‘Reverse

Futures’

asks

us

to

imagine

tomorrow

through

the

eyes

of

the

Global

South

When people speak about the future, the images are often predictable. Gleaming cities. Flying cars. Artificial intelligence. Space travel. Technological progress imagined through a distinctly Western lens.

It is a future that has been repeated in science fiction, cinema and museums for decades, often overlooking the ways in which communities in the Global South have long imagined, adapted to and shaped their own futures.

The Johannesburg Contemporary Art Foundation (JCAF) has spent the past five years challenging these kinds of assumptions. Since its launch in 2020, the institution has positioned itself as more than just an exhibition space.

It exists as a place where contemporary art, research, education and technology intersect, using art as a way of thinking through some of the world’s most pressing questions from the perspective of the Global South.