Ahead of the International Day of Remembrance of the Victims of Slavery and the Transatlantic Slave Trade on March 24, the United Nations (UN) unveiled a new exhibition examining the themes of equality and transformative solidarity in the context of the African diaspora.
The Stories of Us, curated by the organization of the same name and the UN Outreach Programme on the Transatlantic Slave Trade and Slavery, features a series of sculptures by the artists Alanis Forde, Francks Deceus, Láolú, Leasho Johnson and Marryam Moma.
The objective of the exhibition was to showcase the importance of inclusivity, culture, progress, and freedom from the perspective of Afro-descendent artists. The history of the transatlantic slave trade, its ramifications, as well as the enduring racism and discrimination that stifles an inclusive future are some of the essential themes in this collection. The sculpture exhibition is open to all visitors in UN Headquarters in New York City until 25 April.
Nigerian artist Láolú explores the origins of the African diaspora, particularly the Yoruba culture, in the sculpture Afromations. This monochromatic piece depicts a series of figures stylized to resemble traditional Yoruba paintings alongside various symbols including eyes, hearts, and a drum.
Additionally, phrases such as “talented”, “beautiful”, “not like us”, “purpose” and “courage” are incorporated in this piece to describe the African diaspora. According to Láolú, this piece is not only a celebration of the Black identity and its origins, but also a response to the loss of culture as a result of racism.
“This has become a very important part of my consciousness since I started living outside of West Africa, where I had never experienced the everyday prejudice that exists elsewhere. The memories of those who have become ancestors too soon call on us to stand for and with one another to demand and work for change. In many ways, this sculpture is inspired by our ancestors,” said Láolú
Tanzanian-Nigerian artist Marryam Moma’s sculpture Melanin Machina focuses on themes of technological advancement and community. Several images of people of African descent who have occupied culturally significant roles throughout history can be seen in the piece, including John Lewis, Lauren Tate Baeza, and sisters Zoey and Nola Jones.
These figures are depicted in robotic suits, along a circuit board backdrop and additional computerized elements. It is apparent that the figures are inextricable from the suits, which is a metaphor for the advancement of technology being permanently ingrained in humanity. A multitude of golden symbols can be seen throughout the piece, symbolizing prosperity.
Ashley Shaw Scott Adjaye, the co-founder of The Stories of Us, opined that the piece showcases the hope and uncertainty that technological advancement brings. Adjaye and our IPS correspondent agreed that Melanin Machina shows the dangers of over-reliance on technology as well as an endless array of possibilities for progress.
“The subjects are presented as hybrid forms that embrace technological advances, while prioritising our health, well-being and security. There is often a lot of fear when it comes to technology and how rapidly it is changing the world. In this moment of transformation, we have to embrace and direct technology so that it serves us. Technology is not our master, but we must master it as a tool of human advancement,” said Moma.
Leasho Johnson’s sculpture, Man Standing in a Cane Field, explores the theme of emancipation, with a specific focus on the abolition of slavery in the Americas. The piece features three different abstract portraits, all depicting the different experiences of enslaved Black people.
The first of these portraits depicts the silhouette of a man standing in a thicket of sugar canes. “It is a man, but not quite belonging to himself-the body is a property of industry”, Johnson explained. This portrait shows the exploitation of Black bodies, as well as his lack of autonomy. Additionally, this portion of the sculpture emphasizes the importance of the remembrance of slavery and the decades of strife among people of African descent.
The second portrait shows a man emerging from a cane field, yet finding it difficult to fully disconnect. This symbolizes the difficulty of processing generational trauma and advancing in life. “Even in looking back, he’s still carrying that history with him. It speaks to the journey of transformation that is never immediate- it is an emergence. It is processing and facing the past, in order to move forward”, said Johnson.
The third portrait in this sculpture was inspired by the dancehall artist King Yellowman, depicting a man struggling with health issues, poverty, and discrimination surrounding his albinism. Adjaye remarked to our IPS correspondent that the depiction of the man’s jaw was particularly jarring as it contrasted with the rest of the sculpture and was an immediate point of attention.
This portion shows the repercussions of slavery and the innate value of a person despite immense hardship. Johnson hopes for viewers to take the time to look beyond the surface when looking at themselves and others. “And yet I see (King Yellowman) as someone that erupts with inner value and strength that you experience in how his music creates space for joy, irreverence and the awakening of our bodies – for people to become something more than they are. For me, he is the embodiment of our ability as people to transcend what the stereotypes and current realities expect of us, rooted in our dignity and self-worth,” Johnson said.
Alanis Forde’s sculpture Infinite Journey focuses on themes of personal growth in relation to transformative solidarity. This piece depicts a self-portrait of Forde in which she is lying down and staring at her phone, illustrating the positive aspects of technology and digitization.
Forde is drawn to have several sets of arms and several flowers erupting from her hair. According to Forde, the flowers are representative of her home country, Barbados. Additionally, Forde’s use of pointillism for the subject’s skin and hair establishes the subject as organic and intertwined with both nature and technology. Forde added that this was done to represent “cellular changes” that occur within us all.
“For me the blue dots and transformations have meant both self realisation and the use of an organic armour, of scales, that help me thrive in different settings – speaking to the transformation I also experience as I leave and come back to Barbados. Sometimes we are one thing in one space and something else in another. How can we be our authentic, best selves in all spaces? The digital world allows us to explore that,” said Forde.
The final piece in this exhibition is from Haitian artist Francks Deceus, titled Carib-Olympics. This sculpture examines the concept of “Good Trouble”, which “honors global efforts to assert humanity”. It depicts a group of swimmers participating in an Olympics-style swimming race, with a Haitian swimmer at the lead. Swimmers from other nations follow behind.
This represents both the Haitian revolution and the desire for nations with a primarily Black population to achieve economic and social progress. A significant portion of the sculpture depicts several yellow lifesavers, which Adjaye interprets as a representation of international humanitarian aid, which is often unsuccessful in truly advancing development for nations, and rather act as obstacles. Deceus, although open to this interpretation, stated that the yellow lifesavers are representative of the international pressure that unbalanced power dynamics put on people of color.
Deceus told our IPS correspondent that the pool water in this sculpture is “definitely rough ocean water”, representing the struggle for these nations to not only stay afloat but to thrive. Additionally, this acts as a nod to the transatlantic slave trade and the generations that descended from enslaved populations that were brought to colonized lands.
“Haiti has repeatedly been dealt a difficult hand. The historic enslavement of its people left the new independent nation unbearably poor. But this painting reminds us that anything is achievable if we pull together and come together, under one banner,” Deceus explained. “The swimming pool shows that when the barriers of segregation come down and there is opportunity, breakthrough success follows…And even as we have shared direction, we have our shared journeys, and it is through the learning of those different experiences that we discover empathy and solidarity”.
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