GRANBWA LANMOU (2023)
Granbwa Lanmou (The Big Tree of Love in Haitian Creole) is a durational performance piece where the artist invites the audience to adorn the artist’s body with different colorful satin or silk fabrics, representing different spirits or Lwa in Haitian Vodou, one of the indigenous religions of Haiti. For example, pink is usually associated with Èzili Freda, a Goddess in Haitian Vodou that represents love, the protection of children and LGBTQ+ folks amongst many other things. Purple and white usually represent the Gede family, the keepers of the cemetery, and the spirit guides for death and fertility. The artist’s body represents a Mapou tree, the tree that anchors the coexistence and harmony between the spirits and the earth that have guided Haitian life and the triumphs of Haitian history and culture.
This is an offering, an act of adorning and celebration while honoring the work and wonderful powers of the Lwa and Haitian Vodou as a dynamic and vital religion that has influenced the Haitian existence and beyond. This is an act of collective harmony, a thank you to the energies and spirits that consciously or subconsciously guide us.
This performance was for Contemporary And's 10th year anniversary which took place at 1014 Space For Ideas with support by Studio Museum Harlem and the Ford Foundation.
Video by Richard Rameau
Photos by Gili Benita