center for discursive inquiry at california institute of the arts presents a new research group under the theme of “variety of futurisms.” convened by sara mameni, this series explores afro-arab futurisms in contemporary art and cultural production.center for discursive inquiry at california institute of the arts presents a new research group under the theme of “variety of futurisms.” convened by sara mameni, this series explores afro-arab futurisms in contemporary art and cultural production.

in the past decade artists have responded to ongoing wars and continued corporate/imperial practices in the middle-east and north africa with alternative visions of the future. we have seen national conceptions of palestine as a single high-rise tended to by a woman in a space-suite in the work of larissa sansour for instance, and artists working under the heading of “gulf futurism” in response to fast growing urban spaces in the persian/arab gulf region. in light of these practices, this research group attempts to contextualize speculative arab futurism in relation to longer traditions of futurist resistance in afrofuturism.in the past decade artists have responded to ongoing wars and continued corporate/imperial practices in the middle-east and north africa with alternative visions of the future. we have seen national conceptions of palestine as a single high-rise tended to by a woman in a space-suite in the work of larissa sansour for instance, and artists working under the heading of “gulf futurism” in response to fast growing urban spaces in the persian/arab gulf region. in light of these practices, this research group attempts to contextualize speculative arab futurism in relation to longer traditions of futurist resistance in afrofuturism.