The Art Gallery of Nova Scotia's Creative Minds series hosts community leaders and creatives to respond to current events, exhibitions on view, or artworks in the Gallery.
BLACKOUT is an interdisciplinary art project that recreates historical slave ads using ‘erasure’ or ‘blackout’—a form of poetry created by erasing words from an existing text to create a visual poem.
The project uncovers messages in ads that appeared in local newspapers during slavery—a legal practice of buying and selling human beings that saw millions of Africans and people of African descent enslaved over hundreds of years. BLACKOUT reworks slaveholder’s texts to reveal new narratives honouring those who challenged one of history’s most inhumane systems, and championing their bold acts of resistance.
Presenting the art of erasure poetry in non-traditional form, this presentation of BLACKOUT combines poetry with visual art, short film, and live performance collaboration with African Nova Scotian musicians.
This event is offered in recognition of African Heritage Month and is presented in partnership with Halifax Public Libraries, Nocturne, and MSVU Art Gallery.