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Renée Green: Endless Dreams and Time-Based Streams Public Programs
In conjunction with the exhibition Renée Green: Endless Dreams and Time-Based Streams, YBCA presents John Akomfrah’s film The Last Angel of History, followed by a question-and-answer session with the director and Renée Green.
John Akomfrah, director of Seven Songs of Malcolm X, examines the hitherto unexplored relationships between Pan-African culture, science fiction, intergalactic travel and rapidly progressing computer technology. A founding figure in Black British cinema, he is an artist, writer, critic and filmmaker internationally recognized for his long-time tenure with the London-based media workshop Black Audio Film Collective (which he co-founded in 1982). Akomfrah's analysis is rooted in an exploration of the cultural works of Pan-African artists, such as funkmaster George Clinton and his Mothership Connection, Sun Ra's use of extraterrestrial iconography, and the very explicit connection drawn between these issues in the writings of black science fiction authors Samuel R. Delaney and Octavia Butler. The Last Angel of History includes interviews with black cultural figures like musicians DJ Spooky, Goldie, and Derek May, who discuss the importance of George Clinton to their own music, as well as George Clinton himself. "A compelling vision of futurism in black society."—Dallas Observer (45 min, 1997)
Screening Room
Tickets: $7 regular; $5 students, seniors & teachers, or FREE with gallery admission