Kinfolk: Black Lands is described by co-founder Idris Brewster as "an Augmented Reality Archive of Black, Brown, LGBTQ, and underrepresented history in general using the power of immersive storytelling and immersive media to uplift stories from our past and connect those with the present and the future." It's an application that features over 20 prominent figures from Black History including digital monuments and statues that you can place in your home or local outdoor environments.



There are also a number of public spaces of historical importance that have site-specific AR installations to engage audiences in the places where these histories occurred. I've covered a previous incarnation of Kinfold when it was Movers and Shakers back in episode #656 with Glenn Cantave when it was focused on recontextualizing the Christopher Columbus monument in New York City with augmented reality art.



I had a chance to catch up with Idris at Tribeca Immersive 2023 to unpack the current state of the their Kinfolk project as well as Kinfolk app for iOS and Kinfolk app for Android, each with native AR features. We also dig into some future plans for their continued content expansion, looking into more immersive and volumetric work, and the potentials for more speculative future art that taps into the Black Imagination and Afrofuturism potentialities.



Kinfolk earned a special jury mention for Tribeca Immersive Storyscapes with a jury comment saying, "A profound and authentic representation of the Black experience in America, KINFOLK’s mission to bring history to contemporary audiences through AR technology not only celebrates the richness of Black culture and history in New York City and beyond, but also serves as a powerful tool for education and understanding, making it a standout contender deserving of recognition."











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Music: Fatality