Camille Turner, Afronautic Research Lab, (ongoing since 2016). Social practice / installation. Photo by Toni Hafkenscheid for Otherworld at Art Museum

Afronautic Research Lab Teachers Guide

The Afronautic Research Lab (2016–ongoing) is part of Camille Turner’s exhibition Otherworld, created by the performance collective Outerregion, led by Afronauts Camille, Karen, and Lee Turner. Inspired by the Dogon people’s deep astronomical knowledge, these Afronautic space travelers use the Lab to examine Canada’s connections to the transatlantic slave trade and ongoing anti-Blackness. The Lab contains archival materials, including 18th-century newspaper ads for escaped enslaved people, highlighting histories of Black resistance. Accompanied by a Teacher’s Guide by Dr. Natasha L. Henry-Dixon from York University, the Lab encourages critical engagement with historical sources. The guide is designed for both structured and independent learning, promoting inquiry-based exploration of historical thinking, including causes, consequences, and historical significance.