(image courtesy the Afrofuturist Podcast)
Afrofuturism is a broad-reaching cultural phenomenon that explores the convergence of technology, science fiction, and utopianism as they pertain to the African Diaspora. Strains of afrofuturism can be found in the works of sci-fi author Octavia Butler, the music of free-jazz icon Sun Ra and funk legends Parliament-Funkadelic, the art of Lauren Halsey and Ellen Gallagher, and in Black Panther‘s technotopian homeland of Wakanda.
Created by actor, director, and musician Ahmed Best and Dr. Lonny Brooks, associate professor of communication at California State University, East Bay, the Afrofuturist Podcast brings together artists, engineers, and writers to discuss potential speculative futures. This Wednesday, they’ll be joined by game designer Eli Kosminsky to play-test a new game for radical world building, Afro-Rithms from the Future, which was co-developed by Brooks and Kosminsky and features artwork by Oakland-based graphic novelist Alan Clark. After a brief introduction, they’ll unveil the custom-designed deck of cards, which will prompt and inspire the audience to imagine diverse possible scenarios. “Afro-Rithms from the Future is a futures forecasting tool,” says Best, “but we’re going to use it to build a world we want to live in.” The event, co-organized with the creative research institute Fathomers, will conclude with a question-and-answer session with the presenters.
When: Wednesday, May 22, 6:30–8pm (free with RSVP)
Where: NeueHouse (6121 Sunset Blvd., Hollywood, Los Angeles)
More info at Fathomers.
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