The MultiFutures exhibition at Bankstown Arts Centre offers a striking exploration of possible futures shaped by the cultural wealth and lived experiences of marginalized communities. Featuring artists from International and Australian backgrounds, this exhibition underscores the critical role of cultural and linguistic diversity in envisioning inclusive, transformative tomorrows.
Centering Lived Experiences in Future Narratives
The heart of MultiFutures lies in its grounding of speculative narratives in the realities of First Nations peoples and communities of color. By amplifying voices often excluded from global discourses on technology, futurism, and societal progress, the exhibition creates space for imagining futures where these communities are empowered agents of change.
The Intersection of Art and Liberation
Drawing on movements like Afrofuturism, Indigenous Futurism, and Yemeni Futurism, the featured works challenge colonial paradigms of the future. These artistic practices not only celebrate cultural identity but also highlight the power of art as a tool for liberation and self-determination. Afrofuturism, in particular, resonates with themes of Black empowerment by reimagining Blackness in a technologically advanced, equitable world.
A Showcase of Global Talent
The exhibition brings together a compelling roster of artists whose practices span multimedia, digital art, and speculative storytelling:
•Black Quantum Futurism (US) weaves time, space, and memory into works that explore Black liberation beyond linear temporality.
• Serwah Attafuah (Australia) creates surreal, Afrofuturistic digital environments that celebrate Black identity and power.
• Subash Thebe Limbu (Nepal) envisions decolonized futures informed by Indigenous knowledge and resilience.
Imagining Migrant Communities in Tomorrow’s World
Through these works, MultiFutures interrogates the place of migrant communities in imagined futures. It challenges exclusionary visions that marginalize these groups, emphasizing instead their pivotal role in shaping equitable societies.
MultiFutures is more than an exhibition—it’s an invitation to reconsider whose stories are told in the making of the future. For those committed to Black liberation and empowerment, it reinforces the importance of cultural reclamation and creative resistance as tools to dismantle systems of oppression.
This groundbreaking exhibition not only reimagines futures but also serves as a reminder of the revolutionary potential of centering marginalized voices in all discourses. It invites audiences to envision a world where equity, justice, and creativity thrive hand in hand.
Visit the Archive
Although the exhibition has concluded, its powerful themes and narratives live on in the archive at Bankstown Arts Centre, continuing to inspire action and imagination worldwide.