United Nations Outreach Programme on Transatlantic Slave Trade, Slavery Hosts Sculpture Exhibition by African Diaspora Artists

A new sculpture exhibition featuring artists from across the African diaspora is now open at United Nations Headquarters in New York and will run until 25 April, honouring the resistance of enslaved Africans and the powerful voices of their descendants, whose leadership and cultural innovations enrich our societies today.

The exhibition The Stories of Us features five large-scale “talking drums” by the artists Alanis Forde, Francks Deceus, Láolú, Leasho Johnson and Marryam Moma.  It will run in the United Nations Visitors’ Lobby through 11 April, alongside explanatory wall panels that delve into the artists’ motivation and process.  It will then move outside to the United Nations Visitors’ Plaza, where it will serve as the backdrop for the many dynamic music, dance and high-level events scheduled for the annual Permanent Forum for People of African Descent (14-17 April).

The exhibit is open to all public visitors to the United Nations, including during the annual observance of the International Day of Remembrance of the Victims of Slavery and the Transatlantic Slave Trade, on 25 March.

For a short video promo, please see: https://youtube.com/watch?v=RYL8mfXDcnM.

Press and Photo Call — 24 March

Members of the press are invited to view the exhibition and interact with artists and curators on Monday, 24 March, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

For members of the press without media accreditation visit the media accreditation website for more information on accessing the United Nations.

Curated by The Stories of Us and organized in collaboration with the United Nations Outreach Programme on the Transatlantic Slave Trade and Slavery, The Stories of Us exhibition explores the universal ideals of equality and solidarity — which are at the heart of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the Charter of the United Nations — through the lens of Afro-descendant artists.

The sculptures focus on the theme of resistance, spanning Afro-descendant communities’ roots in the rich cultural soil of the African continent, to the period of emancipation, to the tradition of “good trouble” that has inspired activists across the globe for generations.  The exhibition serves as an invitation to reimagine who we want to be, and to act in the spirit of unity, envisioning a more inclusive and just world for all.

The United Nations Outreach Programme on the Transatlantic Slave Trade and Slavery was established in 2007 by the United Nations General Assembly.  It educates the public about the history of the transatlantic trade in enslaved Africans and its legacies, including racism and discrimination, through activities including online discussions, film screenings and exhibits.

The Stories of Us is a non-profit organization that curates exhibitions created by a diverse collective of artists.  Its makers bring their own stories, insights and genius to invite the public to explore humanity’s shared past and present, and to reimagine a future for all.

For more information, and to schedule a press viewing, please contact Melissa Summers at email:  melissa.summers@un.org.