Born In Flames: Feminist Futures

Published on July 16, 2021, 10:05 am
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Born in Flames: Feminist Futures is a constellation of imagined world-scapes projected by fourteen contemporary artists. Set within the space of an exhibition, the artwork presented is a projection of the artists’ larger visions about futurity. Each section of the show is a microcosmic speculation on what could have been, what is, or what is to come. These worlds are steeped in lessons of our complicated pasts, peppered with the ravages of oppression but also blooming joys. Their work critically examines current struggles for equity by exploring strategies for justice and equality through multifaceted futurisms.

This exhibition borrows its title from the 1983 film, Born in Flames, by artist and activist Lizzie Borden. The film sets forth an essential question within the exhibition: What can the future hold if our present is part of a long-standing cycle of capitalist values? The artists expand on this question through envisioning futures that defy our current oppression or understand that its reality is insurmountable, calling to light the realities of capitalism and patriarchy.

The works posit That futurity social and justice are inextricably connected, as writer Walidah Imarisha notes in her introduction to Octavia Brood: Science Fiction Stories from the Social Justice Movement. She says, “Whenever we try to envision a world without war, without violence, without prisons, without capitalism, we are engaging in speculative fictions.” When we envision a world where social justice is no longer a radical idea, but a reality, we reaffirm the bond between futurism and justice.

Born In Flames: Feminist Futures presents works created over the last four decades, bringing together ideas from multi-positional, intersectional, and intergenerational vantage points. The exhibition demonstrates not only the artists’ place within a futurist lineage but also exposes the ongoing impulse to imagine new realities on their own terms.

Curated by Jasmine Wahi, Holly Block Curator of Social Justice.

Exhibition artists: 

  • Caitlin Cherry;
  • Chitra Ganesh;
  • Clarissa Tossin;
  • FireleiBbaez;
  • Huma Bhabha;
  • Lizzie Borden;
  • Maria Berrio;
  • Pamela Phatsimo Sunstrum;
  • Rose B. Simpson;
  • Saya Woolfalk;
  • Sin Wai Kin (fka Victoria Sin);
  • Shoshanna Weinberger;
  • Tourmaline;
  • Wangechi Mutu.

Support for Born in Flames: Feminist Futures is made possible by the Henry Luce Foundation, Rockefeller Brothers Fund: Culpeper Arts & Culture Program, Agnes Gund, Kathleen Landy and The Feminist Institute, Carole Server and Oliver Frankel, Elden Services, Mamais Construction, Island Acoustics, LLC, Gotham Drywall, Inc., Kamco Supply Corp., and SRI Fine Art Services.

Born in Flames: Feminist Futures is a constellation of worlds-landscapes imagined in the projections of fifteen contemporary artists. Framed in the space of an exhibition, the works are a projection of the expanded visions of the artists about futurity. Each section of the show is a microcosmic speculation of what could have been, what is, and what is to come. These worlds are steeped in the lessons of our complicated pasts, peppered with the ravages of oppression, but also with flourishing joys. His works critically examine current struggles for equity through the exploration of strategies for justice and equity through multifaceted futurisms.

This sample borrows the title from the 1983 film Born in Flames , by artist and activist Lizzie Borden. The film raises an essential question within the exhibition: What awaits us in the future if our present is part of a long-standing cycle of capitalist values? Artists expand this question by imagining futures that challenge our current oppression or understand that their reality is insurmountable, bringing to light the realities of capitalism and patriarchy.

The works propose that futurity and social justice are intrinsically connected, as the writer Walidah Imarisha notes in her introduction to the book Octavia Brood: Science Fiction Stories from the Social Justice Movement . She says, “Whenever we try to imagine a world without war, without violence, without prisons, without capitalism, we are exercising speculative fictions. “When we imagine a world in which social justice is not a radical idea, but a reality, we are affirming the laso of futurity and justice.

Born In Flames: Feminist Futures features works created over the past four decades that bring together ideas from multi-positional, intergenerational, and multi-positional points of view. The exhibition not only demonstrates the artist’s place within a futuristic lineage but also exposes the constant drive to imagine new realities on their own terms.

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Curatorship by Jasmine Wahi, Holly Block Curator of Social Justice

This exhibition is made possible by the generous support of the Henry Luce Foundation, Rockefeller Brothers Fund: Culpeper Arts & Culture Program, Agnes Gund, Kathleen Landy & The Feminist Institute, Carole Server & Oliver Frankel, Elden Services, Mamais Construction, Island Acoustics, LLC, Gotham Drywall, Inc., Kamco Supply Corp., and SRI Fine Art Services.