In the Black Fantastic

Produced to accompany the acclaimed group exhibition of the same name at London’s Hayward Gallery, this visual feast of a book is much more than your average exhibition catalogue. Featuring fantastic – in the true sense of the word – artistic output from across the African diaspora, and including elements of genres sometimes referred to as “Magical Realism” and “Afrofuturism”, the book succeeds in exploring and in many ways, brilliantly redefining, black speculative creative realms. Divided into three sections, “Invocation”, “Migration”, and “Liberation”, In the Black Fantastic traverses a range of cultural outputs (everything from album covers to fine art and music videos) and includes several fascinating essays, too. Overall, this book is a wildly imaginative treat – and inspiring on multiple levels.