GAIKA, Shannen SP and GLOR1A contribute to new exhibition on Black futurism

A new exhibition by Nine Nights – the collective that includes GAIKA, GLOR1A, Shannen SP and Zara Truss-Giles among its ranks – is set to open at London’s ICA next month.

Starting on 11th October and running through to 30th January 2022, the exhibition, titled ‘Channel B’, will take in music, performance and art, including sound and video installations from Nine Nights members GAIKA, GLOR1A and Shannen SP. 

Speaking collectively about the concept, Nine Nights said: “We are building an ecosystem that educates, platforms and promotes alternative Black art and supports Black-focused charities at home and overseas. The global music industry is worth over $50 billion, with 50% of that made from live music. The global pandemic has caused a crisis for all live artists and teams, wiping out a majority of income overnight. For 2019, total revenue for the global recorded music business grew by 8.2% to $20.2 billion. As Black artists, we provide much of the foundation for modern music with our labour. Currently, we are not seeing our share of this money.

“Nine Nights is a new music concept featuring thoughtfully curated Black artists across the world, spanning music, performance, poetry and spoken word. The name is rooted in Jamaican tradition that celebrates the life and safe passing for those deceased over nine nights. This ‘dead yard’ series is for those who have lost their lives at the hands of racism, police brutality and COVID-19, to celebrate their existence and push for change. We want a new system, one that helps develop Black lives in music, art and community.”

Offering a synopsis of the exhibition, the ICA’s website says: “Addressing sci-fi, speculative fiction, horror, political satire and experimental sound, ‘Channel B’ acts as an archive of Black subculture. This exhibition considers the contemporary role of surveillance, digital autonomy, non-human intelligence, and digitised human ritual, asking the viewer to reimagine the future.”

Find more information via the ICA’s website.

Nine Nights first launched as a collective in June 2020, with a series of live streams taking place amid the COVID-19 lockdown.