Coffee, Rhum, Sugar & Gold: A Postcolonial Paradox is an exhibition that looks at the legacy of European colonialism in the Caribbean through the work of 10 contemporary artists. The exhibition takes a material approach to the haunted history of the region; it aims to reconnect the quintessential Caribbean exports mentioned in its title to the plantation economy that originally produced them through the labor of enslaved Africans for over 300 years. Although the region’s economy has altered and its exports diversified, the impact of centuries of colonial rule is still felt by the hundreds of millions of people who are descended from those who directly suffered under it. The exhibition aligns with the museum’s mission, to inspire challenging conversations about contemporary issues through the lens of the African diaspora. By calling out the presence of the colonial past in contemporary Caribbean life, the exhibition works against the erasure of history and inscribes the visions of artists as bulwarks against forgetting and as harbingers of a more grounded and humane future.
Coffee, Rhum, Sugar & Gold: A Postcolonial Paradox
“We strive to support institutions that share our artist-centered values. The small grassroots arts organizations as well as the museums that comprise our grantees provide invaluable opportunities for artists to express their unique perspectives on the pressing urgencies of the day. We hope that our grants help to amplify artists’ voices within their communities, in national discussions and debates, and across platforms in the international contemporary art world.”
Joel Wachs, President