Hailing Frequencies Open

Hailing Frequencies Open is the first major publication dedicated to Sonya Dyer’s acclaimed body of work exploring the intersections of Black history, science, speculative fiction and space exploration. Across moving image, sculpture and installation, Dyer reimagines who gets to shape the future, placing Black women at the centre of narratives that have historically excluded them. Drawing together the extraordinary stories of Henrietta Lacks, Nichelle Nichols’ pioneering work with NASA, and the mythological figure of Andromeda, Dyer constructs powerful speculative worlds where science, social justice and imagination converge. Her work challenges inherited histories of race, gender and scientific discovery while proposing new futures built on care, possibility and collective imagination.

Published to accompany a landmark series of exhibitions, including presentations at Somerset House, the book brings together new essays, installation views and artworks spanning the evolution of Hailing Frequencies Open. It establishes Sonya Dyer as one of the most original voices in contemporary British art, demonstrating how speculative fiction can become a powerful tool for rethinking history and imagining more inclusive futures.