Pains of No Return
Curatorial Statement: Pains of No Return
...........“Body, mind, and spirit all combine to make the creature human and divine. The earth is the expression of enslaved souls. Affirm the mind, the messenger of the hour of human brutality. To speed between yourself and the source of power. Would you know that life is abundant, and love is doubled for all you give? There is no greater means than helping someone to live, instead of enslaving them through the body, mind, and spirit” Collier (2009).
The transatlantic slave trade remains one of the most brutal and dehumanizing episodes in human history. In examining its legacy, Pains of No Return confronts the profound inhumanity of the trade while honouring the resilience of those who endured it. This mixed-media art installation seeks to evoke a visceral response, shedding light on the enduring impact of this dark chapter in Ghana and by extension Africa’s history and the broader African diaspora.
Drawing from extensive research, the exhibition focuses on the commodities exchanged for human lives during the transatlantic slave trade: empty alcohol bottles, mirrors, firearms, abandoned sewing machines, chains, shackles, sugar, jute bags, cowrie shells, slave ships and salt. These materials are not mere artifacts; they represent the commodification of human beings, the violent transaction of bodies, minds, and spirits for the sake of social mobility and economic gain. They bear witness to a legacy that transcends the past, continuing to shape our understanding of human worth and dignity in the present.
The installation amplifies the symbolic and aesthetic significance of these slave commodities, revealing their role in the dehumanization process and their ongoing relevance in today's world. The trade of human lives, once an objectified transaction, continues to echo through contemporary issues of human trafficking, the commodification of culture, and the exploitation of marginalized communities. Yet, this exhibition goes beyond historical reflection, it is an invitation to reconsider the mental enslavement that persists in the global economy, where human beings are often reduced to commodities in the pursuit of power, status and supremacy.
Pains of No Return challenges us to disentangle ourselves from the mental prisons that perpetuate these legacies. It urges us to redefine our collective consciousness, questioning how we value life, identity and freedom. The exhibition calls for a return not of bodies, but of consciousness a return to a place of mental liberation, where the histories of our ancestors inform a future built on equity, respect and human dignity.
Through this immersive experience, Pains of No Return compels viewers to confront the haunting remnants of the transatlantic slave trade, reflecting on how these past injustices continue to shape the cultural and social landscapes of the present and future.
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