Black Ancient Futures - Paperback

by Camila Maissune (Editor), João Pinharanda (Editor), Denise Ferreira Da Silva (Contribution by)

A collection of a significant group of artistic voices from the vast African diaspora that offers visual and philosophical thought rich in references to African history, mysticism, mythology, ecology, and fiction.

The visual and textual proposals presented in Black Ancient Futures challenge the dominant aesthetic representations of Africa through languages that propose and reimagine a past, a present, and a future for the Black artistic experience in a transcontinental reality. These are broad proposals that don't aim to illustrate a current or movement but embrace the creation of fantasies, science-fiction narratives, and discourses where criticism, satire, and irony are evident.

Artists featured include Baloji, April Bey, Jeannette Ehlers, Lungiswa Gqunta, Evan Ifekoya, Kiluanji Kia Henda, Nolan Oswald Dennis, Gabriel Massan, Jota Mombaça, Sandra Mujinga, and Tabita Rezaire.

Author Biography

Camila Maissune is an independent curator and holds a BA in social sciences, specializing in visual anthropology, and an MA and PhD in arts and visual culture. She works as a researcher and curatorial assistant at MAAT: Museum of Art, Architecture and Technology, also in Lisbon. João Pinharanda holds a degree in history and a master's in art history. He has curated several official Portuguese art representations since 1998. He served as cultural attaché at the Portuguese Embassy in Paris, and since 2022 he has been the director of MAAT: Museum of Art, Architecture and Technology in Lisbon.