Vernacular Universalism — Freemasonry in Haiti and Beyond

Vernacular Universalism | Freemasonry in Haiti and Beyond 

Exhibition dates: 24 May 2018 - 24 June 2018

Participating Artists: This exhibition featured original and commissioned works by Haitian, American and European artists: Yves Delva, The Venerable Master Mason Ernest Dominique, Marg Duston, Andre Eugene, Leah Gordon, Lazaros, Michel Lafleur & Molej Zamour.

Compiled by Leah Gordon, scenography by Marg Duston & Leah Gordon.

This exhibition aims to visualize the mesh of magic and reason; alchemy and science; trade and metaphysical exchange that has stretched into the 21st century. By focusing on Haiti, this exhibition sheds light on the relationship between colonized peoples and the Enlightenment. It suggests that for some, Freemasonry offered a path to becoming an agent of modernity, rather than its reviled ‘other’. This exhibition will be a timely and significant contribution to an understanding of Freemasonry through the lens of the Black Atlantic. The pairing of document and artefact mirrors the binaries between Magic and Modernity inherent in Haitian Freemasonry.