Can Afrofuturism Teach Us Something?
What are the possible futures of cultural institutions? asks Dr. Ewa Drygalska, a cultural studies scholar and expert on new technologies in museums and cultural institutions. She looks for possible answers in the avant-garde science fiction film Space is the Place (1974, dir. John Coney), in which the legendary jazz musician Sun Ra takes on the role of an intergalactic visionary. His mission on Earth is to save the black community in the USA. He wants to do this by establishing an enclave in space, free from racism and oppression. In the film, cosmic philosophy and Afrofuturist visions combine with jazz music and surrealist imagery to create an original story about liberation and a utopian future.
The film was the first manifesto of Afrofuturism, one of the most interesting contemporary artistic and intellectual trends in literature, music, and visual arts. Afrofuturism offers a refreshing take on classic science fiction themes. By exploring how technological knowledge and imagination can be triggered to transform reality, it provides inspiration and support in constructing alternative futures.
After the screening, Dr. Ewa Drygalska and Prof. Paweł Frelik of the University of Warsaw will talk about the role of speculative fiction in capturing the collective imagination, as well as about alternative visions of the future that go beyond the dominant thinking of Silicon Valley.
The screening is meant as an inspiration for the second even – a workshop on speculative design for culture (03 December 2024, 13:00–17:00).
The participants will learn about the potential of speculative design in the context of the future of cultural services, reflecting on possible reformulations of the existing models of cultural production. They will develop alternative practices of participation in culture, testing scenarios of demographic, economic, and technological changes. As a result of the workshop, artifacts of the future will be created. Workshop conducted by: designer Katarzyna Janota (Fundacja Grupa Robocza, www.grupa.robocza.org) and researcher Dr. Ewa Drygalska.
The workshop will take place on 3 December.
Registration by 2 December at: edukacja@u-jazdowski.pl
