'Finding Fanon' Explores Race & Post-Colonial Identity Inside The World Of Grand Theft Auto

'Finding Fanon 1', 4K Video, 2015, By Larry Achiampong and David Blandy. Photo credit: Claire Barrett

With the Finding Fanon trilogy, Larry Achiampong and David Blandy explore the post-colonial condition from inside a simulated environment. Combining art-house cinema with Machinima, the short film series follows the UK-based artists as they uncover Frantz Fanon's three lost plays as characters in Grand Theft Auto 5.

Throughout the series, Achiampong and Blandy negotiate the Martinican philosopher's ideas and set out to examine how the politics of race, racism and decolonization impact our relationships in an age of new technology, pop culture and globalization.

Achiampong tells Okayafrica that their work weaves together several stories, from how the artists’ family histories relate to colonial history to "an examination of how their relationship is formed through the virtual space, and thoughts on the implications of the post-human condition."

Watch the premiere of part two in Larry Achiampong and David Blandy's Finding Fanon trilogy below.

'Finding Fanon 2', 4K Video, 2015, By Larry Achiampong and David Blandy

'Finding Fanon 1', 4K Video, 2015, By Larry Achiampong and David Blandy. Photo credit: Claire Barrett

'Finding Fanon 1', 4K Video, 2015, By Larry Achiampong and David Blandy. Photo credit: Claire Barrett