In 2022, the Imagine Blackness Project was launched as a collaborative exploration of Blackness and Black representation through AI-generated images created by artist, McArthur Freeman II, and sociologist, Dr. Elizabeth Hordge-Freeman. Imagine Blackness is a revolutionary space that embraces taking control of Black images and stories. Our goal is to address persistent gaps by engaging ideas about Afro-futurism, Black representation, technology, and artificial intelligence. Learn more about the origin story of the project here.
In 2023, Imagine Blackness was invited to participate in its debut exhibition at Creative Pinellas Gallery. The exhibition, “Imagine Blackness: Alternate Realities and Collective Dreaming,” drew record-breaking crowds from around the region who came to view the first AI show of this type in the region. The exhibition was heavily covered and featured in the Tampa Bay Times, St. Petersburg Catalyst, the Weekly Challenger, among other venues. Since then, the work has been referenced in media and discussions about AI. In addition to the exhibition, Imagine Blackness created interactive projects for kids who attended the 2023 Pinellas County African American Heritage Celebration. Dr. Hordge-Freeman presented the art work at Lomax Elementary, in March 2023, to introduce the majority Black and Brown student population to the ways the technology can be used for them to imagine the future. In July 2023, the work was exhibited at The Well for Life as part of a social intervention that centers Black joy and mental health and well-being, which is especially necessary in this current climate.
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