Nolan Oswald Dennis Explores Black Cosmologies Through Diagrammatic Art in Three Solo Exhibitions
Nolan Oswald Dennis, an artist originally from Lusaka and currently residing in Johannesburg, showcases creations that delve into the connections between Africa and the diaspora with both Earth and the cosmos. Their multifaceted approach encompasses sculpture, film, and algorithm-driven text, with a goal of partnering with Black and Indigenous entities to critique global modernity. In 2025, Dennis will hold solo exhibitions: UNDERSTUDIES at Zeitz MOCAA, overturns at Swiss Institute, and throwers at Gasworks until 22 June. Notable pieces include recurse 4 a late planet (lush) (2024), centered on asteroid 99942 Apophis, and Black Liberation Zodiac (Molalatladi) (2018–). The exhibitions will also highlight the 'Black Earth Study Club' and thermal-printer sculptures that foster discussions among thinkers such as Sylvia Wynter and Steve Biko.
Key facts
- Nolan Oswald Dennis is an artist born in Lusaka, Zambia, and based in Johannesburg, South Africa.
- Dennis's practice is para-disciplinary, involving sculpture, film, diagrams, 3D printing, algorithm-based text, and time.
- In 2025, Dennis has solo exhibitions at Zeitz MOCAA in Cape Town, Swiss Institute in New York, and Gasworks in London.
- The exhibition throwers at Gasworks runs through 22 June 2025.
- Dennis's work centers on the asteroid 99942 Apophis, a potentially hazardous object named after an Ancient Egyptian god.
- Their art engages with Black cosmopoietic thought and theorists like Sylvia Wynter, Octavia Butler, and Samuel Delany.
- Programming series 'Black Earth Study Club' is organized by Imani Mason Jordan and KJ Abudu.
- Dennis uses algorithms to create dialogues between Black and decolonial thinkers in thermal-printer sculptures.
Entities
Artists
- Nolan Oswald Dennis
- Octavia Butler
- Samuel Delany
- Sylvia Wynter
- Steve Biko
- Toni Cade Bambara
- Paolo Freire
- Amílcar Cabral
- Imani Mason Jordan
- KJ Abudu
- Zoë Hopkins
Institutions
- Zeitz MOCAA
- Swiss Institute
- Gasworks
- ArtReview
Locations
- Lusaka
- Zambia
- Johannesburg
- South Africa
- Cape Town
- New York
- London
- United Kingdom