"More than just a book, Black Metal is a cultural heirloom—a testament to the power of Black creativity and imagination."
- New York Said
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Black Metal is a special limited edition (500 copies), intricately designed, kitchen table art book. Pushing the boundaries of space travel, science fiction, speculative design, Black culture, art, technology, and spirituality, Black Metal is simultaneously an archive and catalyst of future worlds.
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Uniquely positioned at the nexus of such fields, it paves the way for a new field of its own - planting seeds for boundless imagination, and inviting its audience to simultaneously experience their internal and external worlds, anew.
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Hard cushioned cover, 208 pages, 216 x 279mm

What began as an incubator between Afrotectopia, MIT Media Lab's Space Exploration Initiative, and NYU's Interactive Telecommunications Program, quickly transformed into a imagination-expanding practice. Black Metal is an anthology of four books by the four artists of the incubator (Jordan Caldwell, Jeremy Kamal, Kordae Jatafa Henry, and Ari Melenciano) as they reimagined space travel as a new protocol in understanding the world around and within us.

The four books are:

Black Metal begins with Celestial Florilegia by Ari Melenciano. Celestial Florilegia unveils a cosmic geomantic practice, revealing a quantum form of intelligence through the use of intuition and botanical life. When put into use, it becomes your koan for the Black Metal Voyage, and a personal ritual for daily purposes.

A collage of images from the celestial florilegia chapter. Includes 3D renderings of plants, and the geomancy system.

Following, is Companion 180, Volume 1 by Jeremy Kamal. Companion 180, Volume 1 is the first of a series of spiritual and technical instructions for linking mind, body, and spacesuit. The shamanic guide is meant to facilitate the union of voyager with spacesuit, body with spirit, and outer space with inner growth.

A collage of images from the Companion 180, vol 1 chapter. Renderings of a speculative spacesuit

Next is Dark Voyage by Kordae Jatafa Henry. Dark Voyage is a graphic chapter that unveils the lives of Herman and Alice. Through cinematic portraits of an interstellar journey, readers experience story fragments, training facilities in orbit, and a Black Metal interface that lives on the skin.

A collage of images from the Dark Voyage chapter. Some clips of texts that says: "Realm of the Intimate" and "Harnessing the power of suns" and images of Herman, the character in the still cinema.

Black Metal concludes with Training Grounds by Jordan Caldwell. Training Grounds is a metaphysical workbook for Shedding, Integrating, and Grounding. The workbook supports readers walking the Black Metal path through a framework for aligning with their continuous inner work process.

A collage of images from the Training Grounds chapter. Diagrams on the process of shedding, integrating, and grounding.

Black Metal Starship Program

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An Immersive Book Tour

Afrotectopia is inviting communities around the country to immerse themselves in the world of Black Metal by creating free events ranging from participatory performance lectures to design hackathons at a variety of universities and art and cultural institutions. Below is a (continuously updated) list of events:

In The News

"The ultimate value of Black Metal is its call to expand the boundaries of the possible... this book empowers Black people to see themselves as creators of their own futures, both on Earth and beyond. The speculative nature of the work challenges us to rethink what we value, how we see ourselves, and how we can shape the world around us."

"If you’ve ever felt the constraints of the every day, Black Metal offers an escape—but not in the form of passive consumption. It actively asks you to engage, reflect, and transform"

Read full article, here.

"For me, Black Metal is more than just a piece of art; it’s a call to expand our minds and consider the possibilities that exist beyond the world we know. It’s a reminder that Black culture is not just rooted in the past but is also an integral part of the future—one that we can shape through our collective imagination."

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info@afrotectopia.org

@afrotectopia

Black Metal

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by Afrotectopia

In The News

"If you’ve ever felt the constraints of the every day, Black Metal offers an escape—but not in the form of passive consumption. It actively asks you to engage, reflect, and transform"

Contact Us