In the Black Fantastic. Imagination Reinventing the World

Hundreds of disembodied arms, linked in a single chain. An artist dressed in multi-coloured African fabrics who, little by little, impersonates a corrupt tyrant, a queen and a bandit. Ulysses adrift in the Caribbean, kissed by Calypso, dark-skinned mermaid. We’re in the universe of In the Black Fantastic, fantasy-filled exhibition curated for the Southbank Centre by writer and journalist Ekow Eshun. Somewhere between myth, science fiction, folklore and Afro-futurism, many artists of African origins have used fantasy to fight injustice and invent alternative possibilities. Together, these artists give life to a kaleidoscope of visions that rethink concepts such as race, gender and identity, exploring the confines between true and false, science and metaphysics. Painting, sculpture, photos, video and installations mix in the spaces of the Hayward Gallery, offering visitors new perspectives on the past and inviting them to dive into a liberating and fantastic future. Artists of the caliber of Nick Cave, Chris Ophili, Ellen Gallagher, Kara Walker and Wangechi Mutu conduct the public along a stunning journey to the confines of reality, culminating in a highly-awaited live performance at the end of July.