Museum Exhibit
Most of the world participated in the slave trade at some point, that is a fact. Now, after slavery is no longer a part of the mainstream and illegal in almost every part of the world, all that is left to remind us about the struggle is art. That is why there has been a museum exhibit in several prominent galleries, making knowledge of the emotions and pain felt by slaves available to anybody that chooses to take a peek into their world. Whether the art was created by slaves, or a hundred years after by artists trying to remind people about these times, a museum exhibit is a great place to learn more about our history on this planet. Here are some of the places that have a museum exhibit that displays slavery art.
1. London, Sugar & Slavery – This is a museum exhibit located in London, England that examines London’s involvement in the transatlantic slave trade. It is a permanent museum exhibit that is meant to be thought provoking. The art that is displayed is located in a sugar warehouse setting and has inspired others to create art that is in the same vein as this museum exhibit. Their online web page includes more information about London, Sugar & Slavery and has maps that detail the city’s involvement in slavery.
2. Transatlantic Slave Gallery – This is yet another museum exhibit that could be found in England. It was a part of the Merseyside Maritime Museum, but is no longer running because of its popularity. The art that was found in the gallery became such a phenomenon that the museum exhibit actually helped form an entire museum. The new museum goes by the name of The International Slavery Museum. Now people are able to go through and view an entire building filled with art dealing with slavery all over the world.
3. Slavery in New York – Many people were under the impression that slavery only took place down south, but that was just not true. This museum exhibit shows that not only was there slavery in the north, but New York was actually a large hub for the slave trade. This gallery does not just have art either. There are legal documents, business transactions, and newspapers on display. Some of the pieces of art that are there for viewing are wire sculptures of settlers, recordings, and dramatizations of slave life.
Even though only the United States and England were mentioned here, there were slaves in nearly every country at some point in history. Viewing some of the art that came from the deep emotions of slavery is an experience that many do not soon forget. Find a museum in your local area that you can visit and learn more about our history, as well as how poorly some people were treated by others in the past.
