Future Artifacts

With Future Artifacts, Ghislain Brown-Kossi pushes the boundaries of his exploration of ancient symbolism, blending it with contemporary expression. Inspired by his travels to France and the Ivory Coast, where he immersed himself in Afro-descendant cultural history, he delves into the significance of frescoes, carvings, and artifacts that bridge past and present. This series examines the enduring impact of African civilizations on visual language and how symbols continue to resonate across time.

The title Future Artifacts invites us to see these works as remnants of a future yet to unfold—challenging how we understand and preserve cultural heritage. These fictional relics, shaped by the present, offer a vision of what might endure or be forgotten by future generations. Textured surfaces, sculpted in plaster and sand, reference the ancient, while vivid pop colors connect us to today and tomorrow, merging timelines into a singular visual language.

Addressing themes of cultural preservation and repatriation, the series also reflects on how history is shaped by institutions such as museums and private collections. Titles like 22:22 suggest an imagined archival system for these works, reinforcing the idea that history is in constant flux. Continuing the conceptual threads of Symbols and Believe, Future Artifacts challenges us to rethink the origins, meanings, and possible futures of cultural symbols.

More than an artistic series, Future Artifacts is a speculative reflection on how we reclaim, reinterpret, and project culture into the future. It invites us to consider how history will shape what we leave behind.