WHERE DO WE SEE OURSELVES IN THE FUTURE?
Especially when the majority of depictions we see of the future do not include the same diversity that exists in the world currently…
Does Sci-Fi show people of my culture, race, gender, affectional orientation, age, or other identity? If not, why is that and what does that say about my place in the future???
GLOBAL DISRUPTOR: Ayodamola Tanimowo Okunseinde
The following is an excerpt from his website describing the project and his bio.
“The Rift: An Afronaut’s Journey is a response to the persistent disenfranchisement of Africans and peoples of the African diaspora. The Rift recognizes the lack of representation of these peoples and their culture in current projections of the future. Additionally, The Rift argues that the denial of this ‘future space’ misrepresents Africa’s potential and denies the intrinsic human capacity of planning and organizing to its people. The deleterious effects of the above is an erosion of the humanity and agency of the subject cultures in the eyes of the dominant Western culture.”
Ayo is an artist and interactive designer living and working in New York. He studied Visual Arts and Philosophy at Rutgers the State University of New Jersey where he earned his B.A. His works range from painting and speculative design to physically interactive works, wearable technology and explorations of Afrofuturism. Okunseinde was the co-founder and creative director of Dissident Display Studios, an award winning studio and art gallery based in Washington DC. As a collaborator with, amongst others, choreographer Maida Withers, Carmen Wong, and Yoko K., Okunseinde has created several interactive performance based works and has performed in several countries including Mexico, Finland, and Croatia. Okunseinde art residency participation includes Finland’s Invitation to Helsinki, IDEO’s Fortnight, and Eyebeam’s Creative Residency. Ayodamola (Ayo) Okunseinde holds an MFA in Design and Technology from The New School, Parsons School of Design in New York where he is currently an adjunct faculty member.
All images are from Ayodamola Tanimowo Okunseinde’s website http://www.ayo.io