Photo credit: Angel Sevin

Standing on the shores of West Africa centuries ago, where the vast Atlantic Ocean meets the land. This is where the harrowing journey began for countless Africans, their lives forever changed by the transatlantic slave trade. In the mid-15th century, Portuguese explorers were among the first to capture and transport Africans to Europe. These early days marked the start of a dark and painful chapter, with West Africa becoming a significant source of enslaved labour. The insatiable European demand for labour in the Americas fuelled this human trafficking.

Fast forward to the 17th and 18th centuries, the trade reached its peak. West African rulers and merchants played a crucial role in capturing and selling their fellow Africans. Historians paint a picture of bustling markets and fortified trading posts where lives were bought and sold. The memories of those torn from their homes were kept alive through songs, stories, and oral traditions passed down through generations. The 19th century brought a glimmer of hope as abolitionist movements gained momentum and anti-slavery laws began to take effect. However, the shadow of the slave trade lingered, with illegal trading continuing in some regions.

The memories of capture persisted, carried by formerly enslaved people and their descendants who shared their ancestors' harrowing experiences. This exhibition delves into these memories, preserved not just in grand monuments like Gorée Island's Maison des esclaves but in the folk stories and songs as well as symbolic objects and items that convey the deep cultural and spiritual significance of this history.

Step in silence—where memory awakens and oblivion surrenders