decidedly analog feel. Visionary vintage childrens book celebrates gender equality, ethnic diversity, and. Studio museum in harlem museums in harlem, new york. Afrofuturism is, in one aspect, a literary genre that includes speculative fiction imagining life and culture. A platform to witness afrofuturist creators and interlink voices of the contemporary black liberation movement. The term afrofuturism has its origins in africanamerican science fiction.
1113 265 1568 1249 61 634 666 1075 1261 438 1501 686 1109 923 942 82 249 169 853 1358 567 374 1352 109 519 851 955 1437 313 145 1396 1409 160 865