TRANS ATLANTIC

14/12/2017

Trans Atlantic had been a shelf idea for a little over two years and when we brought it out and breathed some life into it a few weeks ago, there could not have been a more valid time. Initially, our original idea was to visually discuss topics such as race, slavery and class from a lifestyle reference point while drawing inspiration from the Trans Atlantic triangular trade and by the time we were almost done putting the project together Libya had successfully singlehandedly revived the memories of this turbulent part of history all over again in the most vivid, practical way. As a result, and as our duty as being conscious global citizens, we decided to add our own independent voice into this global conversation that is currently taking place. Not necessarily as a social commentary like how most creative artists would want to, but more simply as a visual illustration of some of the interchangeable themes and mixed feelings that come to mind on the subject.

An elderly man and a young girl sit on a park bench in a grassy, hilly landscape. The man appears to be talking to the girl, who is listening with her arms crossed. Sheep are grazing nearby, and in the background, there are hills, a small building, and a tower under a partly cloudy sky.

Initially, when we were thinking about the best fashion to narrate the Trans Atlantic as a story in the modern time we live in, we were inspired by a hypothetical scenario of an old man who had lived through the days of slave trade and now many years later, he was sitting with his great grand daughter telling her this history of mankind. A story of horror and triumph, hope and fear, a story of pain and joy living side by side, of how the mighty and strong gang up against the weaklings, with the weaklings and for the weaklings on a carefully crafted fallacy. We were particularly interested in discussing the profound similarities between history and the modern time we live in on a lifestyle level and how technology and other socio-economic factors have changed and continue to change but mentalities seem to possess some durable irresistibility to change.

A group of six men dressed in vintage attire walking across a countryside landscape with rolling green hills under a partly cloudy sky, carrying woven baskets and wearing hats.
A young boy with a dark hairstyle, wearing a denim shirt, tan pants, a gray beret, and a patterned scarf, sitting on a vintage armchair holding a stack of cash. A glass of whiskey, a remote, a notebook, and a smartphone are on a small table nearby. A person with dark pants and shoes is lying on a patterned rug on the floor, with their head and feet visible. The background features a two-tone wall with maroon and beige colors.
Three women standing against a dark wall, each wearing brown chains around their necks and shoulders, with serious expressions. The woman on the left has dreadlocks and wears a fur vest over a striped shirt, white pants, and brown boots. The woman in the middle has her hair in an updo with a headband, and wears a black and white lace dress. The woman on the right has dreadlocks and wears a tan blazer, patterned shirt, and tan boots.
A woman with dark skin and dreadlocks wearing a brown blazer and a colorful scarf, holding chains and metal cuffs, with a serious expression against a dark background.