The first journal entry in Octavia Butler's dystopian speculative fiction Parable of the Sower is 20 July 2024. Butler's future is our present. Butler's warning of a time impacted by climate change and political unrest is our reality.
Fire, Ash, Stars, I attend to survive
Curated By
Kelly Dezart-Smith
Featuring
Aliyah Knight
Atong Atem
Jacob Coppedge
Nyaluak Leth
Fire, Ash, Stars, I attend to survive curated by Kelly Dezart-Smith is a poetic visual art intervention weaving together stories of hope during dystopian times featuring artists Aliyah Knight, Atong Atem, Jacob Coppedge and Nyaluak Leth as they use video, illustration and poetry to explore Butler's fiction and our present.
On the Taxidermy TV is visual poem and animation ‘doomscrollin’ by Aliyah Knight. ‘doomscrollin’ is a reflection of and response to the nihilistic approach to humanity shared by a constantly evolving contingent of young people. In our Streetspace Window is Atong Atem’s video work ‘Beneath the skin is a layer of grief (that doesn’t belong to you)’. Here she continues her exploration of identity and culture through the creation of surreal and fantastical environments. Faces and obscured through vibrant use of colour that showcases individuality and allows her subjects to exist in a futuristic yet idealistic space.
In the Salon is ‘The return of the Theia” by Jacob Coppedge, a mixed media on paper work. “The true mind can weather all the lies and illusions without being lost. The true heart can tough the poison of hatred without being harmed. Since beginningless time, darkness thrives in the void but always yields to purifying light” - excerpt from Avatar the Last Airbender.
In the Laneway is ‘KEEP ON, KEEP ON’ is a paste-up by Nyaluak Moses Mayen Wan Leth (NMMWL). A poetic affirmation and powerful reflection on the resilience, transformation, and enduring spirit of the Black experience. In the Tit Bathroom Soundscape is her sound piece “Dissonance Through Times Ballad” where she continues to explore the intricate intersections of identity, spirituality and time in the audio only piece.
