Science

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Storytelling

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Shows

The most compelling works make plain how scientific facts are often narrated from specific points of view. 'Black Liberation Zodiac' (2017–) by Johannesburg-based artist Nolan Oswald Dennis looks to the stars from the perspective of the Southern Hemisphere, where constellations appear different than they do in the North. On intricate astral maps papering the walls of a room, Dennis charts new Zodiac signs, mapping the stars not according to the familiar Eurasian myths but borrowing from the symbology (a panther, a fist) of Black liberation. Our understanding of the universe, Dennis shows, is not universal. Instead, it is a matter of perspective. It’s a reminder to think critically about where ideas come from, and to consider whom certain stories serve.