Indigenous Futurisms and New Intelligences

Indigenous Futurisms crosses many fields of inquiry but at its core are visions of what-could-be that are informed by our ancient cultures and our deep understandings of oppressive systems. These visions are as diverse as Indigenous peoples ourselves. They are also unified by commonalities which thread through Indigenous worldviews, such as an understanding of reality as living, interconnected whole in which human beings are but one strand of life amongst many, and a non-linear view of time.  

In 2023 I undertook a creative residency with the School of Cybernetics. My project was to apply Indigenous futurist thinking to what is sometimes termed ‘artificial’ intelligence through the medium of visual art (acrylic on canvas). I began with a point that has been made by Indigenous peoples the world over – that in Indigenous systems, there is probably not such a thing as ‘artificial’ intelligence. 

Displayed in the Birch Building, ANU, Canberra until December 2024