Blackout

Blackout reimagines 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.

Watch the video and browse the galleries to discover more.