Seatavern

Afrofuturies invites us to reimagine tomorrow by excavating the silences of our past- the lost rituals, ancestral wisdoms, and untold stories that lie beyond official archives. This panel will explore how creative practitioners harness speculative frameworks to reclaim these cultural mores, weaving them into narratives that speak to our present realities and shape more resilient futures. Against the backdrop of climate upheaval and social and economic precarity, we’ll examine how Afrofuturist approaches empower us to confront uncertainty head-on, crafting adaptive strategies today for a more equitable and vibrant world tomorrow.

SPEAKERS:

Dr Thabang Monoa

Dr. Thabang Monoa is an art historian and lecturer at Michaelis School of Fine Art, University of Cape Town, specialising in contemporary African art and Afrofuturist aesthetics. He is a member of the College Art Association and co- convenor of the Gerard Sekoto Summer School.

Balekane Legoabe

Balekane Legoabe is an artist whose work explores the connections between nature, spirituality, and identity, drawing on ancient art and diverse mythologies. She integrates language, ritual, and healing practices into her creative process. Her work is currently featured in Evidence of Things Not Seen at EBONY/CURATED, part of this year’s Heat Festival.

Voni Baloyi (moderator)

Co-curator of the 2025 HEAT Festival in Cape Town, Voni Baloyi is a South African curator and art historian whose work explores pleasure, eroticism, and Black women’s liberation.

Keabetswe Seema

Keabetswe Seema is a multidisciplinary artist exploring Afro-Surrealism, Afro- Futurism, and the politics of the Black female body through printmaking, photography, collage, and sound. She has won the 2024 Blessing Ngobeni Art Prize and the 2025 Tilga Art Prize, and is featured in Everard Read’s Cubicle Series as part of this year’s HEAT Festival.

Curated by Art School Africa