From 25 August, it's time for the third of four video works within the main exhibition Revolting Times at Kunsthal Extra City. This time, we present the work The Revolutions That Did (Not) Happen by Silvia Martes.

The Revolutions That Did (Not) Happen is set in the year 2085. With this surrealist science-fiction story, Silvia Martes presents an associative collage of different – sometimes absurdist – scenes that are intuitively woven together. It is a mostly wordless account with only the occasional British-sounding voice-over interjections, spoken by a feminine robot. The video work is situated in an era when political and societal structures have collapsed as a result of wars, pandemics and natural disasters.

Martes positions this speculative, fictional story in the tradition of Afrofuturism. In Afrofuturism, cultural elements from the African diaspora are linked to themes of science and technology to present possible Black futures. However, Martes’ work is equally characterised by a certain Afropessimism, a term coined by the American writer Frank B. Wilderson III.

Martes’ film is full of ambiguities regarding the necessity and meaning of change, mass behaviour, individuality and the costs of a society centred on labour. Imagining different possible futures serves most of all to expose the failings of today’s society.

Thursday evening 25.08 at 7pm, you are welcome to a screening in the presence of the artist, followed by an artist talk by Silvia Martes. After you can enjoy your evening with a drink in the bar. Will you be there?

Evening opening from 19h: free entrance

• 19h: screening of video work
• 19h30: artist talk until 20h30
• 20h-21h30: bar is open

Please note: Come on time, we close the main entrance at 20h!