Résumé
This paper engages an interdisciplinary approach to explore the visual refiguration of archives, particularly, in relation to the transatlantic slave trade. It demonstrates the dynamic metamorphosis of the archival process from the past to the present. Focusing on the works of Zanzibar-born Black British artist Lubaina Himid, specifically Memorial to Zong (1992) and Naming the Money (2004). The paper examines how Himid’s art transforms historical narratives and challenges dominant historical representations. In Memorial to Zong, Himid symbolically undermines white imperialist patriarchal history, advocating for self-determination and empowerment among women of color. The artistic power of Lubaina Himid’s creativity resides in her ability to take on board the massive issues of history and translate them into a language which gives voice to the silenced Blacks. By positioning viewers at the center of her artwork, she invites them to reconsider history from marginalized perspectives. The paper highlights the intersection between the archive and visual art through visualizing the Zong murder in contemporary art, unsettling again the past and exploiting the limits of the archive. Through her exhibitions, Himid asserts her voice as a Black artist, addressing issues of collective invisibility and engaging with broader social, cultural, political, and aesthetic concerns. This engaging voice is also visible in her exhibition Naming the Money (2004). The artist utilizes innovative audio effects to amplify the voices of her wooden figures, providing them with agency to tell their own stories. The voices in English and French are also heard as the audience moves through the space, creating a direct and vivid correspondence with all of these figures and evoking various emotions. Himid constructs a modern visual and linguistic sign to give the viewer a unique experience he/she can create while exploring them. Similarly, it should be recalled that these signs are also a means of re-humanizing these figures and whether it is through stories, costumes, colors, for example, they are ultimately connected to the present. By foregrounding sound, she breathes life into the static forms of the archive, offering a creative and challenging vision of the African heritage. Taking into account these artistic representations, the archive becomes a source and a resource to visualize Black culture and commemorate the past. This innovative approach to visualizing the past allows us to envision a historical narrative that extends beyond material documentation, embracing performance and performativity.