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The Cosmic Northside - Afrofuturistic Canadian Art Conference (ACAC) is a bilingual, three-day celebration from October 18-20, 2024, in the nation’s capital.The event will honour the legacy of Afrofuturism in Canada with engaging presentations, live music, mixed reality exhibitions, and interactive activities that explore theintersections of artificial intelligence (AI), Sci-Fi fantasy, and Pan-Africanism. Attendees will experience a fusion of S.T.E.A.M (Science Technology Engineering Art Mathematics/Metaphysics) innovation and contemporary practices that envision a future rooted in land sovereignty, solidarity and equality.
The conference is presented by ASTROSANKOFA Arts Initiatives (ASAI), in partnership with the National Gallery of Canada. It is planned by Hors Pair Social and supported by the Black Speculative Arts Movement (BSAM) and the Ottawa Black Arts Kollectiv (OBAK). Funded by the Government of Canada’s Department of Culture and Heritage and the Canada Council for the Arts, the ACAC will feature discussions, workshops, performances, digital art displays and an interactive robot that will create emphasis on intersectionality and the power of creative expression in shaping tomorrow’s world.
“This gathering is the new moon for the Canadian art scene, signaling that the healing of Canada’s past relations with Black and Indigenous people can begin, and a better path forward can be explored. It celebrates expanding Black representation, championing innovation, and growing the Afrofuturism movement as part of Canada’s art legacy.” — Quentin VerCetty, Director, ASTROSANKOFA Arts Initiatives.
“The Gallery is thrilled to support our partners who are bringing this important dialogue on Afrofuturism to Ottawa. Featuring artists from across Canada exploring past, present and future imaginaries of global pertinence, the goals of Cosmic Northside align with the values and curatorial priorities of the NGC whose programming resonates with the work of a number of the conference’s participants. This includes Kapwani Kiwanga who is presently representing Canada on the world stage at the 2024 Venice Biennale, and Camille Turner whose 2022 video installation Nave was recently acquired for our collection. We look forward to amplifying their thoughts and ideas, as well as those of so many other creative practitioners from and within the Black Canadian community at the Gallery this October.” —Jonathan Shaughnessy, Director, Curatorial Initiatives at the National Gallery of Canada.
The Cosmic Northside - Afrofuturistic Canadian Art Conference seeks to explore the future of the Black community beyond the UN International Decade for People of African Descent (2014-2028). The conference aims to elevate and expand the public perception of Afrofuturism as an integral part of Canada’s art heritage and culture, celebrating its evolution and impact through creative partnerships, insightful conversations, and collective participation.
Single-day tickets and full conference passes are available on Eventbrite: